What is the Internet of Things?
Introduction to the Internet of Things
You wake up in the morning, and the sleep bracelet on your wrist has already written down how you slept and uploaded the data to Twitter. The coffee machine received data from Twitter that you woke up and began to make a morning cup of strong drink for you.
')
Guided by the data of the same bracelet, lighting was turned on in your bedroom, and a towel began to heat up in the bathroom. When you walked from the bedroom to the kitchen, the lamps turned on and off automatically everywhere. A cup of coffee was waiting for you in the kitchen. When you left the house and went to work, a robot vacuum cleaner turned on in the apartment and started cleaning the room, sending information about the cleaning process to your phone.
Welcome to the world based on the concept of the Internet of Things. In a world whose image was largely predetermined by the largest technology companies. In a world that promises to change our way of life.
What is the Internet of things?
What is the Internet of Things? As a rule, this term refers to a combination of low-cost, energy-efficient processors and physical electronic sensors that are integrated into various electrical devices and “communicate” with each other through wireless communication standards.
Electronic sensors can measure absolutely everything, ranging from temperature and humidity, and up to pressure, distance, sound power, light level, gravity, movement, response. Further, all recorded readings using the installed software can be processed and transmitted over the Internet to other devices.
At the last international consumer electronics trade show in Los Angeles, the subject of the Internet of Things was in the spotlight. The exhibition was attended by a large number of large and small companies, which over the next year will bring to the market a wide variety of devices connected to the Internet. For example, the company Dyson announced the release this year of a new robot vacuum cleaner called the 360 ​​Eye with a panoramic lens and the ability to control from the phone. Equipped with a Wi-Fi module and based on the patented Cyclone technology, the vacuum cleaner can send data on the cleaning process to the user's phone.
And how do you like the idea of ​​a coffee machine, the work of which you can control using a mobile phone application? The Danish company Scanomat has developed a stylish TopBrewer that allows you to select the type of coffee using an Android or iOS application. If you are going to visit Copenhagen, be sure to stop by the TopBrewer Café, where there are never queues, because coffee is ordered and paid for using a mobile phone.
Availability of technology
The rapid development of the Internet of Things was due to the continuing cheapening of technology. Over the past couple of years, we have been continuously watching how the cost of a wide variety of devices, ranging from 3D printers to smart watches, decreases. The cost of the Bluetooth module, which provides wireless connection of devices using the appropriate protocol, has sharply decreased. Today on eBay you can find a Bluetooth adapter that costs less than 70 cents.
Photo sensors embedded in fitness bracelets and allowing to determine the pulse, cost about 50 cents, and green LEDs are sold at one cent per piece. However, the cost of computational power fell most noticeably, which made it possible to embed computer chips in virtually every device.
DIY devices
Unlike other technological revolutions, the latter reduced the cost of components to such an extent that it led to the elimination of traditional barriers to bringing new products and companies to market. At the moment, you only need to understand what the technology of the Internet of Things is, that is, to understand the principles of operation of sensors, processors, wireless networks, cloud computing environments that form the basis of IW, and have a good idea.
An idea alone will not bring you millions. However, thanks to sites that offer direct funding for projects (so-called crowdfunding), such as Kickstarter and indiegogo, innovations in the field of the Internet of Things can be developed both by the technical community and with the participation of rich and influential companies (for example, the LIFX project).
At the end of 2013, Intel’s largest computer chip company entered the DIY market, launching its first development board, called Galileo. The Galileo board is equipped with a 32-bit single-core processor with a clock frequency of 400 MHz, which is called the Quark X1000 and designed specifically for the development of projects in the field of the Internet of Things.
To promote the product on the market, Intel planned in 2014 to donate 50,000 motherboards to various universities around the world. Since then, the company has managed to market Galileo 2 and Edison super thin boards.
Wi-Fi solution for $ 3
A huge step forward in the field of Wi-Fi technology was the creation of a tiny chip ESP8266, which was released by the Chinese company Espressif Systems. The peculiarity of this chip is that it contains a set of elements that will allow you to build a full-fledged Wi-Fi network. In this case, the module itself costs only 2-3 dollars.
