In recent times, the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened up a virtually inexhaustible and new source of technical innovations that are demonstrating unmatched and unprecedented value for a broad range of industries.
Today, manufacturing companies and others are increasing their operational efficiencies by applying smart sensors, connected devices, and gateway to efficiently manage each and every part of the production and distribution processes.
The best way for organizations to identify and optimize the Internet of Things in the realm of Industry 4.0 and beyond is to understand the rationale behind IoT real cases and examples in practice. This will be the best foot forward to consider the Internet of Things not merely as a set of technologies or a term but a tangible entity.
Surveillance and Safety
There is no denying the fact that the protection of infrastructure goes beyond and requires more than just predictive maintenance. Sooner or later, people will require protection from infrastructure and this issue can be handled by solutions such as the efficient deployment of cameras alongside radar and motion sensors.
The precise and accurate detection of anomalies is facilitated by the Internet of Things. This is done through smart machines and devices figuring out possible anomalies over a period of time.
Sport & Fitness
The most prominent yet often the most under-looked effect that IoT has had in our lives is by changing the ways by which we maintain a healthy lifestyle. Today, fitness apps and activity trackers are becoming our personal coaches helping us with both motivation and knowledge.
The Internet of Things does this by collecting quality and pertinent data from virtually all kinds of sensors, smart sports gear, and fitness trackers. This collected data is then visualized and analyzed on mobile devices and equipment consoles to help us understand the impact of different forms of training routines and specific training parameters over a period of time.
Healthcare
Emergency room visits can at times take hours to complete. However, hospitals across the world are now taking every possible step to slash wait times by as much as 50 percent with IoT. The Internet of Things has also revolutionized the concept of remote health monitoring to eliminate the need for frequent visits. By doing this, it minimizes costs and improves quality of living of patients by sparing them the travel inconveniences. If that is not all, IoT devices are also assisting healthcare professionals and support staff with asset tracking to monitor patients, hardware, and almost everything else in a hospital setting.
Clean Water
Access to healthy and clean water is a basic human right. The Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 of the United Nations is to ensure everyone has access to healthy water by 2030.
IoT solutions can assist in achieving this goal by analyzing, improving, and tracking steps and processes deployed by the water plants and the flow of information, products, and services in the otherwise-complicated distribution network. They can also prove beneficial to remotely and smartly monitor the conductivity, turbidity, and temperature of water bodies.
Disaster Management
Many countries of the world like Japan, China, and the United States are prone to natural calamities such as deadly earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, and heavy storms that have had left communities at high risk. In the past, residents of these communities had little to no access to timely and preventive information about the approaching dangers. But this could be changing soon.
Today, IoT devices assist government and private agencies and individuals by broadcasting timely, accurate, and precise public safety warnings to save hundreds and thousands of lives during a potential disaster.
The Internet of Things actually has an all-important role in the life of each and every one of us. It helps us live better and work better in more than just a way. There is no doubt that IoT will continue to do so and evolve as the technology continues to advance but how far it will improve our quality of life in the future is anybody’s guess at this point.
