Quite simply, IoT refers to a series of connected devices that in simple terms collect and share data; but that's where the simplicity ends. IoT has enormous possibilities and implementations as the human race relies on the digital world to co-ordinate and regulate their everyday physical lives.
Ok, so what do these connected devices look like?
As a close partner of Supermicro, we offer the E100-8Q IoT small form factor as both a development kit for new projects and as gateway for mass deployment. It's a low power, small form factor device with an embedded processor which is designed to handle the varied operating environments where IoT might be used.
E100-8Q
- Single Intel® Quark™ SoC X1021;CPU TDP 2.2W
- 1x Micro SDHC up to 32GB internal slot
- Onboard 512MB DDR3 ECC memory
- Expansion slots: 2x Mini-PCI-E slots, 1x ZigBee module socket
- I/O ports: TPM 1.2 onboard Chip, 2x 10/100Mbps RJ45, 1x RS-232 via DB9, 1x RS485 via screw terminal interface, 2x USB 2.0 (device & host), 1x Analog Input 8 channel 12-bit, 1x DIO
- Power Adapter: 12V DC input
- Environment operating temperature - 0°C to 50°C
An IoT gateway is used to collect and filter data from a variety of sensors and other potentially isolated systems that can then be uploaded and monitored by cloud services. Depending on the nature of the application, decisions could even be made in real-time as to how to respond to changes in conditions.
In the case of the E100-8Q, data is collected from sensors attached to the general purpose IO connectors, Zigbee, Bluetooth or wireless interfaces, and then uploaded via either Ethernet, Wifi or 3G networks.
Sensors can be anything from temperature, power consumption, noise, occupancy, or even air quality - there are too many to list!
How is it put to use?
A good example we can all relate to is the home automation application of IoT, so this is a good place to start thinking about the potential. Today, you can already buy systems from a dozen or so providers which promise to save you money by optimising energy use for example - Hive, Nest, Tado.
An intelligent thermostat
These systems use a simple set of sensors to collect data about your home to determine when to turn on your heating, hot water and lights by using intelligent decision making, for example -
Temperature sensors deployed around the home connected to radiator valves, enabling just the radiators in cold rooms which need heating to be turned on automatically. Alternatively, radiators can be shut off completely using a smartphone app at the user's request.
Internet connected thermostats enabling you to set the temperature remotely, or even more intelligently for the system to automatically raise and lower temperature based on your smartphone's GPS location. If you are out of the house and far away, the temperature is lowered, but as you approach home it is warmed up to make it nice and cosy for you.
Intelligent temperature control of your house can also be based on external information from the internet such as the weather forecast. If it's predicted to be a warm day, rather than heat your home by burning gas or using electricity, the system could shut down or turn off completely until the weather cools to a point where it determines heat is required again.
If we take these examples and apply them to more widespread applications outside of the home, then the possibilities are endless. Applications have already been found in City Management, Energy Supply, Agriculture, Banking, Retail and more - it's just a matter of application.
In the retail market, for example, monitoring stock levels in real time is a significant advantage, allowing you to follow trends and react accordingly. If your sales of chocolate go up…you order more; if sales of doughnuts are down, you had best cancel that last order with the supplier. An implementation of IoT, that's becoming more and more popular, are smart vending machines that enable the operator to directly monitor the current stock level of their machines. This means they can plan to restock items quicker and more efficiently by planning delivery routes just to empty machines and choosing only to carry the items which are needed. Other benefits of the connected aspect mean the ability to change pricing remotely on the fly, or to detect faults as they happen for proactive maintenance.
Not this kind of smart vending machine!
Likewise, business and local government can take real advantage of the potential of IoT. The term, "smart city" is used frequently to describe the way that this technology can be applied to make city management automated, simpler, more efficient and ultimately a better place to live.
Congestion charging is a common tool that cities can use to reduce the amount of traffic and subsequently, the carbon dioxide and other contaminants emitted by combustion driven motor vehicles in a given area. One particular application of IoT uses sensors dotted around the city to continuously monitor air quality levels so the city can attempt to keep them at as safe a level as possible. Using the IoT network, these levels can be automatically published to roadside displays to warn inhabitants of potentially harmful levels of pollution and help them avoid problem areas for their own health.
Equally useful, a higher congestion charge tariff can be advertised on the same displays and applied during times of high pollution, in order to discourage drivers to enter the city to bring levels down to safer readings.
The same ideas can be applied to parking spaces, congestion, waste management and even public transport.
Imagine visiting a clean city with great air quality, low traffic and lots of parking spaces, i.e not London - sounds like somewhere you might actually want to live!
What about the beer? You mentioned beer right?
If that wasn't enough to get you interested in the potential of IoT then hopefully this will. IoT connected beer kegs already exist and can be used to stop your local from ever running out of your favourite tipple. Kegs are monitored through the supply chain, so if a particular beer is likely to run, or go out of date, an order can be placed automatically for more; helping us all to keep drinking!
monitoring your local brew
You can find out more about SteadyServ's iKeg and the implications from this rather enlightening video provided by Intel, but clearly if beer is involved we can all agree that IoT already has a very long and successful future ahead of it!