Compared to the cost of Wi-Fi modules of the previous generation, these are mere pennies. At the same time, the ESP8266 continues to support the standards 802.11b / g / n at 2.4 GHz, i.e. standards used by your phones and tablets. If you read what this small chip is capable of, you will realize that it really did allow people to turn the idea of ​​how and where to deploy a Wi-Fi network. Built-in improved encryption standard, no need for external components or factory settings - it is obvious that all this explains the popularity of the solution among developers.
Not so long ago, the chip was certified by the US State Committee on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Communications. Now that the biggest barrier has been overcome, nothing can prevent the use of this chip on an industrial scale. Already, you can buy an ESP8266 Wi-Fi module on eBay for about $ 3 and use it in conjunction with Arduino-based microprocessor boards to implement your projects.
Bluetooth module HC-06
Despite the fact that the ESP8266 module, without a doubt, gave impetus to the development of a whole new direction of cheap devices that are directly connected to the Internet, the most common wireless connection is still a Bluetooth connection. In particular, the Bluetooth module is used to create various wearable devices, for example, fitness bracelets, which the market abounds in.
Bluetooth modules such as HC-06 are now sold for about $ 4 and they work like a wireless serial port. You can connect the module to any home device. Like standard devices that support Bluetooth technology, the HC-06 module can communicate with any phone or tablet based on Android or iOS to transfer data.
32 bit processor for $ 5
Another new product on the market is a tiny prototyping board, equipped with a 72 MHz energy efficient 32-bit microprocessor STM32F103 ARM Cortex M3, which should become a direct competitor to Intel products. ARM is behind the processor of every iPhone and iPad, as well as 98% of Android devices, which is due to the incredible popularity of Cortex A series processors.
The Cortex M3 processor is often used in smartphones to perform secondary tasks. But it can be used for a number of other needs. While Intel Galileo sells for about $ 74, the tiny STM32F103 is available in online stores for only $ 4.
Open standards
The rapid development of the Internet of Things begins to face the same problems that hit the revolution in the development of personal computers in the 1980s. Currently, the problem is not how to bring the product to the market, but how to develop appropriate standards, without which various devices will turn out to be just a pile of trash that cannot communicate with each other.
Everything needs to be thoroughly examined, from hardware compatibility to the moment data is stored in cloud storages. And before progress goes too far, the market needs to develop appropriate standards.
Number of standards
Qualcomm is one of the market leaders in manufacturing processors for phones and tablets. It produces Snapdragon chips based on the ARM architecture, which are used in devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5. The company is also a major player in the Internet of Things, having once begun to develop the AllJoyn protocol, which served as the basis for the AllSeen Alliance.
The Alliance was formed in 2013 and already then received the support of the largest manufacturer of household appliances, such as Electrolux, and also connected to the promotion of the platform of Microsoft, LG, Panasonic, Sony and the industrial giant Bosch. However, competing alliances soon formed other companies that wanted to promote their solutions.
For example, the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) consortium became a direct competitor of the AllSeen Alliance. The consortium has the same goals as AllSeen, namely, it is trying to create synchronization standards for devices that form the Internet of Things, but without using Qualcomm's AllJoyn protocol.
The OIC consortium was created in 2014 by such giants as Intel, Samsung and Broadcom - a competitor to Qualcomm. However, soon there was a rift between the participants and in October 2014, Broadcom left OIC. It was reported that this decision was caused by controversy over intellectual property protection issues.
Intel's largest processor company has also created a separate alliance, the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, which is obviously going to take a more integrated approach, promoting the brands of its members, such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Oracle.
At this stage, neither AllSeen Alliance, nor the OIC consortium makes any concessions and seems to be going to let the market choose which of the participants will be the winner. Perhaps we expect a repetition of the battle of standards 'VHS vs Betamax', which broke out on the market in the mid-80s. As they say, everything new is well forgotten old ...
