Top 10 Applications of IoT (2024)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as a network of devices that feed data into a platform to enable communication and automated control. It connects physical devices to digital interfaces. This article lists the top 10 applications of IoT.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of devices that feeds data into a platform to enable communication and automated control. IoT connects machines to other machines as well as people. It primarily connects the physical to the digital.

This seamless connection between machines, humans, and data means that IoT simplifies, improves, and automates processes. Sensors, coupled with connectivity and artificial intelligence, have the potential to make several systems more efficient. It cuts costs in areas that were historically not possible.

According to the March 2022 update of IoT Analytics’ Global IoT Enterprise Spending Dashboard, the IoT market size is projected to expand at a CAGR of 22% to reach a valuation of $525 billion by 2027.

The reason for such proliferation of IoT solutions is mainly the advancement of technology. Low-cost, low-energy hardware such as sensors and RFID tags are abundant now. Wireless networks and newer cellular networks ensure the high bandwidth required to run an IoT system. Machine learning algorithms have become complex and advanced, rendering quick data analysis. Also, cloud computing allows systems to store, transfer, and analyze data with ease.

Besides technological advancements, current global problems require that all industries look to the Internet of Things for solutions. For example, ‘The Climate Pledge’ is an initiative that international organizations such as Mercedes Benz, Amazon, Microsoft, and Unilever have aligned with. It states an ambitious goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2040. Rising extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods have played a part in leading to this initiative. Companies are investing in IoT-based energy and resource management to make this a reality.

On a bigger scale, governments are waking up to the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Leading automotive companies such as Ford are working on doubling their electric fleets. This increase in electric vehicles has also triggered smart grids and smart city planning investments.

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work, telemedicine, remote education, and the automation of several primarily manual processes.

Cloud vendors such as AWS are increasingly focused on the IoT cloud to keep up with these changes. These clouds enable communication services and industry-specific solutions for organizations building or consuming IoT systems.

As a result of these factors, boundless applications are popping up in the IoT space. Some are still experimental, while others are well-established. All of them are poised to disrupt whichever industry they aim to serve.

The following section reveals the top ten Internet of Things applications worldwide today.

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Some of the most explored applications of the Internet of Things are:

1. Creating better enterprise solutions

Large enterprises have dedicated IT staff to create, maintain, and monitor their technology infrastructure.

• An IoT-backed security solution uses real-time data to provide mitigation tactics and prevent cybersecurity attacks. It can even prepare incident responses and security policies based on network activity.
• Another obvious application of the Internet of Things is decision-making based on customer analytics. Never before have enterprises had so much real-time data to work with.
• Information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) refers to detailed practices for IT asset and service management. These practices focus on aligning IT services with business requirements. Enterprise infrastructure is more complex now than ever–various devices communicate with each other to make the system work. ITIL practices need to be strategically considered while creating the ITIL, with IoT eventually feeding the library itself.

2. Integrating smarter homes

The most visible application of the Internet of Things is a smart home. A smart home uses sensors to control and maintain lighting, resource management, and security systems. A smart home is a smaller, independent version of a smart city.

An example of an IoT-based smart home system is Mark Zuckerberg’s Jarvis. Zuckerberg’s smart home system uses natural language processing for the contextual processing of voice commands. He has internet switches to operate the appliances plugged into them. The system takes care of lighting rooms based on occupancy and even playing personalized music based on who is in the room. His security system uses facial recognition to alert the family of the identity of their visitors.

3. Innovating agriculture

Agriculture, as an industry, could massively benefit from the Internet of Things. The world’s human population is estimated to grow to around 10 billion by 2050. As such, governments are prioritizing the scaling up of agricultural systems. This, combined with climate change, has farmers marrying technology to cultivation.

• Sensors are used to provide details of soil chemistry and fertilizer profiles. CO2 levels, moisture, temperature, level of acidity, and the presence of appropriate nutrients all contribute to how good a harvest turns out to be.
• Smart irrigation is an IoT application to regulate and efficiently use water for farming. The IoT system only initiates the water flow when the soil reaches a certain dryness level. It also stops the supply once a certain level of moisture is reached. This reduces wastage caused by human errors.
• Livestock tracking involves the use of RFID chips to keep track of an animal’s vitals, vaccination details, and location.
• A smart greenhouse uses microclimate to raise crops instead of relying on changing weather patterns. Sensors monitor and control all parameters and have automated systems for light and water.
• Predication farming is the practice of using information collected over time to hone and implement agricultural practices. The data provided by these sensors allow farmers to decide on the ideal growth parameters and suitable fertilizers.

