What is the Internet of Things - and what does it mean for us all? - www.agarscientific.com

What is the Internet of Things – and what
       does it mean for us all?

       www.agarscientific.com

What is the Internet of Things – and what does it mean to us all?
Paul Smith, Agar Scientific

Additional research and material
Chris Measures and David Greeves
05.01.2014

1      Defining the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) feels like an idea whose time has come. Press and analysts are
talking about it, conferences are being organised and the first IoT products are beginning to
appear.

So let’s begin by looking at what the Internet of Things is, and what it is not. A good
definition is from BT - “The Internet of Things refers to technologies that allow networked
devices to sense other devices and interact and communicate with them.”

The ‘Things’ are real world objects – essentially anything that can have a sensor embedded
within it and is able to communicate wirelessly with the wider world, such as vehicles,
machines, buildings, people, animals, goods or the environment around us. One Dutch
farmer has fitted his cows with sensors so he can be alerted to any health issues or when
they need milking.

Like any much-hyped technology, lots of people are jumping on the IoT bandwagon even if
they have nothing to do with it. The IoT isn’t a fridge that connects to the internet to allow
you to place your order from Sainsbury’s – there is no sensing or interacting by the network
device here as it simply acts as an interface. In contrast, a fridge that talks to your washing
machine and dishwasher and then communicates with the manufacturer to book a service
visit for all your appliances is very much part of the IoT.

Essentially the Internet of Things brings the device onto the internet, opening up the data it
produces so that other devices can talk to us and each other. And these will be small things
– a thermostat that turns itself up or down dependent on weather forecasts and outside
temperature sensors or how far away from home you are, the washing machine that
switches itself on when electricity is at its cheapest or the empty parking space that sends
your car a message when you are searching for somewhere to park. Ericsson estimates that
there will be 50 billion devices connected to the internet by 2020 – ten times as many as
people online. To give some perspective 6 billion of us have a mobile phone.

Companies refer to the Internet of Things in different ways. Many talk about Machine to
Machine (M2M) connectivity – essentially the plumbing that connects the devices within the
Internet of Things together. Cisco talks about the Internet of Everything, while IBM focuses
on the Smarter Planet, an interconnected web of systems that enables us to understand the
Earth’s central nervous system through the embedded devices around it. Whatever the
language, there’s widespread agreement that the Internet of Things is building rapidly and
will form the next wave of computing to affect us all as both businesses and consumers.

We’ve had embedded computing for years – what’s new?
Embedded computers have been able to communicate wirelessly for years. However the
majority of these have been in closed systems, with a one-to-one relationship with the
central computer that they talk to. Data isn’t automatically shared more widely and there is
no ability for one embedded computer to interact with another.

What’s different about the Internet of Things is that devices now have five abilities:
1      They can be given a unique identity through the internet backbone showing what and
       where they are.
2      They have the ability to communicate through wireless technologies (from RFID and
       Bluetooth to Wi-Fi and 3G), often in real-time.
3      The can report on the world around them through sensors.
4      They can be controlled from anywhere through their embedded computers.
5      The Cloud provides the power to store, exchange, combine and process massive
       amounts of information, wherever it was originally created. Location is as irrelevant
       as that of a web server we access through our PC or smartphone.

2        What’s the use of the Internet of Things?
Like the World Wide Web when it first launched in 1993, the most advanced uses of the IoT
probably have yet to be thought of. But there are essentially six immediate scenarios that it
enables:
1        We can connect with things in a completely new way, learning about them simply by
         scanning them with our phone or other device.
2        We can monitor things remotely in a holistic way, bringing together multiple inputs to
         give better control of the world around us.
3        We can search for things. Imagine typing ‘Where are my keys’ into Google and
         getting a sensible answer.
4        We can manage things better, from traffic flows to use of energy within the home or
         business.
5        We can control things, such as smart thermostats from anywhere in the world
6        We can play with things. Imagine augmented reality communicating with the world
         around you to make gaming truly real.

