What is the Internet of Things?
Internet of Things (or IoT as it is regularly called) is a system of interrelated computing devices, objects, mechanical machines, digital machines, people or animals that have a unique identifier connected to them. These interconnected devices & objects have the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human to computer or human to human interactions.
A simple way to put it is a 'thing,' can be a farm animal with a bio chip that sends location & health information, or a person with a wireless heart monitor, or an automobile with a built in sensor to alert to mechanical issues or traffic issues. Any natural or man-made object that can be assigned an IP address and be able to transfer data over a network would be considered a 'thing' on the IoT.
The concept of the Internet of Things was named in 1999, but has been around for decades. In fact, the first example of internet appliance was a Coke machine at Carnegie Melon University in the early 1980's. The programmers connected to the machine over the internet and could check the status of the machine and see if a cold drink would be ready for them before they took the trip to the machine.
Practical applications of IoT technology can be used in many industries today including: energy, agriculture, transportation, healthcare, building and supply management, and so much more. Here are 5 ways you can use IoT practically.