Internet of Things in numbers
Perhaps someone’s the problem of standards may seem like a storm in a glass of water, however, there are many reasons why you need to create and select the best standards as quickly as possible. According to research conducted by Gartner, this year the number of devices and devices connected to the network will reach 4.9 billion units. By 2020, this figure will increase to 25 billion.
According to forecasts, in the near future the market for the production of products and services related to the Internet of Things will reach 263 billion dollars. Gartner's vice president, Jim Tully, said that the whirlwind of cloud, mobile, social and information technologies, what he called the "Circle of Forces", left most companies with no choice but to turn towards the Internet of Things.
In December 2013, Gartner called the manufacturing, healthcare and insurance industries pioneers in the technology of Internet of Things. Producing companies combine the Internet of Things technology with existing technologies, such as LED lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning control technologies, when designing new "smart homes". Healthcare companies have found the use of inexpensive sensors that have led to the demand for fitness bracelets.
What can surely surprise the average person is the use of Internet technology in the field of insurance. Gartner predicts that insurance agencies may begin offering special policies that allow you to analyze real-time driving data that will come from a car connected to the network.
Undoubtedly, the user may have a question, and whether it will turn out that the same data can lead to the fact that some motorists will pay more than others, if their data will be classified as "high risk". Anyway, the car connected to the network is already a reality. Gartner predicts that the number of automotive devices connected to the Internet will reach 372 million by the end of the year.
On the issue of privacy
Experts in the field of personal information protection and US government officials are concerned about the omnipresence of the Internet of Things. In various TV shows, the subject of drones with cameras flying over the heads of citizens, and looking at them in houses and front gardens is constantly touched upon. However, the cheap technology of the Internet of Things can lead to an even more aggressive intrusion of household appliances connected to the network to the privacy of citizens.
The chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission, Edith Ramirez, has already begun to ring the bells. The Los Angeles Consumer Electronics Show, held earlier this year, kicked off with a welcoming speech from Mr. Yun, the head of the consumer electronics division at Samsung, who outlined the bright future for the Internet of Things and cloud resources. At the same time, it was announced that all new Samsung TVs will become part of the Internet of Things by 2017.
But while at the exhibition most of those present were staring at the devices connected to the network, Ramirez made her own speech. She first talked about the benefits that the Internet of Things concept would bring to world health and economic growth, and then shared doubts related to the issues of “universal data collection”, “threats of unauthorized use of consumer data that may have negative consequences” and “increased security risks ".
Ramirez says: "Devices connected to the network, in fact, allow companies to follow our lives, which with such intervention can not be called personal."
She is also concerned about the unintended consequences of data collection. Therefore, she asks a question, and can not the habits of people use a TV affect, for example, their future employment? Ultimately, devices from the Internet of Things may simply be hacked because they are connected to the Internet.
In fact, Ramirez urges companies operating in the field of the Internet of Things not to ignore issues related to the safety and privacy of consumers. However, we still have to see whether the Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies will continue to adhere to this opinion.
Data analysis
It should not surprise anyone that the future use of the Internet of Things technology will affect all areas of our life. For example, the huge flow of data that will arise from the widespread use of devices connected to the network will lead to a demand for experts in the field of data analysis, which will require the early involvement of the education sector.
The demand for knowledge in data analysis will force universities around the world to expand relevant educational programs. For example, in Australia, the Sydney University of Technology is launching two new biennial masters training programs in data processing and innovation and innovation this year. At the same time, the Monash University, starting in 2016, will offer applicants a bachelor's degree in computer science in data analysis. The Melbourne Royal Institute of Technology is already offering a master’s degree in data analysis.
Forewarned is forearmed
Perhaps not all of us can invent our own device from the Internet of Things series. However, without a doubt, the concept of the Internet of Things may conflict with our perceptions of privacy, as the Internet penetrates into the most intimate spheres of our lives.
At the moment, the technology of the Internet of Things can be precisely called advanced. But the more we understand how it works, what data it generates, how this data is stored and used, the more we learn about the potential dangers and benefits that the Internet of Things will bring to us.