Cainthus, a Dublin-based vision company, uses predictive imaging to monitor livestock. It tracks key data such as food and water intake, behavior patterns, and heat detection. Farmers can use this information to decide milk output, reproduction management, and overall animal health. It even boasts proprietary software to recognize animals based on hide patterns and facial recognition.

4. Building smarter cities

A smart city is an urban city that uses sensors and cellular or wireless technology placed in ubiquitous places such as lamp posts and antennae. There are multiple facets in which one can incorporate IoT into the functioning of a city:

• Traffic management: Sensors on roads and traffic signals send data to the IoT systems. This data, accumulated over time, allows officials to analyze traffic patterns and peak hours. It also helps create solutions for bottlenecks.
  Commuters can use this information to determine which areas are congested and what alternate routes can be used. A version of this already exists in third-party map services such as Google Maps.

• Pollution monitoring: A pressing problem faced by every country in the world is air pollution. With existing sensors, one can easily measure parameters such as temperature, CO2 levels, smoke, and humidity. Smart cities leverage this to gather data about air quality and develop mitigation methods.
• Resource management: The biggest factors in deciding a city’s livability are waste, water, and electricity management.
  With water management, sensors are attached internally or externally to water meters. These sensors provide information to understand consumption patterns. They detect faults in supply and automatically begin the necessary course of action. Trends in water wastage can be used to develop an efficient water recycling system.
  IoT-enabled waste management systems produce a geographical mapping of waste production. These systems trigger the clearance process themselves; for example, by generating alerts when a trash bin is full. They also provide more insights into waste segregation and how people can improve waste processing.
  Electricity management comes in the form of a smart grid, covered in detail in this article.
• Parking solutions: Parking woes, while sounding insignificant, play a big part in traffic management. Smart parking solutions provide drivers with real-time information about empty spaces available.
• Infrastructure management: Public infrastructure such as street lamps, roads, parks, and gas supply lines cost a lot to maintain. Repair work in any of these causes disruptions to everyday functioning. IoT-based maintenance and monitoring systems lookout for signs of wear and tear while analyzing patterns. This proactive approach can save a city a lot of money.
• Disaster management: The Internet of Things can be used to hook up disaster-prone areas to a notification system. A forest fire, for example, can be detected and curbed before it grows beyond control.

In 2017, Spain announced that it was turning its Balearic islands into an IoT lab. Sensors have been deployed on existing TV and radio masts to track air and noise pollution levels. Officials also plan to use IoT for tourism and crowd management.

In Palo Alto, California, a smart parking system has been implemented across parking spots in the city. It guides drivers to the nearest parking spot and has proven to reduce traffic congestion.

5. Upgrading supply chain management

Supply chain management (SCM) is a process that streamlines the flow of goods and services from raw material procurement to the customers. It involved inventory management, fleet management, vendor relationships, and scheduled maintenance.

During the pandemic, many businesses were affected by supply chain issues, especially when it caused a global shutdown in early 2020. As operations switched to being remote, it made sense for organizations to consider integrating IoT into their SCM processes.

• The Internet of Things is used at multiple layers in the SCM process. Shipping companies use trackers to keep an eye on assets. They also analyze shipping routes to figure out the fastest and most fuel-efficient routes. Other parameters such as container temperature and humidity can also be monitored and controlled using IoT.
• The IoT system allows managers to overhaul the supply chain process by enabling smart routing choices. This means that businesses can be confident in supply chain resilience.
• Real-time and remote management of fleets ensures a smooth experience for managers and customers. Any delay or issues with transportation can automatically notify the appropriate personnel.

IoT in fleet management provides end-to-end connectivity between the vehicles and the managers, as well as the vehicles and the drivers. Besides asset management, IoT also takes care of vehicle health, ensuring regulations, such as those for pollution emissions, are followed.

6. Transforming healthcare

The pandemic has accelerated the use of IoT in the healthcare industry. The Internet of Things provides a much more efficient link between patients, doctors, and pharmaceuticals. The traditionally reactive medical cycles can now be proactive.

• Attaching sensors to a patient at home allows doctors to monitor them remotely. Continuous abnormality of parameters immediately alerts the doctor, creating preemptive action. Doctors can use this to monitor at-risk patients such as the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases.
• Besides monitoring, the Internet of Things can also streamline patient medical records and access, making real-time data available across departments.
• Medical research, till today, has always been based on data created in a controlled environment or data generated after the fact. Such real-time data amassed in large quantities can substantially improve research.
• IoT is being used to optimize the manufacturing process at the pharmaceutical end. The direct result of this is lower drug prices. It is also used for intelligent inventory management.
• The Internet of Things was significantly used in many capacities while dealing with the COVID pandemic. Telemedicine and vaccine cold chain monitoring were two of IoT’s implementations.
• Zipline is a medical product delivery company that used drones to deliver medication and instruments to rural healthcare centers, such as those located in Rwanda and Ghana.
• Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) such as Medtronic and Dexcom monitor diabetic patients with the aid of sensors inserted into the skin. These systems provide a bird’s eye view of glycemic patterns in pregnant women with diabetes. These systems’ real-time and continuous data allow doctors to alter medications and recommend changes if necessary.

