5 Applications of IoT Explained

Applications of IoT are; virtual commerce, energy management, smart home security, medical data collection, and environmental monitoring.

This article discusses the applications of IoT, as follows;

1). Virtual Commerce (as one of the Applications of IoT)

Commerce involving the use of IoT may be referred to as virtual commerce, IoT commerce, or e-commerce.

IoT commerce is the sale and purchase of goods and services with the aid of interconnected smart devices that help link vendors and buyers effectively [3].

The use of IoT in commerce is multidimensional. It has the advantage of providing personalized services based on user data, and can be used for all major types of commerce including consumer-to-consumer (C2C), business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and consumer-to-business (C2B).

IoT can help in commerce by providing real-time data to both producers and consumers on new market opportunities. This may be in the form of personalized updates, advertisements, market analyses, and newly-introduced products or services.

2). Energy Management

IoT in energy management is the use of digital applications and real-time data to optimize the use of energy resources and the operations of energy-dependent systems and processes.

Examples of the energy-dependent systems and processes referred to above are; electricity generation, power plants, generators, distributed energy resources management systems (DERMS), energy storage systems, and smart grid networks.

IoT is used in energy consumption monitoring and regulation, which can help increase the energy efficiency of all entities where it is applied.

In the area of regulation, IoT can enable smart devices like thermostats to collect and share data that is used for planning and automation of energy usage in smart homes and other sustainable buildings. This can lead to effective and significant energy conservation, with lower economic, social and environmental impacts.

IoT applications for smart energy systems are; data collection, analysis, sharing, and utilization in forecasting, planning and regulation.

3). Smart Home Security (as one of the Applications of IoT)

IoT can be used for security operations in various contexts or systems including homes, corporate buildings, public infrastructure, and virtual databases.

Here, the role of IoT is based on automation of security checks, and the operation of neural networks.

IoT is used in home security by interlinking digital devices that collaboratively manage firewalls and other security tools using stored and collected data.

In smart homes, IoT security systems are relatively inexpensive and work by data authentication, whereby access is granted when data provided at the entry point matches with valid data in the system [2].

Because they are internet-based and automated, IoT systems constitute an efficient, low-cost and low-complexity option for security applications [7].

4). Medical Data Collection

IoT is used in the medical field for real-time collection of data, control of devices, and automation of processes.

Medical IoT, or internet of medical things (IoMT), is any technological system comprising of smart devices that share medical data and control medical operations.

IoT devices used on hospitals include smart nebulizer, wheelchair, thermometer, defibrillator, nuclear imaging devices, and fitness trackers.

These devices can be wirelessly connected to each other and used for health monitoring, diagnosis, regulation and automation of health procedures [6].

An example of IoT in healthcare is internet-enabled smart health monitoring and diagnosis, where fitness trackers and smartphones work together to deliver real-time health data to a physician [5].

5). Environmental Monitoring (as one of the Applications of IoT)

IoT environmental monitoring is the use of wireless sensors and other smart devices to monitor and measure changes in the environment over time [4].

The use of IoT for environment monitoring is very helpful to address issues affecting the ecosystem, public health and safety.

Areas where IoT is used to manage the environment include assessment, remediation, project-planning, and maintenance.

With wireless sensor networks (WSNs), IoT can help with waste management, environmental impact monitoring, and prevention of pollution, greenhouse emission, and climate change [8].

Conclusion

Applications of IoT are;

1. Virtual Commerce

2. Energy Management

3. Smart Home Security

4. Medical Data Collection

5. Environmental Monitoring

References

1). Ahmad, T.; Zhang, D. (2016). "Using the Internet of Things in Smart Energy Systems and Networks." Sustainable Cities and Society. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102783. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

2). Anitha, A. (2017). "Home security system using internet of things." IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Volume 263, Issue 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/263/4/042026. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

3). Bayer, S.; Gimpel, H.; Rau, D. (2020). "IoT-commerce - Opportunities for customers through an affordance lens." Electronic Markets. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00405-8. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

4). Hassan, M. N.; Semantha, F. H.; Islam, M. R.; Siddique, A. H.; Faisal, F.; Hasan, M. (2020). "An IoT Based Environment Monitoring System." Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICISS49785.2020.9316050. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

5). Javaid, M.; Khan, I. H. (2022). "Internet of Things (IoT) enabled healthcare helps to take the challenges of COVID-19 Pandemic." J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2021 Apr-Jun;11(2):209-214. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobcr.2021.01.015. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

6). Pradhan, B.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Pal, K. (2021). "IoT-Based Applications in Healthcare Devices." J Healthc Eng. 2021 Mar 18;2021:6632599. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6632599. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

7). Sisavath, C.; Yu, L. (2021). "Design and implementation of security system for smart home based on IOT technology." Procedia Computer Science, Volume 183, 2021, Pages 4-13. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2021.02.023. (Accessed 19 January 2023).

8). Ullo, S. L.; Sinha, G. R. (2020). "Advances in Smart Environment Monitoring Systems Using IoT and Sensors." Sensors (Basel). 2020 May 31;20(11):3113. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/s20113113. (Accessed 19 January 2023).