You wake up in the morning, and the sleep bracelet on your wrist has already written down how you slept and uploaded the data to Twitter. The coffee machine received data from Twitter that you woke up and began to make a morning cup of strong drink for you.
')
Guided by the data of the same bracelet, lighting was turned on in your bedroom, and a towel began to heat up in the bathroom. When you walked from the bedroom to the kitchen, the lamps turned on and off automatically everywhere. A cup of coffee was waiting for you in the kitchen. When you left the house and went to work, a robot vacuum cleaner turned on in the apartment and started cleaning the room, sending information about the cleaning process to your phone.
Welcome to the world based on the concept of the Internet of Things. In a world whose image was largely predetermined by the largest technology companies. In a world that promises to change our way of life.
What is the Internet of things?
What is the Internet of Things? As a rule, this term refers to a combination of low-cost, energy-efficient processors and physical electronic sensors that are integrated into various electrical devices and “communicate” with each other through wireless communication standards.
Electronic sensors can measure absolutely everything, ranging from temperature and humidity, and up to pressure, distance, sound power, light level, gravity, movement, response. Further, all recorded readings using the installed software can be processed and transmitted over the Internet to other devices.
At the last international consumer electronics trade show in Los Angeles, the subject of the Internet of Things was in the spotlight. The exhibition was attended by a large number of large and small companies, which over the next year will bring to the market a wide variety of devices connected to the Internet. For example, the company Dyson announced the release this year of a new robot vacuum cleaner called the 360 ​​Eye with a panoramic lens and the ability to control from the phone. Equipped with a Wi-Fi module and based on the patented Cyclone technology, the vacuum cleaner can send data on the cleaning process to the user's phone.
And how do you like the idea of ​​a coffee machine, the work of which you can control using a mobile phone application? The Danish company Scanomat has developed a stylish TopBrewer that allows you to select the type of coffee using an Android or iOS application. If you are going to visit Copenhagen, be sure to stop by the TopBrewer Café, where there are never queues, because coffee is ordered and paid for using a mobile phone.
Availability of technology
The rapid development of the Internet of Things was due to the continuing cheapening of technology. Over the past couple of years, we have been continuously watching how the cost of a wide variety of devices, ranging from 3D printers to smart watches, decreases. The cost of the Bluetooth module, which provides wireless connection of devices using the appropriate protocol, has sharply decreased. Today on eBay you can find a Bluetooth adapter that costs less than 70 cents.
Photo sensors embedded in fitness bracelets and allowing to determine the pulse, cost about 50 cents, and green LEDs are sold at one cent per piece. However, the cost of computational power fell most noticeably, which made it possible to embed computer chips in virtually every device.
DIY devices
Unlike other technological revolutions, the latter reduced the cost of components to such an extent that it led to the elimination of traditional barriers to bringing new products and companies to market. At the moment, you only need to understand what the technology of the Internet of Things is, that is, to understand the principles of operation of sensors, processors, wireless networks, cloud computing environments that form the basis of IW, and have a good idea.
An idea alone will not bring you millions. However, thanks to sites that offer direct funding for projects (so-called crowdfunding), such as Kickstarter and indiegogo, innovations in the field of the Internet of Things can be developed both by the technical community and with the participation of rich and influential companies (for example, the LIFX project).
At the end of 2013, Intel’s largest computer chip company entered the DIY market, launching its first development board, called Galileo. The Galileo board is equipped with a 32-bit single-core processor with a clock frequency of 400 MHz, which is called the Quark X1000 and designed specifically for the development of projects in the field of the Internet of Things.
To promote the product on the market, Intel planned in 2014 to donate 50,000 motherboards to various universities around the world. Since then, the company has managed to market Galileo 2 and Edison super thin boards.
Wi-Fi solution for $ 3
A huge step forward in the field of Wi-Fi technology was the creation of a tiny chip ESP8266, which was released by the Chinese company Espressif Systems. The peculiarity of this chip is that it contains a set of elements that will allow you to build a full-fledged Wi-Fi network. In this case, the module itself costs only 2-3 dollars.
