How many times have we heard the term “Internet of Things” lately? Do we really know what it means and how it will affect our daily lives? Below, we’ll explain everything related to this concept in simple terms.
First, it should be noted that the Internet of Things refers to everyday objects that are connected to the Internet and to one another via networks, enabling them to communicate with each other and share data in real time for subsequent analysis from remote locations.
Once we understand what the IoT is, the first things that come to mind are devices like smartphones or smart TVs; however, the purpose of the Internet of Things is to turn devices that aren’t currently smart—such as light bulbs, thermostats, or refrigerators—into smart devices, so that everything is connected.
In this regard, when we talk about connected devices and data generation to improve various aspects of citizens’ lives, this leads us directly to a new concept of cities: Smart Cities.
Next, we'll take a look at the main features of the Internet of Things as it relates to Smart Cities:
Classification of IoT Devices
Among the devices used in Smart Cities, we can distinguish three main types:
- Fixed devices
Those permanently installed at locations throughout the city that are to be monitored—such as traffic cameras or flow meters installed on water infrastructure—with the aim of improving their performance.
- Dynamic devices
They are installed on mobile devices, such as motor vehicles, and must include a GPS to transmit the device's location along with the information collected.
- Participatory Sensors
Designed to turn citizens into sensors, the ultimate goal of government agencies is for individuals themselves to generate and share information. The best example of this type of device is the smartphone, since it is equipped with GPS, a microphone, accelerometers, and all kinds of sensors that allow it to collect a large amount of information.
Value Chain
The development of Internet of Things (IoT) activities that generate value within smart cities follows this process:
- Suppliers and manufacturers of IoT devices that enable low-latency, low-power communications.
- Integration of information obtained from large databases in real time.
- Integration and aggregation of data to facilitate its processing.
- Data handling, processing, and analysis to generate insights.
- Presenting data to facilitate decision-making.
- Professional services that add value based on the data provided.
Communication
IoT devices primarily communicate via wireless connections, which makes them easy to install—since they don't require cables—and easy to move if necessary.
However, wireless devices present a problem: they rely on humans to recharge their batteries. To address this issue, automatic charging systems are used—such as solar panels—or new wireless communication technologies with very low energy consumption are employed.
Data Processing
We can identify four phases when analyzing the information received from the devices:
- Description: Data is collected, displayed in dashboards, and reports are generated.
- Predictive: Its purpose is to generate statistical models to predict the future.
- Streaming: Look for patterns, events, and data to take immediate action.
- Prescriptive: models that focus on providing solutions to events.
In addition, these phases can be implemented at three levels: on the device, at the gateway, or centrally in the cloud. Currently, the most widely used is the latter—in the cloud—although the trend over the years will be toward implementation on the device and at the gateway.
IoT Platforms
There are currently numerous IoT platforms capable of collecting and integrating data, aggregating it into large databases, processing and analyzing it to generate insights, and generating reports. Two of the best-known platforms are ThingWorx and Carriots.
