How Real is the Internet of Things (IoT) Hype?
A decade ago, many of the households in the developing countries did not have a broadband internet connection. And yet, today we are talking about the internet that would connect ‘things’. But isn’t M2M (machine to machine) communication already a known and applied concept. IoT (Internet of Things) is much more than M2M communication. It’s about the exchange of information between machine & people, people & machine, people & objects and objects & people, and M2M communication is a subset of IoT.
IoT will enable different sensors and controllers connected to the LAN to communicate with each other, with human-machine interfaces and with computers. It’s good that machines can autonomously exchange ideas, but why the Hype! Exactly, why everyone is talking about IoT? To make things clear, let’s talk about use cases of IoT.
Imagine a patient with a mechanical instrument, such as a pacemaker, implanted in his body. This pacemaker, like any other mechanical implant, would have a defined life cycle, after which it would need to be replaced. An IoT-enabled implant would be able to exchange information such as battery life, heat signatures, etc. with its manufacturer. Analyzing this information, a manufacturer can keep a replacement implant ready, before the expiry date of the product. This information could save a patient’s life, which might have been in danger if the replacement for the implant was not available. The case is particularly eminent for the transplants which are not readily available. Read more…