Compared to the cost of Wi-Fi modules of the previous generation, these are mere pennies. At the same time, the ESP8266 continues to support the standards 802.11b / g / n at 2.4 GHz, i.e. standards used by your phones and tablets. If you read what this small chip is capable of, you will realize that it really did allow people to turn the idea of ​​how and where to deploy a Wi-Fi network. Built-in improved encryption standard, no need for external components or factory settings - it is obvious that all this explains the popularity of the solution among developers.
Not so long ago, the chip was certified by the US State Committee on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Communications. Now that the biggest barrier has been overcome, nothing can prevent the use of this chip on an industrial scale. Already, you can buy an ESP8266 Wi-Fi module on eBay for about $ 3 and use it in conjunction with Arduino-based microprocessor boards to implement your projects.
Bluetooth module HC-06
Despite the fact that the ESP8266 module, without a doubt, gave impetus to the development of a whole new direction of cheap devices that are directly connected to the Internet, the most common wireless connection is still a Bluetooth connection. In particular, the Bluetooth module is used to create various wearable devices, for example, fitness bracelets, which the market abounds in.
Bluetooth modules such as HC-06 are now sold for about $ 4 and they work like a wireless serial port. You can connect the module to any home device. Like standard devices that support Bluetooth technology, the HC-06 module can communicate with any phone or tablet based on Android or iOS to transfer data.
32 bit processor for $ 5
Another new product on the market is a tiny prototyping board, equipped with a 72 MHz energy efficient 32-bit microprocessor STM32F103 ARM Cortex M3, which should become a direct competitor to Intel products. ARM is behind the processor of every iPhone and iPad, as well as 98% of Android devices, which is due to the incredible popularity of Cortex A series processors.
The Cortex M3 processor is often used in smartphones to perform secondary tasks. But it can be used for a number of other needs. While Intel Galileo sells for about $ 74, the tiny STM32F103 is available in online stores for only $ 4.
Open standards
The rapid development of the Internet of Things begins to face the same problems that hit the revolution in the development of personal computers in the 1980s. Currently, the problem is not how to bring the product to the market, but how to develop appropriate standards, without which various devices will turn out to be just a pile of trash that cannot communicate with each other.
Everything needs to be thoroughly examined, from hardware compatibility to the moment data is stored in cloud storages. And before progress goes too far, the market needs to develop appropriate standards.
Number of standards
Qualcomm is one of the market leaders in manufacturing processors for phones and tablets. It produces Snapdragon chips based on the ARM architecture, which are used in devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5. The company is also a major player in the Internet of Things, having once begun to develop the AllJoyn protocol, which served as the basis for the AllSeen Alliance.
The Alliance was formed in 2013 and already then received the support of the largest manufacturer of household appliances, such as Electrolux, and also connected to the promotion of the platform of Microsoft, LG, Panasonic, Sony and the industrial giant Bosch. However, competing alliances soon formed other companies that wanted to promote their solutions.
For example, the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) consortium became a direct competitor of the AllSeen Alliance. The consortium has the same goals as AllSeen, namely, it is trying to create synchronization standards for devices that form the Internet of Things, but without using Qualcomm's AllJoyn protocol.
The OIC consortium was created in 2014 by such giants as Intel, Samsung and Broadcom - a competitor to Qualcomm. However, soon there was a rift between the participants and in October 2014, Broadcom left OIC. It was reported that this decision was caused by controversy over intellectual property protection issues.
Intel's largest processor company has also created a separate alliance, the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, which is obviously going to take a more integrated approach, promoting the brands of its members, such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Oracle.
At this stage, neither AllSeen Alliance, nor the OIC consortium makes any concessions and seems to be going to let the market choose which of the participants will be the winner. Perhaps we expect a repetition of the battle of standards 'VHS vs Betamax', which broke out on the market in the mid-80s. As they say, everything new is well forgotten old ...
