Over
the last decade, a growing number of “things” have become connected to the
Internet. The term “things” refers to a wide variety of devices, from cars with
built‑in sensors, to heart monitoring implants or smart thermostats in private
homes. Sensors and network connectivity allow these things to monitor their
environment, report their status and location, receive instructions and even
execute actions based on the data they receive. This giant and fast-growing
network of physical objects, equipped with sensors and net‑ work connectivity,
is what is meant by the term “the Internet of Things” (IoT). By 2022 an estimated
30 billion objects will be connected, but even this is only 15 per cent of all
connectable things.
In
the coming years, the IoT revolution will affect every aspect of societies and
economies around the world. Up until now, the Internet has generally been
understood as a network which manages information created and processed by
people. But the Internet of Things now also allows objects to communicate with
each other, make decisions and take actions – without any human intervention.
By bringing devices and objects online, IoT creates new ways of managing and
monitoring processes, companies and organisations.
The
sensor technology which underpins IoT is developing quickly, and now ranges
from basic Introduction: The Internet of Things is already here identification
tags to complex sensors. Basic radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can
be attached to almost any object. Sophisticated multi-sensors which transmit
data about location, performance and environment are becoming more common. With
new technologies such as micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), it is becoming
possible to place such sensors in any object (even in humans). In its essence
the Internet of Things can be imagined as a seamless flow of data between
objects with sensors across different types of networks.
Smart
algorithms can learn from the data collected by sensors, make predictions,
provide data-driven decisions in real time, and react to changes in environment.
RAPID
GROWTH OF THE INTERNET OF THINGS IN EMERGING AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The
Internet of Things (IoT) is growing. In urban centres of emerging countries –
megacities such as Rio de Janeiro, Beijing or New Delhi – thousands of sensors
are already monitoring air quality, traffic and water systems. Increasingly,
local governments are using IoT technologies and the data analysis they enable
to better manage resources while driving economic growth. The potential for
such economic growth is vast. A McKinsey report for example estimated the
possible economic impact from traffic applications, smart waste handling, and
smart water systems in urban areas at “100 billion to 300 billion US-dollars
per year by 2025, assuming that 80 to 100 per cent of cities in advanced economies
and 25 to 50 per cent of cities in the developing world have access to IoT
technology by that time.” However, currently only a few stakeholders in international
cooperation are specifically promoting IoT applications.
It
seems clear that the IoT offers an enormous potential for future economic
income and prosperity in industrial countries: IoT applications are projected
to create an income increase of 10.6 trillion US-dollars by 2030.
The
prospects for widespread implementation of IoT solutions in development
contexts are helped by broader technological and social trends:
•
Prices for sensors, an integral component of IoT applications, have declined by
about 80-90 per cent over the past five years.
•
Internet penetration in developing countries is increasing. 35 per cent of
people in developing countries now have access to the Internet. And the falling
cost of smartphones is driving rapid uptake in Internet access in the
developing world. Across emerging and developing countries, a median average of
24 per cent of the population now owns such a device.
•
Due to the potential of the IoT, governments in developing countries are
beginning to develop policies to support IoT innovations. The first ever
Internet of Things Policy Document was released by the Indian Government in
October 2014 and aims to create an IoT industry in India of 15 billion
US-dollars by 2020. It also addresses the following goals:
–
To undertake capacity development (human and technological) for IoT specific
skill-sets for domestic and international markets.
–
To undertake research and development for all the assisting technologies.
–
To develop IoT products specific to Indian needs in all possible domains.
•
Programmers and designers from Accra to Singapore are developing low-cost, IoT
applications that solve problems in their communities. The results of these
initiatives can be seen in international challenges and awards, as UNICEF’s
“Wearables for Good Award” or the White House’s “Maker Faire”.
IOT
IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT: SAVING LIVES WITH EARLY WARNING
Due
to high population density, poor evacuation infrastructure and exposure to
severe weather events, developing countries are disproportionately exposed to
the risks of natural disasters, and often have limited means to mitigate their
effects. As a consequence, according to a World Bank study, more than 95 per
cent of all deaths caused by disasters occur in developing countries.
COMPENSATING
FOR SCARCE INFRASTRUCTURE
IoT
technologies can’t stop disasters from happening, but can be very useful for
disaster preparedness, such as prediction and early warning systems. In this
way IoT can compensate for a poor infrastructure that puts developing and emerging
countries in a particularly vulnerable position. Take for example the
monitoring of forest fires: sensors on trees can take measurements that indicate
when a fire has broken out, or there is a strong risk, e.g. temperature,
moisture, CO2 and CO levels. If there is a critical combination of these
parameters, early warning systems alert the local population and request help.
The firefighters when they arrive have detailed information about the location
and spread of the blaze. Other IoT applications are being developed for
different kinds of disaster: microwave sensors that can be used to measure
earth movements before and during earthquakes, for example, or infrared sensors
that can detect and measure floods and movements of people.
AN
ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
IoT
innovations could not only help in disaster preparedness, but also disaster
resilience. The vast deployment of IoT-enabled devices (often battery powered
and able to operate and transmit wirelessly) could bring benefits in terms of
data network resilience in face of disaster. IoT devices could enable limited
communication services (e.g. emergency micro-message delivery) in case the
conventional communication infrastructure is out of service. Hence, even though
disaster resilience is not their primary purpose, this side-effect of providing
a viable alternative communication infrastructure could prove extremely
valuable in locations where the conventional infrastructure is weak, vulnerable
or non-existent.
Related Posts:
Posts
0 Comments:
Post a Comment