We now live in a world where almost anything that can be connected to the internet, has been. These devices make up the IoT, and they are in every part of our lives.
In the kitchen at home, devices with internet connectivity include fridges, microwave ovens, conventional ovens, food scales, dishwashers, coffee-makers, and even juicers.
Elsewhere in the home, we have smart TVs, gaming consoles, thermostats, furnaces, washing machines, light switches, light bulbs, yoga mats, alarm clocks, cameras, doorbells, bathroom scales, baby monitors, sound systems, and speakers—all connected to the internet. Of course, your whole house may be supplied with electricity, water, and gas from networked smart meters. When you leave home, do you go through an IoT garage door to get in your always-connected car with built-in Wi-Fi? Many do.
In the industrial sector, IoT devices are central to Industry 4.0, commonly considered the fourth industrial revolution. Using internet connectivity to interconnect every device in the manufacturing supply chain has allowed for unprecedented optimizations in efficiency.
The IoT is even affecting the way we grow food. In agriculture, IoT devices allow farmers to monitor relevant weather conditions, such as temperature, humidity, sunlight, rainfall, and wind speed. This information informs decisions improving yield and quality.
Of course, these are just a few examples of IoT applications. The concept is also applied to concerns in environment, healthcare, infrastructure, transportation, and more.
When adding internet connectivity to a device, you have several options. There are certainly pros and cons to each connection option. We review them next.