Internet Of Things

Internet of Things or more commonly IoT is an emerging concept in the technical world. We want more comfort in our life. Internet has become a core part of our life. This IoT is based on this collaboration of comfort and Internet. Students doing masters can find this topic interesting as well as innovative. They can opt this topic for an M.Tech thesis. There are various thesis topics in IoT(Internet of Things) that are yet to be explored. Not only masters, PhD students can also go for thesis in IoT(Internet of Things). But first of all, a question arises in everyone’s mind that:

What is IoT or Internet of Things?

Introduction

Anyone who is new to this topic is eager to know what is internet of things(IoT). Well, internet of things is network of physical devices connected to each other for exchange of data and information through sensors and actuators. These actuators and sensors are embedded on to these devices which allow them to exchange data with each other. In simple terms, IoT means letting the devices to connect to the internet to make our life much easier. The ‘things’ here refer to internet of things devices like chips, cameras, sensors or such other physical devices.

IoT is going to be an essential part of our life in near future. Through IoT, distant or remote objects can be controlled on this network. You might have heard about smart homes. The concept of smart homes is based on Internet of Things(IoT). But IoT is not limited to smart homes as there are various applications of IoT which will be discussed later in this article.

Internet of Things(IoT) covers a distinct number of protocols, domains, and applications. There will be more advanced communication between the devices with better connectivity and services. The embedded devices will provide advanced automation in almost every area ranging from homes to cities. These devices gather important information employing latest technologies and then transfer this information to other devices.

The term ‘internet of things’ was found by Kevin Ashton and Gamble in 1999. The research work in this field is going on from 1980s.

IoT lifecycle is based on the following phases:

Create

Communicate

Aggregate

Analyse

Act

Characteristics of IoT(Internet of Things)

IoT provides services at the global level by the interconnection of various physical devices using global infrastructure. It is based on existing and the evolving technologies. Following are some of the characteristics of IoT(Internet of Things);

Intelligence – IoT is a combination of hardware and software along with complex algorithmsand computations. The capabilities of IoT is enhanced due to its intelligence which enable them to respond and act according to the situation. The interaction between different devices is only because of its intelligence.

Connectivity – Connectivity in IoT enables it to connect various everyday use objects. This contributes to overall intelligence of IoT network. This also makes way for new market opportunities by creating network of smart objects and applications. Moreover, the network will be more accessible and compatible.

Dynamic Nature – The IoT devices capture data from its surrounding environment. This is done by the dynamic changes that take place around these devices. The state of IoT devices change dynamically like connected or disconnected and also due to temperature, location and speed. Also, it can change due to person, place or time.

Enormity – In the near future, the number of devices connected to the network for communication will be much larger than it is today. Also, it will become much more complex to manage and handle data from these devices. A statistics suggest that more than 5 million new devices are connected every day and the number is only going to increase.

Sensing – Sensors are an important component in IoT without which the changes in the environment cannot be detected and measured. These sensors interact with the environment to detect and collect data. The information that is sensed by the sensor is basically the input from the environment that can provide some valuable information.

Diversity – Diversity or heterogeneity is one of the main characteristics of IoT. The IoT devices have different hardware platforms and network and they are able to communicate with other devices through different networks. The IoT network is able to support connectivity between distinct networks. The core requirements for this diversity is scalability, modularity, extensibility, and interoperability.

Security – Currently there are some security and privacy issues with IoT network which with more development in this field will be vanished. It is very important to secure data while it is being transferred between devices.