The Internet of Things (IoT)

Week 3

Internet of Things (IoT) - Definition

• Network of physical objects (ex: vehicles, appliances, etc.) that are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to collect and share data.

• IoT devices can also perform tasks autonomously. Examples include:

  • Monitoring environmental conditions in farms.

  • Managing traffic patterns with smart cars.

  • Controlling machines and processes in factories.

  • Tracking inventory and shipments in warehouses.

Internet of Things (IoT) - Digital identity

IoT helps create a digital identity for a device, collects data from it and its surrounding environment, and enables its remote control.

Internet of Things (IoT) - Examples of “things”

• Smart home devices (Smart thermostat)

• Wearables (Smartwatches/RFID-enabled clothing)

• Industrial machines in factories

• Transportation systems (Cars/truck/trains/planes)

IoT enabling technologies - Sensors and actuators

Are at the heart of IoT since they allow devices to interact with the environment. 

• Sensors

• Actuators

• Automation

Sensors and actuators - Sensors

Devices that detect changes in the environment (Temperature, humidity, lights, motion, pressure, etc).

Sensors and actuators - Actuators

Devices that cause changes in the environment (Opening or closing a valve, turning a motor on or off, etc)

Sensors and actuators - Automation

This is possible when sensors and actuators work to resolve issues without human intervention.

Networks - Role

Information that sensors create rarely attains its maximum value at the time and place of creation. The signals from the sensors often must be communicated to other locations for aggregation and analysis. This typically involves transmitting data over a network. 

Networks - Definition

The total area within which IoT devices are expected to operate.

Networks - Categories (4)

• BAN (Body Area Network): Provides connectivity between wearable technologies, implanted devices, etc.

• PAN (Personal Area Network): Covers a small area such as a room.

• LAN (Local Area Network): Covers the area of an office or home.

• WAN (Wide Area Network): Covers a much larger area (using fiber optic cables or microwave or satellite transmissions). An enterprise intranet or even the internet can be considered as WAN.

Networks - Considerations

• Transfer rates: IoT applications can benefit from high data transfer rate technologies such as 4G (LTE, LTE-A), and 5G.

• Energy requirements: Technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy and Low Power Wi-Fi are well suited for energy constrained devices connected to the IoT.

4 Standards for aggregation process

1. Regulatory standards

2. Network protocols

3. Communication protocols

4. Data aggregation standards

Standards - Regulatory standards

• Related to the privacy and security of data.

• Clear regulations related to the collection, handling, ownership, use, and sale of the data. Examples include:

  • Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPS) in the US

  • Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada

Standards - Network protocols

• Rules by which machines identify and authorize each other.

  • The AllJoyn standard (open source) allow devices to discover, connect, and communicate directly with other AllJoyn-enabled products.

Standards - Communication protocols

• Provide a common language for devices to communicate.

Standards - Data aggregation standards

Data collected from multiple devices come in different formats and at different sampling rates.

• ETL (Extraction, Transformation, Loading)

  • Extraction: Acquiring data from multiple sources/formats and including only data that meets the criteria.

  • Transformation: Splitting, merging, sorting, and transforming the data into a desired format.

  • Loading: Loading the data into a data repository that can be used for analytics.

Augmented intelligence - Definition

Extracting insights (intelligence) from data using data analytics technologies.

• Insights may lead to action

Augmented behaviour - Definition

Taking some action that is the result of all the preceding stages (from sensing to analysis).

• Machine-to-machine (M2M) interfaces

• Machine-to-human (M2H) interfaces

Augmented behaviour - Machine-to-machine (M2M)

The technologies that enable machines to communicate with each other and drive action without direct human input.

Augmented behaviour - Machine-to-human (M2H)

Machines can suggest actions, based off collected data and insights, to individuals who then exercise their discretion to take/not take the recommended action.

Cloud computing - Definition

The cloud is where the vast amounts of data generated by IoT devices are stored, processed, and analyzed. These platforms provide the infrastructure and tools for that.

Edge computing - Definition

Allows data to be processed and analyzed closer to the source of the data, rather than in a centralized data center.

• Improves response times.

• Reduces amount of data that needs to be transferred over IoT networks.

Security and privacy technologies - Definition

Technologies (encryption, access controls, detection systems, etc.) are used to protect IoT devices and the data they generate from cyberthreats.