IOT Definition and characteristics
Introduction to IOT:
We can begin to understand the Internet of Things (IoT) by imagining a future in which all of our electrical appliances—from our cars to our refrigerators, air conditioners, and light bulbs—are networked, tracked, and, on occasion, capable of acting and communicating with one another, with or without ourThis is the Internet of Things (IoT) universe.
Over the last several decades, billions of people have gained access to the internet, first via desktop computers and then via smartphones and other mobile devices. Things can also benefit from this revolution in communication, not only people.
M2M communication is quickly approaching its reality, despite much anticipation. More than 1.1 billion smartphones (excluding feature phones) will be in use globally in 2013, according to Parks Associates. However, this is just scratching the surface.
Figure: Potential IOT Economic Impact by 2025
Devices related to information technology (IT) systems: 430 million; devices related to smart grids: 244 million; devices related to electronic readers and tablets: 487 million; devices related to networked offices: 2.37 billion; devices related to networked medicine: 86 million; devices related to connected cars: 45 million; devices related to connected appliances: 548 million; devices related to connected military: 105 million; and other consumer electronics devices excluding smartphones, e-readers, and tablets: an astounding 6+ billion and counting.
In real life, we have seen these uses today, like GPS navigation systems for cars, mobile payments, smart city and intelligent building management, automatic meter reading, truck fleet locating, security surveillance and emergency management, natural resources and environment protection, air quality monitoring, tracking the space shuttle, and scenes from science fiction movies. In this world, many people imagine the perfect futuristic society, where all the smart devices and assets are linked together to make life easier and more convenient for everyone, and everything gets smarter. With the introduction and development of IoT vision and technologies, this future world may be a lot closer to us than we think.This future world might be a lot closer than we think now that IoT vision and technologies are being created and improved.
Basically, there are three IoT architecture layers:
1. The client side (IoT Device Layer)
2. Operators on the server side (IoT Getaway Layer)
3. A pathway for connecting clients and operators (IoT Platform Layer)
In fact, addressing the needs of all these layers is crucial on all the stages of IoT architecture. Being the basis of feasibility criterion, this consistency makes the result designed really work. In addition, the fundamental features of sustainable IoT architecture include functionality, scalability, availability, and maintainability. Without addressing these conditions, the result of IoT architecture is a failure.
Therefore, all the above-mentioned requirements are addressed in 4 stages of IoT architecture described here — on each separate stage and after completing the overall building process.
An Overview of the Main Stages in the IoT Architecture Diagram
In simple terms, the 4 Stage IoT architecture consists of
1. Sensors and actuators
2. Internet getaways and Data Acquisition Systems
3. Edge IT
4. Data center and cloud.
The detailed presentation of these stages can be found on the diagram below.
Defining Internet of Things
The IoT is a concept that has received considerable and significant attention and support within the European Commission(EC) with respect to strategic developments for ICT and the Information Society. Viviane Reding, vice president of the EC, in a speech to the Future of the Internet initiative of the Lisbon Council identified the IoT as an important driver for the Internet of the future.
An EC communication to the European Parliament, the Lisbon Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions entitled “Internet of Things: An Action Plan for Europe” was adopted on June 18, 2009, and reinforces the commitment to the concept and its importance for Europe, quoting the following in its conclusions:
Internet of Things (IoT) is not yet a tangible reality, but rather a prospective vision of a number of technologies that, combined together, could in the coming 5 to 15 years drastically modify the way our societies function. By adopting a proactive approach, Europe could play a leading role in shaping how IoT works and reap the associated benefits in terms of economic growth and individual well-being, thus making the Internet of Things an Internet of Things for people.
Below are a few definitions of the Internet of Things, and most come from Europe.
◾ CASAGRAS’s (Coordination and Support Action for Global RFID-related Activities and Standardization) IoT definition:
IoT is a global network infrastructure, linking physical and virtual objects through the exploitation of data capture and communication capabilities. This infrastructure includes existing and evolving Internet and network developments. It will offer specific object-identification, sensor and connection capability as the basis for the development of independent cooperative services and applications. These will be characterized by a high degree of autonomous data capture, event transfer, network connectivity and interoperability.
◾ SAP’s IoT definition:
IoT is going to create a world where physical objects are seamlessly integrated into the information network, and where the physical objects can become active participants in business processes. Services are available to interact with these “smart objects” over the Internet, query and change their state and any information associated with them, taking into account security and privacy issues.
◾ EPoSS’s (the European Technology Platform on Smart Systems Integration) IoT definition:
The network formed by things/objects having identities, virtual personalities operating in smart spaces using intelligent interfaces to connect and communicate with the users, social and environmental contexts.
◾ CERP’s (Cluster of European RFID Projects) IoT definition:
Internet of Things is an integrated part of Future Internet and could be defined as a dynamic global network infrastructure with self configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual “things” have identities, physical attributes, and virtual personalities and use intelligent interfaces, and are seamlessly integrated into the information network. In the IoT, “things” are expected to become active participants in business, information and social processes where they are enabled to interact and communicate among themselves and with the environment by exchanging data and information “sensed” about the environment, while reacting autonomously to the “real/physical world” events and influencing it by running processes that trigger actions and create services with or without direct human intervention. Interfaces in the form of services facilitate interactions with these “smart things” over the Internet, query and change their state and any information associated with them, taking into account security and privacy issues.
The definition of IoT depends very much from the aspect or angle examined. The aforementioned definitions are mostly from an RFID point of view. A comprehensive, all-inclusive view should be sought.
◾ IoT definition or statement:
The Internet of Things is a plethora of technologies and their applications that provide means to access and control all kinds of ubiquitous and uniquely identifiable devices, facilities, and assets. These include equipment that has inherent intelligence, such as transducers, sensors, actuators, motes, mobile devices, industrial controllers, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) controllers, home gadgets, surveillance cameras, and others, as well as externally enabled things or objects, such as all kinds of assets tagged with RFID, humans, animals, or vehicles that carry smart gadgets, and so forth. Communications are via all sorts of long- and short-range wired or wireless devices in different kinds of networking environments such as Intranet, extranet, and Internet that are supported by technologies such as cloud computing, SaaS, and SOA and have adequate privacy and security measures, based on regulated data formats and transmission standards. The immediate goal is to achieve pervasive M2M connectivity and grand integration and to provide secure, fast (real time), and personalized functionalities and services such as (remote) monitoring, sensing, tracking, locating, alerting, scheduling, controlling, protecting, logging, auditing, planning, maintenance, upgrading, data mining, trending, reporting, decision support, dashboard, back office applications, and others. The ultimate goal is to build a universally connected world that is highly productive, energy efficient, secure, and environment friendly.
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