IoT Applications for a Smarter World
We hear mentions of "IoT" -- the Internet of Things -- all the time, but just how exactly can IoT make our world smarter? Below are just some examples of IoT's applications:
Smart City
Smart Parking
Monitor parking-space availability and notify drivers.
Structural Health
Monitor structural and material conditions (e.g. through vibration sensors) in buildings and infrastructures.
Noise Monitoring
Monitor noise pollution from entertainment or traffic heavy districts in real time.
Device Detection
Detect smart phones or in general devices with WiFi or Bluetooth.
EM Field Levels
Measure the energy level of EM wave radiated by broadcast stations & routers.
Traffic Monitoring
Monitor traffic & pedestrian flows, detect congestion and optimize driving routes.
Adaptive lighting
Weather adaptive street lights.
Waste Management
Trash-level monitoring in containers and buildings, optimizing trash collection route & schedule.
Intelligent Highways
Warning messages & diversions based on weather conditions, accidents, and congestion.
Smart Grid
Power, water supply & consumption monitoring and management.
Solar Power
Monitor & optimize output of solar power panels.
Smart Home
Smart Meters
Monitor and log power, water, and gas consumption.
Smart Appliances
Switching appliances on and off remotely.
Home Security Systems
Intrusion detectors linked to alarms and security providers.
Environment
Forest Monitoring
Growth monitoring, disease and forest fire detection.
Pollution Monitoring
Monitor CO2 and toxic gas emissions from factories, vehicles, farms and landfills, and hazardous material leakage / factory waste in rivers.
Landslide & Avalanche Prevention
Monitor soil moisture, snow level & vibrations to detect potentially dangerous slope conditions.
Security & Emergencies
Earthquake Early Warning Systems
Distributed tremor sensors -> control center -> devices & smartphones
Flood Early Warning
Monitor water level in dams, reservoirs, lakes & rivers.
Access Control
Control access to restricted areas and detect trespassers.
Radiation Level Warning Systems
Distributed sensors in and near nuclear power plants and radioactive waste storage areas.
Hazardous Material Leakage Warning
Distributed sensors to detect hazardous chemicals or gas in and near factories and mines.
Industry
Storage level monitoring
Monitor levels of liquid and gas in storage tanks.
Silo storage monitoring
Monitor level or weight of stored goods.
Liquid Presence
Detect liquids at sensitive locations such as server-rooms to prevent accidents and outage.
Supply Chain Monitoring
Track products & raw materials along the supply chain, and monitor storage conditions such as temperature.
Smart Factory
Monitor conditions of machines & manufacturing processes, receive early warnings / alerts and remotely make adjustments as necessary.
Services
NFC Payment
Already in wide use. IoT would allow for even easier integration & deployment.
Sales Monitoring and Auto-restock
Monitor sales of goods in-store, and automatically request restock from warehouses.
Farming
Moisture Control
Monitor soil moisture and remote-control irrigation.
Smart Green-houses
Monitor & remote control temperature & moisture inside green houses
Weather Station Network
Distribution weather stations in fields to monitor & forecast hazardous conditions e.g. frost, drought, flooding.
Hydroponic Farm
Monitor & control growth conditions to optimize crop yield.
Livestock Tracking
Locate & track animals grazing in pastures.
