An
Internet of Things reality check
Inderscience, Science Daily
Connecting different kinds of devices, not
just computers and communications devices, to the Internet could lead to new
ways of working with a wide range of machinery, sensors, domestic and other
appliances. Writing in the International Journal of Innovation and Learning, suggest that we are on the verge of a another technological revolution but practicalities and legal obstacles may stymie the development of the so-called Internet of Things if they are not addressed quickly.
Aelita Skaržauskiene and Marius Kalinauskas of the
Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) in Lithuania explain that, "Applying
things, which are connected in networks, could revolutionise many industry and
service sectors thus creating new service provisions and administration methods
based on information technology."
They point out that The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) predicts that by the end of 2015 there will be more than 6.5 billion devices connected to the internet, including many smart devices that have not previously been considered as network-connected.
Three quarters of the global population will have internet access in some form or another and this, the team says offers many new opportunities for public and business sectors to close the gap between end users and service providers to mutual benefit; applications and an improved quality of life for the former and improved profits for the latter, one might add.
They point out that The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) predicts that by the end of 2015 there will be more than 6.5 billion devices connected to the internet, including many smart devices that have not previously been considered as network-connected.
Three quarters of the global population will have internet access in some form or another and this, the team says offers many new opportunities for public and business sectors to close the gap between end users and service providers to mutual benefit; applications and an improved quality of life for the former and improved profits for the latter, one might add.
A grid of "smart" objects connected together
dates back to Mark Weiser's 1991 conception of "ubiquitous computing"
an idea that was extended to a world of devices communicating directly with
each other without the need for human interaction.
The classic examples from this era are the refrigerator that automatically orders food before you run out of milk and butter, for instance, and the smart smoke alarm that sends you a text alert if there's an incendiary problem when you're from home.
The IoT is a concept much broader than that today and perhaps always was, with the possibility of networking national and even international infrastructure for improved transport, weather forecasting, earthquake prediction and response, disease tracking and control and many other applications.
The classic examples from this era are the refrigerator that automatically orders food before you run out of milk and butter, for instance, and the smart smoke alarm that sends you a text alert if there's an incendiary problem when you're from home.
The IoT is a concept much broader than that today and perhaps always was, with the possibility of networking national and even international infrastructure for improved transport, weather forecasting, earthquake prediction and response, disease tracking and control and many other applications.
The MRU team has looked at various practical cases and
found that in reality, the applicability of the IoT although wide might
ultimately be limited by the available technology and its implementation, legal
regulations, privacy concerns, costs, and perhaps most importantly, the value
of such system to the end-user.
These points must all be discussed and addressed so that we can better understand the pros and cons of the Internet of Things. The researchers suggest that, "The technological, social, and managerial approaches should represent the main pillars on which the future of IoT is based."
Adding that interdisciplinary studies among scientists and business representatives are now needed to help create the new services and technologies to allow the growing IoT to exceed expectations.
These points must all be discussed and addressed so that we can better understand the pros and cons of the Internet of Things. The researchers suggest that, "The technological, social, and managerial approaches should represent the main pillars on which the future of IoT is based."
Adding that interdisciplinary studies among scientists and business representatives are now needed to help create the new services and technologies to allow the growing IoT to exceed expectations.
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Inderscience. Note: Materials may be edited for
content and length.
Journal Reference:
Skaržauskiene, A. and Kalinauskas Search. The internet of things: when
reality meets expectations. Int.
J. Innovation and Learning, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp.262%u2013274
Cite This Page:
Inderscience. "An Internet of Things reality
check." Science Daily, 9 February 2015.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150209083511.htm>.