The Internet of Things (or IoT, as it is commonly abbreviated) stormed onto the public stage a few years ago. Some people wondered why they would want to talk to their refrigerators. Others worried about toys spying on their children. Meanwhile companies began seeking ways to connect appliances and security systems with smartphones and apps… and everything else! The discussion continues in a variety of fields, certainly in manufacturing, electronics, and even retail.
Technology moves fast. So how has the IoT evolved already, and where is it headed?
Origins of the Internet of Things
In 2002, Chana R. Schoenberger wrote a column for Forbes, called “The Internet of Things.” In this piece, she focused on the sensors and RFID chips that worked together to make inventory control simpler for retail. The article discussed work at the Auto ID Center at MIT and quoted Kevin Ashton, the head of the center, saying, “We need an internet for things, a standardized way for computers to understand the real world." Ashton is credited with coining the term Internet of Things back in 1999.
By 2013, the IoT had emerged on the mainstream stage. It began primarily with wearable fitness trackers and “smart” home thermostats. But it took a firmer hold on the public consciousness during the 2014 holiday season. Smart home devices and televisions took the market by storm.
Now, thermostats can be adjusted from a smartphone. A car can tell you what needs to be fixed, for example. Your refrigerator can place an order with Amazon. By 2017, according to Consumer Reports, spending on internet-enabled products reached $51 billion.
Costs May Be Holding Things Back
In 2016, predictions abounded about how everything we own will soon be connected. Soon our toaster and our ice maker would gossip about us behind our backs.
A 2017 piece from NBC News explains why, although the Internet of Things has made progress, it’s not further along. “Today’s radio technologies cost at least $4, making them too expensive for embedding into objects at scale,” says Dr. Joshua Smith, a professor of computer science at Seattle’s University of Washington campus.
Perhaps as the IoT moves into other sectors, innovations will lower prices and deployment of these technologies will continue to expand.
Privacy concerns have also fueled something of a backlash. In 2015 a doll made major news, as reported here by CBS, for “spying on” kids. Now with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress and new concerns about smartphones listening in on private conversations, privacy is on consumers’ minds.
Predictions for the Future
We’ve come a long way, but some of the same concerns from 2016 and further back still seem to hold true in 2018.
For example, NetworkWorld predicts that there will be stronger focus on security around the IoT, just as the World Economic Forum predicted in 2016.
The WEF also predicted that people would develop a more concise way of talking about the IoT, as well as that there would be more new cars connected than not. This prediction seems to be true, just taking a glance at the features of new cars on the market.
Both Network World and IBM have made predictions this year about artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, particularly how the two will work together and what that will bring. According to Bret Watson, vice president of IBM's Watson IoT Consumer Business, people will start to think of artificial intelligence as the brain that runs IoT systems. He also thinks AI will help devices on the IoT understand and work with each other better.
Ellie Martin published a piece on IOTevolution, and she suggests that the IoT technology will expand into other markets – that the IoT won’t remain in the technology sector. “As of right now, it is primarily seen in the technology industry and drives a lot of AI development. What we will see this year is the expansion from personal devices to public communication. This means, in simple terms, that our personal devices will be able to communicate with entities or public devices,” she wrote.
IoT at Work
The IoT will continue to grow beyond novelties for the home. Many industries are embracing its potential for enabling more efficient work. Facilities managers use it to map building use. They can track where and when people use a space, then adjust lighting, heat, and air conditioning accordingly. They can also run security systems through the internet.
On a more personal scale, employees might use enabled desks to encourage them to stand or move around at regular intervals. They can keep tabs on office supplies. At some point, various forms of artificial intelligence may even help them complete their work.
Expect to see smarter, more efficient offices as the public scales up their use of the IoT and works out security concerns. Although chatter about the Internet of Things is in a bit of a lull, the concept is alive and well. The public will continue to see its effects, although they may not hear the discussion as much this year.