Читать книгу Fundamentals of IoT and Wearable Technology Design - Haider Raad - Страница 13

We live in a connected world where billions of computers, tablets, smartphones, buildings, wearable gadgets, medical devices, gaming consoles, and other smart items are constantly acquiring, processing, and delivering information. In the midst of this, the topics of Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable technology have begun to enjoy tremendous popularity thanks to the rapid advancements in digital systems, communication and information technologies, and innovative manufacturing and packaging techniques.

IoT and wearable devices have managed to swiftly gain a notable position in the consumer electronics market and are now making their way to become the new go‐to technologies to address the needs of many industries. For instance, the retail industry has begun to use innovative inventory tracking and theft prevention devices based on IoT. The smart tag system enables self‐checkout and allows business owners to track and manage their inventory in real time. The construction and mining sectors are increasingly investing in the use of wearable devices for hazard and health management by monitoring the environmental quality, detecing of approaching hazards, and assessing the physiological parameters of workers. IoT‐based solutions are already being utilized in agriculture. Such systems are used to evaluate field variables such as soil condition, atmospheric parameters, and biological signals from plants and animals. They are also used to analyze and control variables such as temperature, PH levels, humidity, and vibrations, while being transported. Moreover, wearables are emerging as a solution to make healthcare accessible in remote areas (i.e. telemedicine). A plethora of wearable devices is already being used by medical professionals to aggregate physiological, behavioral, and biochemical data for diagnosing, treating, and managing chronic diseases.

IoT and wearable technology are all about enabling connectivity among humans and objects and unobtrusively delivering information and services to the right person at the right time. Their potential benefits are virtually limitless, and their applications are radically changing the way we live and are opening new opportunities for growth and innovation. This is just the tip of a massive iceberg.

This chapter presents a general overview and characteristics of IoT and wearable technology followed by a historical background; and finally, challenges that face these technologies are discussed.