So what does this mean in terms of actual, concrete examples? Again, these are split into
five main areas:

Smart cities
Over half the world’s population lives in cities. From the bus that knows exactly where it is
and gives real-time arrival time to streetlights that dim when there’s no-one near, the Internet
of Things promises to deliver greater control and efficiency to the chaos of modern city living.

Health
By 2017 we’ll be using over 80 million wearable health sensors worldwide, mostly for sports
and fitness. And around the globe 2.5 million patients already have medical monitoring
devices. Shrinking these sensors and connecting them to the internet can be a life saver.
Imagine a chip that analyses your blood and warns your doctor if vital signs change or a
tracks what a dementia patient is doing. The Internet of Things should help manage a rapidly
aging population with finite medical resources.

The smart home
Probably the area that has seen the greatest penetration to date is within the home.
Companies such as AlertMe offer sensors to control objects inside the house, from
monitoring energy consumption to changing your heating settings remotely via your
smartphone.

Industry
While many industrial processes rely on embedded computers these tend to be within closed
systems. Supply chains are increasingly complex, spanning multiple companies and
countries. Making them smarter delivers greater efficiency and peace of mind. Companies
can track the vital statistics of a shipment across the world – where has it stopped? Has the
temperature stayed in the right range? Opening up closed processes may seem daunting,
but it can cut costs and ensure you meet ever tougher deadlines and SLAs from end
customers.

Automotive
According to the GSM Association, 90% of new cars will have an on-board communications
platform by 2020. Imagine your vehicle monitoring with you driving and sharing it with your
insurer in return for lower premiums. Rushing for a flight? Your car will be able to check if
your plane is running late and you can slow down. Internet-enabled cars will make it simpler
to monitor traffic flows around cities, flag free parking spaces or provide up to the second
motoring information.

3       What are the drawbacks that need to be overcome?
Despite the hype, the Internet of Things is nowhere near mature. While on paper the idea of
networked devices communicating with each other seems logical and feasible, achieving this
on a mass scale still requires a lot of work. Concerns split into two – around widespread
acceptance and adoption, and ensuring that technology can scale to deliver on its promise.

The Internet of Big Brother?
Any technology that wants to go mainstream has to cross the chasm and meet the needs of
the mass market (both B2B and B2C) if it is going to succeed. As Denise Wilton of
consultants Berg points out, “People have to understand it before they can want it.” And, on
the face of it there’s a lot that can worry individuals, companies and governments when it
comes to the impact of the Internet of Things. If consumers are concerned about the amount
of data held on them by internet companies now, imagine the worries when you entrust
details of your home, medical records and personal behaviour to the devices around you.
Who gets to see the data of your car’s journey – the city council for managing traffic? Your
insurer? The car manufacturer? MI5? Estimates are that by 2032 each one of us will be
connected to 3-5,000 smart things. Managing privacy and building trust will therefore be
critical to gaining acceptance of the Internet of Things.

Secondly, people and companies don’t just adopt technology for the sake of it or because it
is shiny and new. They want to know what is in it for them – does it make their lives easier or
save them money? Just because it is logical to monitor and control your energy usage to cut
your bills doesn’t mean that people will get around to doing it. They have to be convinced
that it gives specific benefits in specific areas of their individual lives or businesses.

And finally, businesses and consumers want products that are simple to use, work out of the
box and don’t require costly or constant maintenance. It has to have a straightforward user
experience, not require the brains of a rocket scientist to get any benefit. And it has to be
interoperable with everything else they have. Essentially all the complexity has to be
invisible, making it as easy and mundane to use as a toaster (and not an internet enabled
one either).

4       The Internet of Things and Technology
At a basic level the technology behind the Internet of Things is already here. Embedded
wireless sensors are all around us, communicating with each other via the Cloud and often
controlled through our smartphones. But scaling this requires progress in five key areas:

Power
50 billion devices can’t rely on traditional battery or mains power. Devices need to be
ultra-low power and able to survive for their whole lifetime without the batteries needing to be
changed. Companies such as ARM and TTP are investing heavily in this area, both to
reduce the power needs of devices and to develop techniques such as energy harvesting to
ensure the lights stay on.

