Smart Cows and How Not to Design IoT Products to Fail – 2018-07-15 – Page 1 – RFID Journal
No one sets out to build an Internet of Things (IoT) product that will fail, but it happens. From smart locks that can be hacked in little to no time at all to the recall of 440,000 smart smoke and CO detectors, stories of IoT device failures abound.
When that failure is one-off and can be easily fixed by exchanging the faulty product, the impact on a company’s brand and its bottom line may be minimal. But when those IoT products are installed in hard-to-reach places or in harsh environments, all bets are off. When these products fail, a company’s success or failure may be on the line.
It’s a scenario that is very much a reality today as the spread of the IoT picks up steam and IoT devices find their way into some highly intriguing applications in hard-to-reach locations. Smart farming offers a perfect case in point, with IoT sensors now deployed in a range of applications designed to make agricultural production more productive and sustainable. They are used to track moisture levels in soil, weed crops, help chicken eggs hatch, and even monitor the health of cows destined for the dinner table. Read more…