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7. Installing smart grids

Utility companies are turning to IoT to make energy provision more efficient. Appropriate sensors are installed in energy meters, transmission lines, production plants, and distribution points. This IoT system is called a smart grid.

Smart grids leverage the Internet of Things for many use cases:

• They create alerts in case of failure at any point during power transmission.
• Sensors are used to identify abnormalities in the line.
• They monitor energy consumption and peak usage statistics.
• They gather consumption data at a geographic, organizational, and individual level.
• They identify lossy nodes during transmission.
• They can pinpoint the exact location of inefficiency.

Everyday users can analyze their energy usage and bring about positive changes in their carbon footprints. It also helps cut down costs when energy costs peak, as it did across Europe because of the Ukraine-Russia war.

Energy can be created at traditional power plants and solar and wind power plants. Smart grids allow seamless switching between these different power sources. They ensure that the correct parameters, such as voltage, are maintained while doing so.

As with every other IoT system, smart grids enable predictive maintenance. This cuts down costs considerably.

8. Revolutionizing wearables

Another visible implementation of the Internet of Things is wearable technology. Wearable technology includes smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart eyewear, and even linked fabric.

• The functionality of smartwatches varies from reading text messages and showing notifications to tracking locations and showing reminders. These wearables are helpful for parents tracking their children.
• Wearables play a major role in elderly care. Continuous monitoring and location monitoring, together, keep caregivers in the loop. It doesn’t stop there. Nano-sensors can quantitatively predict the risk of possible medical conditions such as cancer. Early detection and prevention are key applications of wearable technology on the medical front.
• Combined with head-mounted augmented reality (AR) gear, wearables also provide surgeons with patient history, old data, and real-time current data during surgery.
• Wearables are being explored in a factory setting to reduce workplace accidents. The military also uses them for combat.

The most prominent example of wearable IoT technology is the Fitbit. The Fitbit tracks user activity and sleep patterns to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

9. Integrating connected factories

The Internet of Things is all about giving physical devices more digital prominence. What better application for this than on a factory floor?

Industrial IoT (IIoT) is the Internet of Things at a factory level. IIoT is often referred to as the fourth wave of the industrial revolution or Industry 4.0.

• Most factories subscribe to enterprise asset management (EAM) and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) for maintenance management. Combining these with IoT-enabled sensors extends the physical life of machines and ensures availability and reliability.
• Real-time monitoring of devices ensures predictive care and optimal machine health. Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is a maintenance strategy that monitors asset health and performs maintenance only if necessary. IoT enables this and cuts costs.
• IIoT goes beyond supply chain management and maintenance management. Aggregated data assists in the optimization of product development and quality testing. It can improve everything from packaging to management. IIoT can automate many manual maintenance functions, which, in turn, automates mass production.

Volkswagen has decided to turn its main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, into a smart factory. It has enlisted Nokia to create an IoT system centered on a standalone 5G network. It is currently testing smart factory use cases to fine-tune and discover new capabilities.

10. Reshaping hospitality

The hospitality industry has had several upheavals due to the unprecedented pandemic. The cost of staff and upkeep did not keep up with the travel restrictions placed across the world.

• One way to offset costs is to turn to the Internet of Things for automation. Interactions can be kept to a minimum, in line with social distancing norms that seem to come and go. Mobile electronic keys, for example, eliminate the need to personally check into a hotel.
• Using electronic keys keeps hotel management informed of a guest’s location within the hotel. Extra requests can also be directly charged on the fly.
• Room service and housekeeping requests can be made through a mobile phone.
• Smart lighting and appliances make for a good customer experience.

The YOTEL hotel in Singapore boasts of all these IoT systems. They also have adjustable smart beds, adjustable lighting, and smart TVs. The hotel even has robots to perform basic housekeeping tasks.

IoT trends such as self-driving cars have not been included here. While they have been in play for a while, there is a lot more work left to make it a seamless reality. Self-driving cars and countless other applications are those that the world looks forward to in the near future.

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Takeaways

The Internet of Things has already started changing how we work and live, even if it isn’t entirely obvious. There are bigger innovations to come, and industries and governments are gearing up for this.

Acts such as the European Data Act foresee issues with the continuous data flow involved in IoT systems. This particular set of laws would allow users to gain more control of their data, even letting them choose to share data with third parties. The world is playing catch up. It would be prudent for organizations to invest time and research into how the Internet of Things could serve them.

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