An introduction to IoT
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of devices or objects that contain or are made up of a variety of sensors and other data gathering technologies that can connect and share information with one another as well as sharing data with other devices through an internet connection.
So how does IoT work? In most scenarios an IoT system is made up of three main components; Smart Devices, IoT Applications and a graphical user interface. There may be some instances in which some of these components are not used or required however in most cases these components would be in use.
Smart Devices: A smart device is a piece of hardware or equipment that has computing capabilities and can transmit data it has gathered through various inputs such as from the user, environment or patterns in how it is used over the internet to the subsequent IoT Application.
IoT Application: An IoT application in simple terms is a combination of software or services that takes the data from the smart devices and processes the relevant information often using machine learning or artificial intelligence to analyse the data and make informed decisions.
Graphical User Interface: This allows the IoT devices to be managed and monitored through a graphical user interface such as a dashboard or web portal, however it can also include mobile apps.
What is IoT Mainly Used For?
As organisations come under increasing pressure to reduce operating costs and improve their efficiency levels across all departments regardless of the industries in which they operate. The most common example of this is within the manufacturing industry, where efficiency levels can have a range of impacts including profit levels for organisations operating on margins and machinery costs and maintenance.
The use of IoT devices and systems within the manufacturing industry has increased over recent years and has provided organisations with an opportunity to collect, manage and utilise their data in a more effective and reliable way. With more data and information than ever before manufacturers can utilise IoT devices to record machine downtime, understand machinery servicing requirements more clearly and ensure that each machine is operating as efficiently as it can be.
However, it is not just the manufacturing industry that has benefited from the use of more IoT devices in recent years, for example another industry that has been adopting such devices includes the Healthcare industry. With IoT devices, hospitals and trusts can better manage equipment and inventory levels as well as monitoring various environmental factors such as temperature and air quality, both of which can be hugely important in medical environments.
What is the Main Function of IoT?
The key to any successful IoT deployment regardless of the industry the organisation is operating in is data collection and ensuring that the data collected is used to make informed business decisions that have a lasting positive impact on the business and its stakeholders.
Whilst IoT devices may provide useful and important information around efficiency and specific metrics, ultimately it is how this data is then used by decision makers that can provide the real value for organisations and businesses, this may include evaluating processes and changing them where necessary based on the collected data.
Unusual IoT use cases
Whilst IoT devices do not have a specific use and can be used in a variety of situations and scenarios, there are always unique situations in which devices can be used to provide more effective data collection and management compared to more traditional methods used within industries. These are a few unique use cases of IoT devices and data collection methods that you may not have been aware of;
Grain storage monitoring in agriculture
The first use case that is unique was the use of IoT devices to help record and monitor Grain storage levels within the agricultural industry. Some of the key issues with traditional grain storage systems is the ability to effectively monitor and track key environmental factors such as CO2 levels, temperature and humidity when the grain is being stored. By utilising IoT devices alongside mobile applications it can provide real time information and reporting on the condition of grain in storage allowing quick decisions to be made in a proactive manner rather than reactive providing the best quality storage possible for the grain.
Autonomous construction
Construction companies around the world are also taking advantage of IoT devices and their versatility by utilising such devices during construction and demolition of buildings and structures, providing a more efficient and effective manner to reduce costs and time spent during the construction process. In 2022 one of the largest industrial automation companies, Siemens, announced a partnership with SafeAI to develop autonomous electric construction vehicles.
Not only does this help drastically reduce the cost compared to traditional construction vehicles but it also reduces the amount of manual labour that is required on a project, saving employee time that could otherwise be spent elsewhere. Whilst the use of IoT devices within construction is still relatively new compared to some other industries where the technology is more advanced, there are some considerations that may need to be made before implementing such devices such as how it may impact health and safety procedures on site and who is ultimately responsible for maintaining and managing the devices.
Room occupancy monitoring for the NHS
Building on the effective design and implementation of the “Escalate” system, The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust challenged The Curve to investigate possible solutions for determining the number of individuals in a room without human intervention, while maintaining an affordable hardware cost. The objective was to accurately and securely calculate the occupancy of rooms within the Trust, enabling improved and more accurate utilisation.
Our approach involved using a series of IoT devices and systems to create a smart way in which data could be gathered remotely. This consisted of utilising a low-cost Single Board Computer (SBC) device fitted with a wide-angle camera lens which could be connected to a network and instructed to take photos of the room in question at intermittent periods throughout the day. Images of the room are processed using an advanced AI computer vision model to determine how many people are present. The resulting data is captured and stored centrally, while the image itself is discarded for confidentiality purposes. This data is then used to visualise how the rooms are being used over time using a combination of tables and graphs.
With the use of these IoT devices that can be produced at relatively low costs compared to alternative data collection methods, it allows the Trust to collect and utilise more data than ever before and make informed decisions that can have a real impact on the organisations efficiency and effectiveness in providing care to their patients and utilising staff.
Starting your IoT project?
We’re always interested in hearing about IoT projects and the unique ways in which the technology can be used across a variety of industries and organisations. If you need help or support then don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team and learn how we can help bring your project to life!