How the IoT Is Changing Our Future
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It's snowing heavily this morning.
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Brett was just awakened by the sound of music from his smart clock.
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It went off at six o'clock―half an hour earlier than yesterday.
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Every morning his smart clock receives traffic information and adjusts his wake-up time depending on the road conditions.
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Currently it is playing a cheerful song, which was chosen to match his tastes and help him forget yesterday's bad mood.
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Feeling refreshed, Brett stands up and walks to his closet.
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The doors open and a light shines down on the suit that best fits his important meeting today.
When he walks into the living room, his TV turns on automatically and switches to a traffic report.
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Then his kitchen lights change colors to indicate that his coffee machine has finished brewing fresh coffee for him.
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This situation could soon become reality, thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT).
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The IoT is a network of objects that exchange and act upon data collected by sensors and software they have.
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In this system, everyday objects―not only traditional electronic devices but also things like food packaging and clothing―can interact with one another.
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Right now many things are connected to the Internet, but they have to be manipulated by humans in order for information to be exchanged.
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With the IoT, however, things connected to the Internet will be communicating with one another without human intervention.
This system will boost efficiency by saving us time, money, and effort.
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Some reports expect the number of connected devices to reach 1 trillion in 2025.
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However, we don't have to wait until then to see the effect of the IoT on our lives.
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Smart Home
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Smart homes are houses equipped with devices that operate automatically or can be controlled remotely.
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These devices make life more convenient.
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For those who want to wake up without noisy music, installing smart blinds might be the answer.
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These blinds slowly open in the morning to let the sun naturally wake you up.
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In addition, they can regulate your home's temperature by controlling the amount of sunlight allowed in.
Another helpful smart device is the smart refrigerator.
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Gone are the days when you ran out of milk or eggs.
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This refrigerator will keep track of all the items it contains and text you to get what you need the next time you go shopping.
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It will also remember the expiration dates of all the items inside it, so you won't have to worry about having spoiled food.
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The IoT and smart-home sensors can also protect your home from damage.
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For example, placing moisture-detection sensors around things that might leak water, such as sinks, boilers and drains, will save you a lot of future trouble.
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If the sensors detect any leaks, they will quickly notify you so that you can stop the leaks and prevent them from becoming bigger problems.
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Furthermore, with a smart security system, you can enjoy a new sense of certainty and control from anywhere at any time.
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Not only can this security system alert you and the police of a break-in, but it can also allow you to use your phone to monitor your home remotely.
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Smart Healthcare
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Are you wearing a fitness tracker or a smartwatch right now?
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Then you're already participating in smart healthcare.
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These IoT wearable devices track and analyze your vital signs, such as your heart rate and body temperature, to help you reach your fitness goals or keep healthy.
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For instance, if your wearable device notices a change in your body temperature, it can warn you that you will soon be coming down with a cold.
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Along with fitness lovers, people suffering from diseases can also benefit from IoT wearable device.
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For example, a continuous *glucose monitor (CGM) is a small wearable device for diabetic patients.
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To use it, patients must insert a disposable sensor under their skin.
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Throughout the day, the sensor tracks the patients' blood sugar levels and transmits that data to their smartphones.
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This allows patients to adjust their lives around their diabetes.
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When this data is paired with the appropriate software, doctors can also use it to advise their patients accordingly.
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If our homes and devices are smart, why not our cities too?
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Barcelona is a great example of a city working toward that goal.
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In order to improve the efficiency of the city's street lamps through IoT technology, a strategy called the Barcelona Lighting Master Plan has been implemented.
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Merely two years after the plan was first launched, over 1,100 lamps have been transformed into smart lamps equipped with LED lights.
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These lamps stay bright when people walk by but darken when no one is nearby.
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Moreover, they also serve as free Wi-Fi hotspots and monitor the city's air quality by using sensors.
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These improvements have enhanced the efficiency of the city and resulted in an approximately 30% reduction in energy usage as well.
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are.
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Once a sensor detects that a bin is full, it automatically requests a garbage truck.
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Because of this system, the number of trips garbage trucks make has been greatly reduced.
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Not only do these cities save a lot of money on operational costs, but they also have less traffic and pollution.
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As we speak, conversations about the impact of the IoT are taking place all over the world.
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Without a doubt, advancements in the IoT will make life much easier.
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However, we should be careful not to get overly optimistic.
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There are also some negative aspects that we should consider, such as potential issues with privacy and security.
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If we brush these issues aside, it is easy for our trust in IoT devices to be abused.
Therefore, it is important to understand the opportunities and challenges we will face as we build more and more things to be a part of the IoT.
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After all, we, not our devices, should be the ones shaping our future.