The term the IoT was coined in 1999 and refers to the connection of devices to the internet or to each other, including anything from telephones to coffee machines, wearable devices to fridges . Today, there are around 14 billion objects connected to the internet and analysts estimate that the number of connected devices could reach up to 100 billion by 2020. Forbes predicts that in the future “anything that can be connected, will be connected”.
IoT is where the web and the physical world meet. How? Think about when you wake up in the morning. Your car is connected to your phone and able to see on your calendar that you have a 9 o'clock meeting and able to determine the fastest route there. It also see's your what's app messages from friends complaining of the traffic because of an accident that occurred earlier on that morning.
In the science-fictional Star Trek universe, a tricorder is a multi-function hand-held device used for sensor scanning, data analysis, and recording data. The medical tricorder is used by doctors to help diagnose diseases and collect bodily information about a patient. With IoT this can become a reality. A person with a heart issue can be connected to their physicians monitoring system that can determine weeks ahead if they are doing well or if a health issue is about to happen. It can then call the ambulance even before the person realise they are unwell. The down side is that their insurance company can also be connected and raise their health premiums.
The reality is that the IoT allows for virtually endless opportunities and connections to take place, many of which we can't even think of or fully understand the impact of today. Security is a big issue here and often times brought up. With billions of "things" connected how can persons ensure their information is safe? However, it also creates a large opportunity for that industry.
For now the best thing for us to do is educate ourselves on what IoT is and the potential impact it can have, both good and bad, on our lives.
Tricorder
