INTRODUCTION TO

INTERNET OF THINGS

(IoT)

IT-4207B

Tesfay G.
 Chapter outline
 What is IoT
 Key elements of IoT
 Why IoT
 Technology & business drivers
 IoT connectivity
 IoT trends and implications
 Data processing and analytics
 Real world applications
 Challenges and considerations
 What is IoT?
 Network of smart object (physical devices, people, animals,

vehicles, appliances etc…) embedded with sensors, software

and network connectivity allowing them to collect, process
and share data.
 The smart objects range from simple home devices such as
smart thermostats to complex industrial machinery and
transportation systems.
 The “thing” part in the internet of things can be a person, an
animal or an automobile that can be assigned IP address
and can transfer data to other similar things over the
specified connectivity technology
 What is IoT?...
 Key elements of IoT
o Devices: Any physical object equipped with sensors and
actuators that collect and transmit data.
o Connectivity: The communication technology that enables data
exchange possible between smart objects and cloud.
o Data processing: The process of collecting, processing/analyzing
data from IoT devices to extract insights.
o Applications: Services and solutions built on top of IoT data to
provide value and solve existing problems.
 What is IoT?...
 Why IoT ?
o Improved efficiency/productivity: (Automation, real time monitoring
and predictive maintenance)
o Enhanced decision making: (Data driven insights and informed
decision making).
o Creating new business opportunities: ( Innovative products/services and
increase revenue).
o Improved quality of life: (Smart homes, smart cities and healthcare etc.)
o Environmental sustainability: (Energy efficiency and sustainable agri.)
 What is IoT?...
 Technological drivers
o Miniaturization of electronics
o Advancements in connectivity technology: (wifi, zigbee, Bluetooth
and cellular networks)
o Cloud computing and AI/ML
o Big data analytics

Business drivers
o Improved efficiency/productivity and enhanced customer
experience
o New business models and improved decision making
o Competitive advantage
 IoT connectivity
 It is the backbone of IoT which enables the smart objects to
communicate and exchange data with the help of different
communication protocols and technologies.
 Some of the key communication networks used with IoT are
 Short range
o Bluetooth (short-range, low power apps like wearables, SH device)
o Wi-fi (offer high speed data transfer in home and office automation)
o Zigbee (low power mesh networking protocol for home automation and
industrial applications)
o Z-wave ( low power wireless protocol used in SH devices)
 IoT connectivity…
 Long range
o LoRaWAN (long-range, low power wide area network protocol) used
with low data rate and long battery life devices such as smart city
sensors and asset tracking
o NB-IoT (LPWAN protocol used in smart metering and asset tracking)
o Sigfox (LPWAN well suited with low data rate applications

 Cellular networks
o 4G/5G: ( suitable with IoT devices with high bandwidth and low latency)
 IoT connectivity…
 Selecting connectivity protocol for IoT
o Range (distance of communication)
o Power consumption ( battery life requirement of the devices)
o Data rate (the amount of data needs to be transmitted)
o Latency ( time gap between transmitting and receiving data)
o Security ( the level of security required to protect sensitive data)
o Cost ( hardware and network infrastructure cost)
 IoT trends and implications
 The key factors for rapid IoT technology advancement
 AI and machine learning integration
o Enhanced decision making ( AI algorithms use massive data collected
from IoT to make insights and informed decisions)
o Predictive maintenance ( AI powered maintenance schedule to reduce
downtime cost)
o Personalized experience ( AI helps to create personalized preference
and engaging user experiences )
 IoT trends and implications…
 Edge computing
o Reduce latency
o Enhance privacy and security
o Improve reliability (continue to function in low connectivity and offline)

 5G connectivity
o High data rate
o Lower latency
o Massive device connectivity

 Block-chain in IoT security

o Secure data sharing
o Transparent and traceable
 Data processing and analytics
 Data processing and analytics are the heart of IoT systems that
transform raw data from connected devices into valuable insights
that drive informed decisions.
 Key steps of data processing and analytics in IoT
I. Data collection (collected from various sources such as sensors, cameras,
and other connected devices.)
II. Data transmission ( transmitted over networks such as cellular, Wi-Fi, or
LPWANs).
III. Data storage ( on-premises or cloud-based storage)
IV. Data cleaning and preprocessing (remove (error, noise) and normalize,
aggregate and feature engineering)
V. Data analysis (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analysis )
VI. Data visualization ( representing the key findings in different forms)
 Technologies and tools
 Tools and frameworks used for data processing and analysis in IoT
o Data processing frameworks ( Apache Spark, Apache Flink)
o Data storage solutions
 Cloud storage (AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Cloud Storage)
 NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra),
 Time-series databases (InfluxDB, TimescaleDB)
o Machine learning and AI (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn)
o Data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, Grafana)

 Addressing these challenges and leveraging advanced

technologies, organizations can unlock the full potential of IoT
data to drive innovation, optimize operations, and improve
decision-making.
× Challenges?
 Real world applications
 Smart agriculture
o Precision farming (Sensors monitor soil moisture, temperature, and
nutrient levels, enabling farmers to optimize irrigation and
fertilization)
o Livestock monitoring (IoT devices track animal health, location, and
behavior, improving herd management and reducing losses)

 Smart cities
o Smart lighting (Intelligent streetlights adjust brightness based on
traffic and pedestrian activity, saving energy.)
o Waste management (Smart bins alert authorities when they're full,
optimizing waste collection routes.)
o Traffic management (Real-time traffic data helps cities manage
congestion and improve traffic flow.)
 Real world applications…
 Healthcare
o Remote patient monitoring (Wearable devices track vital signs, allowing
remote monitoring of patients with chronic conditions.)
o Smart hospitals (IoT-enabled devices optimize resource allocation,
improve patient care, and reduce operational costs.)

 Manufacturing
o Predictive maintenance (Sensors monitor equipment health, predicting
failures before they occur and minimizing downtime.)
o Supply chain optimization (IoT devices track the movement of goods,
improving supply chain visibility and efficiency.)
 Real world applications…
 Logistics and transportation
o Fleet management (IoT devices track vehicle location, fuel consumption,
and maintenance needs, optimizing fleet operations.)
o Smart shipping (IoT sensors monitor temperature and humidity in
shipping containers, ensuring product quality.)

 Retail
o Smart retail (IoT devices track inventory levels, customer behavior, and
environmental conditions, optimizing store operations and enhancing
customer experience.)
 Challenges and considerations
 Some of the major challenges in IoT are listed below
o Data privacy and security ( protecting sensitive data from
unauthorized access is a major challenge )
o Interoperability (Ensuring seamless communication between
devices of different manufacturers is a big issue)
o Scalability (As the number of connected devices grows, managing
and maintaining IoT systems become more difficult)
o Regulatory compliance (Adhering to data privacy regulations and
industry standards is crucial)
o Battery life time and limited computing capacity
End of chapter one