Internet of Things in numbers
Perhaps someone’s the problem of standards may seem like a storm in a glass of water, however, there are many reasons why you need to create and select the best standards as quickly as possible. According to research conducted by Gartner, this year the number of devices and devices connected to the network will reach 4.9 billion units. By 2020, this figure will increase to 25 billion.
According to forecasts, in the near future the market for the production of products and services related to the Internet of Things will reach 263 billion dollars. Gartner's vice president, Jim Tully, said that the whirlwind of cloud, mobile, social and information technologies, what he called the "Circle of Forces", left most companies with no choice but to turn towards the Internet of Things.
In December 2013, Gartner called the manufacturing, healthcare and insurance industries pioneers in the technology of Internet of Things. Producing companies combine the Internet of Things technology with existing technologies, such as LED lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning control technologies, when designing new "smart homes". Healthcare companies have found the use of inexpensive sensors that have led to the demand for fitness bracelets.
What can surely surprise the average person is the use of Internet technology in the field of insurance. Gartner predicts that insurance agencies may begin offering special policies that allow you to analyze real-time driving data that will come from a car connected to the network.
Undoubtedly, the user may have a question, and whether it will turn out that the same data can lead to the fact that some motorists will pay more than others, if their data will be classified as "high risk". Anyway, the car connected to the network is already a reality. Gartner predicts that the number of automotive devices connected to the Internet will reach 372 million by the end of the year.
On the issue of privacy
Experts in the field of personal information protection and US government officials are concerned about the omnipresence of the Internet of Things. In various TV shows, the subject of drones with cameras flying over the heads of citizens, and looking at them in houses and front gardens is constantly touched upon. However, the cheap technology of the Internet of Things can lead to an even more aggressive intrusion of household appliances connected to the network to the privacy of citizens.
The chairman of the US Federal Trade Commission, Edith Ramirez, has already begun to ring the bells. The Los Angeles Consumer Electronics Show, held earlier this year, kicked off with a welcoming speech from Mr. Yun, the head of the consumer electronics division at Samsung, who outlined the bright future for the Internet of Things and cloud resources. At the same time, it was announced that all new Samsung TVs will become part of the Internet of Things by 2017.
But while at the exhibition most of those present were staring at the devices connected to the network, Ramirez made her own speech. She first talked about the benefits that the Internet of Things concept would bring to world health and economic growth, and then shared doubts related to the issues of “universal data collection”, “threats of unauthorized use of consumer data that may have negative consequences” and “increased security risks ".
Ramirez says: "Devices connected to the network, in fact, allow companies to follow our lives, which with such intervention can not be called personal."
She is also concerned about the unintended consequences of data collection. Therefore, she asks a question, and can not the habits of people use a TV affect, for example, their future employment? Ultimately, devices from the Internet of Things may simply be hacked because they are connected to the Internet.
In fact, Ramirez urges companies operating in the field of the Internet of Things not to ignore issues related to the safety and privacy of consumers. However, we still have to see whether the Federal Trade Commission and other government agencies will continue to adhere to this opinion.
Data analysis
It should not surprise anyone that the future use of the Internet of Things technology will affect all areas of our life. For example, the huge flow of data that will arise from the widespread use of devices connected to the network will lead to a demand for experts in the field of data analysis, which will require the early involvement of the education sector.
The demand for knowledge in data analysis will force universities around the world to expand relevant educational programs. For example, in Australia, the Sydney University of Technology is launching two new biennial masters training programs in data processing and innovation and innovation this year. At the same time, the Monash University, starting in 2016, will offer applicants a bachelor's degree in computer science in data analysis. The Melbourne Royal Institute of Technology is already offering a master’s degree in data analysis.
Forewarned is forearmed
Perhaps not all of us can invent our own device from the Internet of Things series. However, without a doubt, the concept of the Internet of Things may conflict with our perceptions of privacy, as the Internet penetrates into the most intimate spheres of our lives.
At the moment, the technology of the Internet of Things can be precisely called advanced. But the more we understand how it works, what data it generates, how this data is stored and used, the more we learn about the potential dangers and benefits that the Internet of Things will bring to us.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/294930/
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