The internet of things is so much more than you can imagine


    An article was published on Wired entitled The Internet of Things Is Far Bigger Than Anyone Realizes by Daniel Burrus, who is considered one of the most respected authors in the field of future technology and an expert in innovation. He is the author of Flash Foresight, a bestselling book by The New York Times. We offer you a translation of this material.

    Speaking of the next big thing, people never really think big. And the point is not the lack of imagination. The problem is rather a lack of observation. In fact, the future is always close enough that it can be seen. The future is already here, and it does not need to be invented.

    What is the most talked about today? Of course, about the Internet of things, which includes (by right or not) almost everything that 1) is connected with machine-to-machine communications (machine-to-machine or m2m); is 2) based on computer calculations and networks collecting sensors of various types of sensors; 3) mobile, virtual and constantly in touch; and 4) called to do everything that surrounds us, from streetlights to industrial facilities, “smart”.

    What does it mean, “people don’t really think big”? In conversations, too much attention is paid to m2m communications, the communication of machines (devices) with other machines (devices). But devices are just a tool, something tangible, that performs a certain set of functions or actions. And when we talk about “smart devices”, it’s much more important that they are equipped with sensors.

    A sensor is not a device. The sensor does not perform any actions in the same sense as the machine does. Sensors measure, evaluate. In other words, they collect data. The true essence of the Internet of things lies in the symbiosis of sensors and machines. That is, the real value of the Internet of things phenomenon is to combine the efforts of machines and sensors to collect and interpret data. All the possible information collected from all the sensors in the world costs nothing if there is no infrastructure capable of analyzing it in real time.

    The key to this should be cloud applications. Without them, the Internet of things simply cannot exist: no one will transmit the collected data and interpret it. It is applications that work for you everywhere and always.

    To clarify the idea, we give an example.In 2007, a bridge on a major highway collapsed in Minnesota , resulting in many casualties. This happened because the steel structures could not withstand the increased loads. If smart cement containing sensors capable of monitoring loads, the appearance of cracks and deformations, and reporting this to a data center were used in the construction of the bridge, tragedy could have been avoided.

    And such technologies can be applied not only in the construction of bridges. The same sensors could detect the occurrence of ice on the road surface and wirelessly inform your car about this via the on-board computer. That, in turn, will inform the driver about it and will offer to reduce the speed, and if the driver does not follow the advice, he will do it automatically. Thus, the sensors in concrete interact with the machine in the car, translating the information into action. And this is just one example of a sensor-machine and machine-machine message.


    It is easy to imagine what this can give. What will happen if smart cars communicate with each other through a smart city traffic control system? We will get traffic optimization - traffic lights will not work according to predefined algorithms, but taking into account the current traffic situation. Drivers will receive up-to-date information on busy streets and road conditions, and they will be able either to decide on the use of detour routes on their own, or to be guided by the tips of the car computer or smart traffic signs and information boards.

    So, we have sensors that track a variety of parameters, we have cloud-based applications that process and transfer collected data from machine to machine, and we have mobile devices with real-time response. Our bridges have become smart bridges, cars are smart cars. Next in line are smart cities and so on.

    But what benefits do we get from this? What is the use? What industries can these changes affect?

    Now we come to the answer to the question, what does it mean to “think big”. It’s important to understand that it’s not only what benefit we get. It is not a matter of bridges or even cities. This is a huge, fundamental shift. By making things reasonable, we are creating a source for creating completely new products and services.

    Among all the technological trends of the present, the Internet of things is perhaps the most important. It is he who will radically change our world. In the next 5 years, the greatest number of opportunities for the growth and development of our entire society will lie here. And how great opportunities await us, it is worth talking separately.

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