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What is the Internet of Things?

Please could someone describe what this phrase means? Fern

Fern from Highway on 14/3/16
Phil on 14/3/16
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical things such as your computer, tablet, smartphone, vehicle, central heating, washing machine, refrigerator....and other items that have electronics, software, sensors, and connection to your network, which in turn connects to the internet. They connect to the internet using an IP address that enables them to collect and exchange data.

An example:

Your house is part of the IoT with all sorts of connected devices within it. Your electric car, also part of your IoT network 'talks' to the house as it needs a good deal of power to recharge. The house contains a number of other heavy energy users they are 'aware' of the car's needs. They exist together with a goal (set by you)  to keep energy use within limits to reduce costs and peak times. So these power-hungry appliances have to negotiate for access to power. So if the washing machine and tumble dryer are running when the car wants to charge it will have to wait or get them to stop. If getting the washing done is a top priority (set by you), the washing cycle might override the car charging.

However if your car knows that you need to be somewhere at a certain time and needs to charge its battery to get her there, that priority might override the laundry.

You control how your devices interact and can at any time view their processes via your computer or other device.

The IoT is going to usher a sea-change in how electronics work and communicate. It is estimated that the there will be a global market worth up to $11billion by 2025.

Phil Birch

Chris R Anthony on 23/3/16
More examples:

- Running shoes with inbuilt GPS. the results can then be downloaded to mapping software and you can see where you have run, how long it took etc etc.
- Amazon have, or are about to, launched "Dash". This is a device which you store beside your laundry products. When they run out, you press it and the laundry product is automatically ordered for you
- Fridges will be equipped with a bar code reader and Internet access. As you put a product into the fridge it gets recorded. As it gets low, your supermarket is alerted and that product is added to your next shopping list
- and finally, how about an umbrella which is linked to a weather app and when it starts to rain is automatically opened!!
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