Standards
The Internet of Things involves millions of companies co-operating to carry out thousands of
previously discrete tasks. Interoperability is a must for how devices will communicate, handle
data, safeguard privacy and manage power and resources. Therefore standards are a must
and are still in development. Initiatives such as the Weightless SIG (looking at
communications) and OpenDCU (data handling) are progressing, as are potential standards
such as MQTT (an addressing protocol that aims to provide the same functions as HTTP on
the web). In many areas standards won’t be crystallised anytime soon, so companies need
to be ready to adapt as they develop.

Communications
90% of the world’s surface has a mobile phone signal. However, existing networks would be
swamped with the data from 50 billion devices, even if each one was sending just a few
bytes. And mobile phone strength varies from location to location – hardly the recipe for the
real-time, straightforward communication the Internet of Things demands. While short-range
technologies such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Near Field Communications (NFC), Wi-Fi and RF
can be deployed in a constrained area, wider connectivity needs to be cheap, ubiquitous and
free from any need for user intervention. The front running solution is to use ‘white space’
(the gaps in the radio spectrum between assigned frequencies) to provide communication.

The Weightless standard aims to manage this process. Early prototype chips developed by
Cambridge-based Neul and based on the standard deliver ranges of 5-50km, cost just £1.40
and will run for ten years without a battery charge. Just 5,500 Weightless base stations
would be enough to provide connectivity to the whole of the UK – compared to 35,000
mobile phone masts.

Location
We’re used to GPS providing us with an accurate location, but much more precise mapping
is needed when you have tiny devices embedded around buildings. Earlier in 2013 Apple
bought in-building mapping specialist Wifislam, which uses ambient Wi-Fi signals to offer
maps accurate to 2.5m, while Google Maps now features 10,000 floor plans submitted by
businesses. Accuracy will improve, but it still isn’t detailed enough for some applications at
present.

Data
Since 1993, the World Wide Web has created an estimated 4,000 Exabytes of data. Written
down, that would be enough books to stretch to Pluto and back, 80 times. But the amount of
data produced by the Internet of Things will dwarf this. Being able to bring this together from
billions of sources will be incredibly powerful as businesses look to control their operations
and consumers look to manage their lives, but will require sophisticated algorithms and
analysis techniques to provide real-time (or near real-time) decisions. The good news is that
the technology to select from this tsunami of data and turn it into useful information is now
being introduced. IBM recently made its Watson supercomputing software available to
enable companies to better manage the relationship with their customers and the current
focus on Big Data within the IT world should provide the tools to create and act on the
enormous volumes of data the Internet of Things will create.

The technology behind the Internet of Things is still immature, but that shouldn’t stop
companies becoming involved. Standards will develop and the sheer weight of opportunity
means that potential roadblocks around power and location will be overcome as the market
gathers momentum. Within reason, first mover advantage will carry weight as we move
towards the next wave of computing.

5   How businesses fit into the Internet of Things
Much of the talk so far about the Internet of Things has focused on the benefits to
consumers, rather than businesses. But in the same way as the original internet has
delivered huge efficiency savings to the corporate world, the Internet of Things will underpin
radical innovation in how organisations operate. Connecting the physical world to the
internet opens up enormous possibilities, limited only by our imaginations.

The key demands of the Internet of Things to connect, communicate and interact with
devices wherever they are located fit closely with, for example, much of Elektron
Technology’s portfolio. Electron’s brands currently focus on the areas that matter most in
today’s always-on, networked economy. As their products develop and underpin the Internet
of Things through their sensors, connectivity, instrumentation and monitoring technologies.
Essentially providing the fittings and fixtures of the Internet of Things.

Their Cambridge Technology Centre brings together engineers from across the Elektron
group to create products that meet the emerging needs of their customers. As one of the
world’s foremost innovation-led technology companies, the Internet of Things offers a
tremendous opportunity to Companies such as Elektron to use their different skills and
perspectives to benefit customers and the wider world. The Internet of Things is a catalyst to
deepen our relationship with customers, through technology that delivers future advantages
to their businesses.

