Internet of Things (IoT) - Learn Definition, Significance, Technology Used & More for UPSC!

In its most basic form, the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the digitally connected cosmos of daily physical things. These devices include internet connectivity, sensors, and other hardware that enable communication and control through the internet. The Internet of Things connects ordinary “things” to the internet. Since the 1990s, computer engineers have been embedding sensors and processors into common objects. However, because the chips were large and cumbersome, development was first slow. RFID tags, which are low-power computer chips, were first employed to track expensive equipment. These processors became smaller, quicker, and smarter throughout time as computer devices shrunk in size.

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What is the internet of things(IoT)?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects—”things”—embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems via the internet. These gadgets range from commonplace domestic items to complex industrial machines.

Industrial IoT: Industrial IoT (IIoT) is the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in industrial settings, particularly in the instrumentation and control of sensors and devices that use cloud technologies. A solid example of IIoT can be found in this Titan use case PDF. Machine-to-machine communication (M2M) has recently been employed in industries to achieve wireless automation and control. However, with the rise of cloud and related technologies, industries can attain a new level of automation, resulting in new income and business models. IoT is sometimes called the fourth wave of the industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. The following are some common uses for IIoT: Smart manufacturing Connected assets and preventive and predictive maintenance Smart power grids Smart cities Connected logistics Smart digital supply chains

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Background:

• One of science fiction’s oldest motifs is an omnipresent world of connected devices and sensors.
• According to IoT legend, the first Internet of Things device was a vending machine at Carnegie Mellon that was connected to APRANET in 1970, and numerous technologies have been marketed as enabling “smart” IoT-style qualities to give them a futuristic polish. However, British technologist Kevin Ashton created the term “Internet of Things” in 1999.
• Initially, technology lagged behind the concept. Every internet-connected device required a processor and a way to communicate with other things, preferably wirelessly, and those needs imposed costs and power requirements that made extensive IoT rollouts impossible, at least until Moore’s Law caught up in the mid-2000s.
• RFID tags, cheap basic transponders that could be slapped on any object to connect it to the greater internet world, were a significant milestone.
• Because of ubiquitous Wi-Fi and 4G, designers could simply expect wireless connectivity anywhere.
• Furthermore, the implementation of IPv6 ensures that connecting billions of devices to the internet would not deplete the pool of IP addresses, which was a major concern.

Significance of Internet of Things (IoT):

Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st century. Now that we can connect everyday objects—kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby monitors—to the internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between people, processes, and things.

By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this hyperconnected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.

Technologies used in IoT:-

• IoT has emerged as one of the most important technologies of the twenty-first century in recent years.
• Now that we can connect everyday objects to the internet via embedded devices, including as kitchen appliances, vehicles, thermostats, and baby monitors, seamless communication between people, processes, and things is conceivable.
• Physical things can share and collect data with minimal human interaction thanks to low-cost computers, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies.
• Digital systems can record, monitor, and alter each interaction between connected entities in this hyperconnected environment. The physical world collides with the digital world—and they work together.
• While the concept of IoT has been around for a long time, recent breakthroughs in a variety of various technologies have made it a reality.
• Access to sensor technology that is low-cost and low-power. More manufacturers are able to implement IoT technology thanks to the availability of low-cost, dependable sensors.
• Connectivity. A plethora of internet network protocols have made it simple to link sensors to the cloud and other “things” for efficient data transfer.
• Platforms for cloud computing Because of the increased availability of cloud platforms, both enterprises and consumers may now obtain the infrastructure they require to scale up without having to manage it all.
• Analytics and machine learning Businesses can acquire insights faster and more simply thanks to developments in machine learning and analytics, as well as access to diverse and large volumes of data stored in the cloud.
• The advent of these linked technologies continues to push the frontiers of IoT, and IoT data feeds these technologies as well.
• Artificial conversational intelligence (AI). Natural-language processing (NLP) has been brought to IoT devices through advances in neural networks, making them appealing, inexpensive, and feasible for home usage.

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How does the IoT work?

