In a world where home automation is being explored more and more by the day, perhaps you have always dreamed of residing in a fully connected household that offers a level of control and comfort that is quite beyond the imagination. The secret to how this dream home (actually a giant sensor) works? The internet of things!
The internet of things (IoT) is essentially a set of physical objects including sensors, software, and other technological devices to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems.
A rising number of digital devices share data by communicating via the internet, wherever you are in the world. What’s more, these devices can be controlled remotely with ease through a user interface or even a smartphone. Do read this blog to get the lowdown on what IoT is all about.
In today’s blog, I’d like to share some glimpses into the applications of IoT in smart homes and smart cities. Let’s delve in and get started with the role IoT plays in smart homes!
Applications of IoT in smart homes
Little did we realize when ‘Home sweet home’ slowly but surely transitioned into ‘Home smart home’! As the image below shows, IoT has a plethora of interesting applications in homes!
Take a look at these benefits:
Greater comfort
This one is a no-brainer, with the variety of available smart home devices. If you’d like your coffee machine to start warming up after your smart blinders open when you wake up, all you need to do is get the blinders to send a prompt to the coffee machine! What’s more, you can drink coffee in peace without having to head out for groceries as your smart fridge is equipped to decide to place online orders!
Better spending patterns
With consumption insights, it is quite easy for you to highlight the waste points and tweak your usage according to them. Not just that, smart appliances are crafted to optimize your use of resources. Take for instance, smart lighting that automatically turns on and off thanks to presence sensors.
More security
Concerns of leakages or air pollution need not take up unnecessary mind space, since monitoring systems for households can issue warnings with the help of water or gas sensors and send timely notifications to prevent any disasters. You might have also heard of or even used smart locks that come with stunning apps as well as integration with popular virtual assistants.
Eco-friendly impact
We’ve looked at power consumption and waste management systems. Also consider LED lighting and infrastructure solutions like photovoltaic systems. Always been aiming to go green and contribute to cutting down on carbon emissions? This technology makes that goal easily achievable.
That’s not all, suffice it to say the future of IoT is virtually boundless. It offers solutions in multiple facets of life, due to which smart cities can be formed for urban communities to thrive in!
When anyone mentions a ‘smart city’, one of the things that first come to my mind is the creative automation of public administration. That means a huge impact when it comes to public health, transport, traffic management, urban agriculture, waste management and energy management as well.
Applications of IoT in smart cities
Here are some helpful applications of IoT that can help create a green, superbly connected city:
Smart lighting
This is a stellar tool for reliable street lighting! Sensors in this type of lighting can sense when the sun comes up, and they automatically switch off. They can also sense darkness and automatically switch on the lighting.
Smart traffic management
This offers an array of routes to manage unruly traffic. In cases of a road incident, it promptly arranges for aid via real-time updates. Of course, these systems are closely in contact with the traffic police. A smart vehicle system has been crafted for accident prevention and accident location detection. Within this system, the shock sensor, ultrasonic sensor and temperature sensor function as an input along with GPS and GSM for real-time analysis. In case of a mishap, the processing unit takes the necessary action.
Smart parking
Recall the last time you spent what seemed like long minutes trying to find a vacant spot in a parking area. Smart parking can let you do that faster and notify you in case you need to drive out of anyone’s path!
Smart water management
There is a wealth of real-time data about water systems and water bodies. IoT can make this wealth available to you. As a result, water resources can be managed smoothly with minimal wastage.
Smart waste management
Sensors to the rescue again! These can identify full garbage bins and inform the public authorities accordingly. What’s more, when relevant data is collected and stored, the cost of operations can go down.
These are a few of the ways in which IoT is likely to play a compelling role in enhancing city life. All in all, considering their myriad advantages, smart homes and smart cities are gifts of the futuristic technology of IoT.
Write to us at Nitor Infotech with your thoughts about this blog or if you would like to learn about our IoT engineering offerings. Download this datasheet to read about the organized approach our team takes to understand your business needs and the fast ramp-up we offer to discover your loT needs and solutions.