Instrumentation, monitoring and control
For example, Elektron’s smart wireless sensor-based product, Checkit for food safety
monitoring is perfectly positioned for the Internet of Things. While it currently monitors
temperature, humidity and door status, its design makes it simple to add new areas, such as
air quality, into the system. User friendly and easy to use straight out of the box, it can
already communicate with phones and PCs to flag alerts and share data. Food companies
are demanding closer control over their entire supply chains. Checkit’s data could be integral
to monitoring food safety from production to plate, sharing information through the cloud with
other smart devices such as refrigerated trucks to provide an end-to-end picture for
compliance and reassurance.

Equally, over time Checkit will be extended out of the kitchen to the rest of a hotel,
restaurant or resort. By monitoring other systems, such as air conditioning, lighting and
ambient temperature it provides total control over smart premises. Interdependent
relationships can be managed automatically – such as adjusting a thermostat when
temperatures change and it can also check that human tasks have been successfully
completed.

Elektron’s Digitron range of temperature and pressure meters, gas leak detectors and data
loggers are widely used in a range of fields, from manufacturing and industry to science,
medicine and pharmaceuticals. These devices measure critical factors and connecting them
to a smart network to deliver real-time, connected information would be clearly beneficial.

Smart vehicles are a key part of the Internet of Things. But to operate effectively they need
efficient power management. Carnation’s genisys™ intelligent switching and power control
systems from Elektron are built to a modular, expandable design that ensure that these vital
smart devices continue to operate, whatever their power demands.

Many of Elektron’s other brands – Queensgate’s nanotechnology products, Wallace’s
material testing devices and Sheen’s inspection and testing instruments currently operate in
closed loop industrial processes. However, closer ties between businesses and their
suppliers and the demand for faster, more responsive supply chains will change this, with
the need to share data in real-time across an entire industrial process.

Health is a key area that stands to benefit from the Internet of Things. Elektron’s ophthalmic
scanners to detect Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are already portable, enabling
them to be used in temporary or rural clinics. Sharing the data they collect with other
healthcare devices and professionals will ensure faster treatment and a holistic view of the
patient, particularly in developing countries. Also in the medical sector, Qados currently
supplies products, servicing and support to test and calibrate radiotherapy and X-ray
equipment. As part of the Internet of Things, this support and calibration will be carried out
remotely, saving time and ensuring the highest levels of accuracy.

Elektron’s instrumentation products such as Tinsley’s system for subsea cable detection can
be extended to share data, in real-time, beyond the immediate location. This will enable
faster, more efficient testing, particularly in remote or hazardous locations.

Connectivity
The Internet of Things is always on, wherever sensors and devices are located. Bulgin’s
connectors already operate in the most hazardous and challenging environments, protecting
power, Internet and Ethernet cables in areas as diverse as mines and under the sea. With
more and more smart devices operating within the Internet of Things, safeguarding them will
be crucial. Bulgin’s market leading range will be central to providing cost-effective protection
to smart devices, wherever they are located.

Companies like Elektron Technology that combine experience and expertise and
manufacturing capabilities are the heart of the Internet of Things. As infrastructure and
demand develop, there will be new opportunities to create novel ways to solve old problems
– delivering completely new solutions to meet the needs of people and businesses, now and
in the future.

About Agar Scientific
With over forty years as a leading international supplier of accessories, Agar Scientific specializes in
consumables and equipment in support of all forms of microscopy. Our aim is to meet the needs of all those
working in Biological Science and Material Science related fields.

We provide a fast, efficient service ensuring microscopists can purchase, with ease, from our extensive range of
quality specialist materials and equipment.

Our technical team, who has a wide practical experience in specimen preparation and microscopy techniques,
are on hand to offer experienced technical advice.

About Elektron Technology
Elektron Technology is a global business that designs, manufactures and markets the products vital for the
connected world.

We create and develop products that monitor, control and connect and are used in thousands of ways
that affect everyday life.

Elektron Technology plc.
Broers Building, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0FA, UK
www.elektron-technology.com

paul.smith@elektron-technology.com

Twitter: @agarscientific

LinkedIn (Agar Scientific): http://linkd.in/1dqON37

LinkedIn (LabGenie): http://linkd.in/NTNfF8

Web: www.agarscientific.com