• The IoT’s fundamental components are data-gathering devices. They are all internet-connected gadgets, thus they each have an IP address.
• They range in sophistication from self-driving cars that transport products around factory floors to simple sensors that monitor building temperature.
• They also include personal devices such as fitness trackers, which track the number of steps people take each day. To be usable, data must be collected, processed, filtered, and analyzed, each of which can be handled in a variety of ways.
• Data is collected by transferring information from the devices to a central location. Data can be moved wirelessly or via wired networks using a variety of technologies.
• The data can be delivered via the internet to a data centre or cloud with storage and computational power, or it can be staged, with intermediary devices gathering the data before passing it along.
• Data processing can take place in data centres or the cloud, but this is not always an option. The delay in delivering data from the device to a remote data centre is too long in the case of important devices such as shutoffs in industrial settings.
• It is possible that the round-trip time for sending data, processing it, evaluating it, and providing instructions (shut that valve before the pipes burst) is too long.
• Edge computing can come into play in such instances, where a smart edge device can accumulate data, analyze it, and create replies if appropriate, all within a reasonably near physical distance, decreasing delay.
• Edge devices also have upstream connectivity, allowing them to transfer data to be processed and stored further.

Example of an Internet of Things devices

• Almost any physical thing can be made into an IoT device if it can be operated or send information via the internet.
• An IoT device is a lightbulb that can be turned on with a smartphone app, as can a motion sensor, a smart thermostat in your office, or a linked streetlight.
• An Internet of Things device could be as frivolous as a child’s toy or as serious as an autonomous truck. Some larger devices may be loaded with many smaller IoT components, such as a jet engine that is now stuffed with hundreds of sensors that collect and feed data back to ensure that it is running efficiently.
• Smart cities projects on a larger scale are equipping entire regions with sensors to help us understand and control the environment.
• The term “Internet of Things” refers to objects that are not typically anticipated to have an internet connection and can communicate with the network without the intervention of a human.
• As a result, despite being filled with sensors, a PC isn’t commonly regarded as an IoT device, nor is a smartphone. However, a smartwatch, fitness band, or other wearable device may be considered an IoT device.

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Characteristic and trends of IoT:

• The following are some characteristics and tendencies of the Internet of Things:
  • With the increased use of IoT devices and the arrival of 5G, the door will be opened for the introduction of additional devices, which will eventually make the computing system of business process data much easier and faster.
  • Devices include built-in sensors that can be tagged and linked to other devices to collect data if they are designed to be connected.
  • Data is a critical component of the Internet of Things.
  • Devices communicate with other devices in order to exchange data and analyse the data they have provided.
  • Communication can take place over short or long distances.
• Humanoid robot installation Sophia, with its human-like structure and emotion, is intended to promote AI ethics and the future of robots.
• Robot rodeo, India’s first traffic robot, has been deployed on the road. According to this, voice accounts for 80% of daily conversations, and conversing with a robot is now a part of everyday life.
• Digital twin technology is another trend that is gaining traction. Through this technology, the manufacturer can gain insight into how their equipment will operate and whether any changes are required to make them even more efficient and risk-free.
  • The sensing capability of IoT devices is due to the devices’ artificial intelligence.
  • The devices’ actions are based on the outcomes of intelligence.
  • The data collected and evaluated is critical to the entire ecosystem of IoT devices.
  • The majority of industry leaders are developing home hubs such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and HomePod that will make consumers’ lives easier and more dynamic.

Scope in India

• We are always surrounded by IoT gadgets, whether we recognise them or not.
• India’s IoT journey began later than that of any other developed country, but it is projected to accelerate in the future years.
• According to the Deloitte analysis, India’s IoT units are predicted to grow from 60 million to 1.9 billion, a 32-fold increase.
• Sensors, networks, standards, augmented intelligence, and augmented behaviour are some of the major enabler technologies for IoT adoption in India.
• Because of the widespread usage of smartphones and mobile internet, which essentially keeps consumer IoT applications running, IoT adoption in India is on the rise.
• Although it is expected that consumer IoT adoption in India will be slower than industrial IoT growth in India due to the cost of IoT devices, consumer security and privacy concerns.
• As a result, according to the Deloitte report, the IoT provides stakeholders with numerous opportunities across the value chain, with 60-65 percent of stakeholders being startups.
• Transportation, logistics, utilities, manufacturing, and automotive are likely to flourish in the next few years as a result of their close relationship with smart city development projects.
• Furthermore, industries such as healthcare, retail, and agriculture are predicted to grow fast as a result of IoT adoption.

