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    Unleashing the Power of IoT: Real-Life Examples of Internet of Things Applications

    Industry 4.0 has always been a topic of concern. Among them, the Internet of Things is one of the important points connecting the entire system, and it has a wide range of applications. There are related applications from cities to home life. Many people may think that the Internet of Things is not related to themselves. In fact, there are many applications of the Internet of Things in life, but most people may not realize it as they don’t understand it at all. This article will share what the Internet of Things is and its application in life.

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    What is the Internet of Things?

    The Internet of things (IoT) is an interconnected system of computing devices, machinery, and digital machines that digitize the real world. Briefly speaking, it is to let items go online, we can read or transmit information through the Internet. As a matter of fact, the Internet of Things has existed for a long time. The first application was in the 1980s. A Coke vending machine that can connect to the Internet and can check the number of Cokes in the vending machine. With the evolution of technology, such technology has developed into a smaller, stronger processor, which can be applied to transportation logistics, industrial manufacturing, health care, personal or social fields, etc.

    【Read more】Driving Innovation in Manufacturing: The Game-Changing Influence of IIoT in Manufacturing

    Development History of the Internet of Things

    The Internet of Things (IoT) emerged in the 1980s when the first vending machine capable of querying its inventory over a network was introduced. This concept was later documented in academic papers, paving the way for the development of IoT. Throughout the 1990s, numerous companies proposed various IoT-related solutions and discussed the concrete development of IoT at events such as the World Economic Forum. Currently, it is difficult to attribute the origin of the term "Internet of Things" to a specific individual, but the concept has been frequently depicted in science fiction movies and has gradually become a reality, transforming people's lives and ushering in an era of industrial transformation.

    How the Internet of Things Works

    A complete IoT system combines three elements, including sensors, the Internet, and data processing. Data is collected through sensors and connected to the network via wifi, Bluetooth, or Ethernet, thereby transmitting the data to the cloud. After entering the Cloud, it will be processed by the software, and finally, the information will be transmitted to the user, and even combined with artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning, the collected data can be deeply analyzed. Nowadays, there are also many devices that could concatenate data with each other and can determine better actions based on each other's data.

    Pros and cons of IoT

    Regardless of the technology, there will be advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing is the starting point of using a skill and how to use it. The Internet of Things can mainly help work automatically, improve work efficiency, reduce equipment and setup costs, and assist to save time and money in collecting data. However, IoT devices are more difficult to manage, and may not be able to communicate with each other because of different manufacturers. With more data collected, the consideration of information security will become the most important part.

    IoT applications

    The Internet of Things has already affected people's lives, including cars, homes, health, and remote monitoring. Many home appliances can be controlled through mobile phones and voice. Many applications allow users to improve their quality of life and even enable the elderly and the disabled to live more conveniently.

    • Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0: The Internet of Things applied in industry is called the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), which connects sensors, dashboards, equipment, and computers into a system through the network, also collects data, and analyzes them. This increases productivity, and efficiency and achieves a high degree of automation.


    • Smart city: The Internet of Things can solve problems in cities through technology and data, thereby improving the quality of life. Take Taichung as an example: To improve the problem of air pollution, Taichung has set up 500 "air monitors" in air pollution hotspots. The source of pollution can be found through data, and there are also parking apps in traffic, helping the public to quickly find parking spaces.


    • Retail: The retail business is an industry that requires interaction with consumers. From checkout, shelves, customized marketing, sensor devices, etc., the retail operation process optimizes the customer experience and improves in-store and supply chain operational efficiency through the application of the Internet of Things. Moreover, it brings in a new type of storefront experience to provide a higher value and service experience.


    • Smart home: Smart home is mainly based on residential buildings. It combines building, network, home appliances, and equipment automatically through technology to ensure home safety, improve life quality, reduce living costs, home care, and immersive entertainment. According to different family lifestyles, such as planning for the elderly or children, to create a safe, comfortable, and environmentally friendly living environment. 


    • Smart transportation: Combine technologies such as sensors, information, electronics, control, and management to record the traffic information of people, vehicles, and roads in the transportation system, and then process and analyze it on the platform, which can communicate, link, intensify and improve each interaction in real-time. We can not only improve the quality of transportation services but also improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system.


    • Smart tool holder: The spindle is covered with sensing elements and using the technology of the Internet of Things to make each sensing element can reply to the bending moment, axial force, torsion, and temperature received by the tool in any direction and transmit through wireless communication which can collect accurate processing data for the user, so as to facilitate the observation of the tool processing situation and research and future analysis.

    Main photo by photographer: Pixabay, link: Pexels

    Source: Youtube / Reneelab

    References: Wikipedia / IIoT / oosga

    This article was written by Machsync, please do not distribute, give, or sell for commercial use or in any way. Any use such as reprinting, excerpting, copying, and creating images is prohibited without permission.

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