In today’s world, IoT is becoming an inseparable part of life. Irrespective of the sector, it’s affecting it and bringing positive changes. It’s simply the network of physical devices equipped with sensors, software, etc., to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over a wireless network without human intervention. These physical objects or devices range from ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools. With more than 10 billion connected IoT devices today, experts expect this number to grow to 22 billion by 2025. Now, let’s have a closer look at the smaller parts of IoT and understand their functions. There are four main components of IoT; let us see them one by one:
1. Sensors or devices
First in the list of components of IoT are the sensor devices. These are the devices that collect data from the user’s environment. The data could be as simple as temperature reading, light condition, or it might become as complex as a video feed. However, whether it’s a standalone sensor or an entire device, data is collected from the environment by something in this first step.
E.g., Motion sensors, thermometers, CCTV Cameras, etc.
2. Connectivity
After collecting the data, it has to be sent to the cloud for further operations, so the connectivity is responsible. It’s simply a transportation medium for sharing data with the cloud. Each option has tradeoffs between power consumption, range, and bandwidth.
E.g., WiFi, Cellular data, Bluetooth, Satellite, etc.
3. IoT cloud & Data Processing
It’s the place for storing and analyzing data coming from devices. The data is analyzed, and operation on information is processed, and relevant results are interpreted. Processing could be very simple, such as checking that the temperature reading is within an acceptable range. Or it could also be very complex, such as using computer vision on the video to identify objects. Once the results are ready, a command is sent back to the device as well as to the user interface.
4. End-user devices and user interface
Next, the information is made available to the end-user. There are many ways to accomplish this; it can be a message to the user via email, text, notification, alarm, etc. Apart from that, the user can also operate the device through its interface. And some actions are performed automatically rather than waiting for commands from users.
For Example, The temperature in a room is too high; then a notification will be sent to the user. Then the user can lower the temperature using the phone, or if he doesn’t take any action, the cloud can automatically command the AC to lower the temperature.
Smart Bulb
Smart Downlight
Smart Camera
Smart Security
Smart Doorbell
Smart Door Lock
Smart AC Remote
Smart TV Remote
Smart Energy Monitor
Smart Striplight
Smart Plug
