Interconnectivity has been the story of the Internet since it first began decades ago. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), a new and exciting chapter of that story is about to begin.
What Is the IoT?
The basic idea behind the Internet of Things is to expand the interconnectivity of the Internet to everyday items. Think of the checkout counter at a supermarket. All of the things you buy in the store have a barcode on them. This is what allows the cashier to scan them, thus enabling them to instantly read their price and be able to charge you for them.
The IoT will work in essentially the same way. Whatever form that “barcode” takes, the basic idea remains the same – being able to scan physical objects and have them interface with websites and vice versa. QR readers for smartphones can enable our phones to read everyday objects and give us information about them, connecting them and us to the IoT.
Why Does it Matter?
There are many potential advantages to this technology.
Shopping-wise, the IoT could allow you to receive instant information about items you’re considering.
If you are working on an assembly line and a part breaks, scanning it via the IoT can give repair crews more information faster than they might be able to glean via traditional diagnostic measures. This, in turn, can allow them to repair or replace the part far faster.
If you work in the healthcare industry, the IoT can operate on this same “repair or replace” principle, but with medical machinery. In the future, this may even allow doctors to “scan” available organ donor registries to find organs for needy patients.
As the technology is expanded and implemented into cities, it may allow for greater interconnectivity between people and their cities than ever before, allowing citizens to get updates and information every step of the way every day.
The Internet has changed our world to an incredible extent over the past few decades.
Imagine the possibilities presented by this new chapter in Internet, technology, and human history.