IoT Adoption in India – Key Application Areas

The Internet-of-Things (IoT) refers to a developing network of interconnected gadgets. The Internet of Things network contains digital machines, items, tags, electronic devices, and so on, each with a unique identification (UIDs). These smart devices are linked together and utilized for data detection and transfer for real-time monitoring and other applications.

• Smart Cities: Today, everyone favors smart cities. Smart Cities will continue to expand their reach thanks to IoT and high-tech innovations that will exploit data from IoT devices amongst entities. IoT offers opportunities for better cities by enabling smart lighting, automated parking, environmental sensing to reduce pollution levels, smart irrigation, waste generation, walkable communities, and smart homes to make better use of infrastructure, ensure residents’ safety, and aid in resource management.
• Smart Factories: By streamlining workflows and detecting faults undetected by the human eye, IoT may increase productivity by enabling automation and real-time data analytics, as well as assure seamless operations with high-quality output. It can also aid in the reduction of production time, the tracking of assets in the factory, and the consolidation of control rooms.
• Data-Driven Healthcare: Healthcare practitioners can use IIoT to get real-time data to remotely monitor patients and reduce illness risk. As a result, the healthcare professionals may devote more time to research, learning, and patient satisfaction.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI skills enable firms to extract more value from their enormous data collection. AI will analyze data acquired by IoT devices in a variety of ways, including data preparation, streaming data visualization, real-time location, predictive analysis, and so on.
• Data Processing with Edge Computing:  Edge Computing keeps data on a local device close to the IoT device before transferring it to the cloud, where it can be sorted and calculated. As IoT devices employing Edge Computing consume less bandwidth, more enterprises will adopt edge computing with affordable edge devices in the future years.
• Smart Retail: With the usage of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Tags) and IoT devices, the retail experience is becoming smarter and better. Using IoT devices, store managers can learn how visitors spend their time in their stores, follow their movements, analyze, and manage inventory effectively.
• Fitness: Real-time data from fitness trackers and health devices can improve one’s quality of life by monitoring health issues such as blood pressure, blood sugar level, cardiac rate, and so on. In the event of an emergency, healthcare smart devices can send notifications to the appropriate person or department.
• Telecommunications: With the implementation of 5G, the number of linked devices and IoT applications will grow in the next few years. As a result, we are reshaping our lives in the hyper-connected zone.

Laws regarding IoT in India

• It is simple to withdraw consent from smartphones and PCs with built-in interfaces before any disaster occurs. However, in the case of wearables and thermostats that do not have an interface, gathering and securing data is a problem.
• However, at the moment, India’s data security rules are referenced in the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2011.
• Section 43A requires business organizations to take adequate security measures to protect the party’s sensitive and personal information. If negligence in maintaining security is discovered, damages must be paid to the offended party.
• Section 72A of the ITAA stipulates that any individual who has access to all data and information and exposes any personal data without the person’s consent is penalised under the law. The Act safeguards the rights to confidentiality and privacy.
• The Information Technology Rules, 2011, describe the rules governing personal data and explain how data is collected and stored.

Leading IoT initiatives in India

Some of the key initiatives on IoT taken by the Government of India (GoI) are as follows:

Leading IoT initiatives in India
Draft IoT Policy 2015:	In 2015, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY, formerly DeitY) released the first draught of the IoT Policy Document — a strong governance framework for the holistic adoption and execution of IoT-related policies.
National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018	NDCP’s futuristic goals and policy actions to address the issue of communication and access to digital services in India.
Smart Cities Mission (SCM) 2015:	The Smart City Mission was founded in 2015 with the goal of driving economic growth and improving quality of life by leveraging technology to achieve better outcomes.
IoT Centre of Excellence (CoE) by NASSCOM, MeitY and ERNET:	The CoE is specifically created to assist Indian IoT start-ups in developing market-leading products. The Council of Entrepreneurs (CoE) is India’s largest deep tech innovation ecosystem.
IoT lab, a partnership between IIT Delhi and Samsung:	In 2016, IIT Delhi and Samsung inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the goal of enhancing research capacity and industrial engagement in the IoT domain.

Challenges in Securing IoT

• The increased demand for IoT-connected devices and IoT app development presents a number of security problems.
• The security of an IoT network is entirely dependent on a single device in the chain.
• If one of the devices is compromised, the security of every other device in the chain is jeopardized. This might easily jeopardize the overall network’s security.
• Very few manufacturers consider the security risks related with data access and IoT devices in this IoT competition.

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