Short history – In the early stages of the internet, web content was created by only a few authors. Since 2002, the interaction of users and websites changed to an “Internet of people” (also known as Web 2.0), where content is created and consumed by various user groups. In the last decade, more and more devices are connected to the internet and continuously contribute data. Every connected thing becomes content provider. Smart things continuously generate data and (many of them) respond to requests. Things have brought the next evolution of the internet: the “Internet of Things” (short form IoT).
But what is IoT? There exists many definitions what IoT is. The following statement is a very good definition of IoT:
The “Internet of Things” describes a vision where objects become part of the internet: where every object is uniquely identified, and accessible to the network, its position and status known, where services and intelligence are added to this expanded internet, fusing the digital and physical world, ultimately impacting on our professional, personal and social environments.
(Source: Louis Coetzee and Johan Ekstee: The internet of things – promise for the future? An introduction)
Why is IoT interesting for you? IoT can start your day smoothly: smart lights simulate sunrise. Your favorite sound raises slowly. After five minutes the speakers provide the latest news of the day. This could be the start of a great morning. Imagine this morning procedure starts at the right time, based on your calendar entries of the day, the weather condition and the favorite transport vehicle you prefer based on the weather.
Not only you, but also your loved one take advantage of IoT. Think about it: The apartment of old age pensioners is a smart home. In case anomalies are detected, such as falling, relatives get a notification and can act accordingly. Or IoT for your loved pets: they should be active such that they live a long live. A fitness tracker lets you know if your dog reaches the daily goals.
More and more things in the world are connected, measurements are captured to provide data to interested parties and also can accept commands that are then executed. This is just the beginning.
IoT in the mountains is the topic of the hackathon of HackTheAlps. Let’s shape the future of our connected world together!