Internet of things and sun spot - Essay Example

?Introduction There are many ways in which the Internet of Things can be used, and these factors are often interrelated. All of these factors rely onhaving a large number of sensors that record a substantial amount of information that is transmitted to a place where this information can be used. Tracking behaviour: Sensors in a wide range of devices can be used to determine the location of people and their behaviour. Examples of this include presence-based advertising which is present in Japan, where the advertisement that is being played changes depending on who is watching it and their buying behaviour. Internet advertising uses a similar premise, with Google using tailored advertising based on your search history (although this ‘feature’ can be turned off). Situational awareness: This allows people or systems to be more aware of the environment around them. An example of this is sensors used to determine the weather outside, including the temperature and wind chill, or movement, vibration and audio sensors to determine whether there is someone in the room. Analysis of situations driven by sensors: The information that is gathered from sensors can also be used in long-term planning. This often involves the information being shown graphically and can help businesses to decide what route would be more profitable or what is most beneficial. It can be argued that there are two main functions of the internet of things. The first is to incorporate sensors into a wide range of items, creating an interconnected network that will ultimately span all types of different things. For example, in the future, this could involve every item, whether it is a piece of electronic equipment or an article of clothing, having an electronic tag. Additionally, there would be sensors for a wide range of environmental variables, such as those on weather balloons that record the way in that factors such as temperature and wind change. The second objective can only be achieved after the first has been successful to some degree. This is the development of intelligent systems based on these inputs. Thus, the more sensors and identifiers there are, the more information is available, and the more efficient the system is. Within a structure, whether it is a house or a business there are a large number of different systems that could potentially interact with each other, but do not. For example, most buildings have a lighting system, a heating system and internal devices such as microwaves, televisions and computers. Linking some of these systems to each other would have many benefits including the increase of energy efficiency. There are many different examples of the ways in which systems could interact with one another in order to provide a more energy efficient environment. One example of this would be linking the heating system to internal and external environmental sensors so that the base heating level of the structure is able to be adjusted according to the temperature outside. This would mean that the house would be cooled on hot days, and warmed on cooler days. The result of this would be that the structure would be kept at a relatively constant temperature regardless of other factors. The concept of an intelligent home is one of the end products of such a system. Currently, the level of technology would this a very expensive proceeding, but nevertheless this has been demonstrated on a small scale. An intelligent home is one where the owner can control all activities from a single point, such as turning on or off lights using a remote control, or adjusting the house wide temperature. However, the most important factor of a intelligent home is that it can make use of the knowledge that it receives from a wide range of sources to do many mundane activities that are part of general housekeeping. For example, this could include turning lights off when no-one is in the room, adjusting ambient temperature to the occupants preference, having coffee ready for when the person wakes up, and setting the alarm clock based on their schedule. One suggestion is that in time, it would be possible to develop technology to the level that power sockets and anything that connected to them could be controlled from the master control for the house. It is currently possible to do this for devices connected directly to wall sockets, but not for anything using extension cords. There are numerous benefits to such a system, but the most important are the increase in energy efficiency that can occur as well as the ease which it gives, decreasing the amount of mundane activities that people are engaged in. It has been suggested that the use of the Internet of Things could be used not just to create an efficient system within a building, but also to create one within a whole city or country, where information is transmitted automatically across many different devices, such as power grids, computers and cell phones. This could include factors such as movement sensitive lights as well as factors related to a wide range of different industries including healthcare and retail. There are many different uses for the Internet of Things and the way that it is developed in the future, as well as the presence or absence of legislation will determine what shape this will take. It is already clear that whatever happens, the use of sensors and the Internet of Things will continue to increase, as people become more interested in efficiency and control over their lives. Potential Problems One problem that could arise from using the Internet of Things in this way is that humans have a tendency to use devices in the same way most of the time, but not always. For example, it would be a relatively simple task to link the lighting of a room to the use of television (at night time and during the evening), to prevent excess energy use occurring from people leaving the room and forgetting to turn the television off. In this case, turning the light off would automatically result in the television being turned off. However, it is easy to see that this would not be practical in all cases, as people will often watch television while trying to sleep, or people will watch movies in the dark to simulate the feel of a movie theatre. In these examples, linking the lighting system to the television would be counterproductive, and would produce much frustration. Consequently, when examining possible ways of linking systems together, it is important to consider a wide range of situations, not just those that are most common. Additionally, it may be worth considering whether there is the need for an ‘off’ button, which gives users the ability to disconnect these systems from one another. Legal and Privacy Issues Many aspects of the Internet of Things involve an increase in the amount of information that is being accessed and stored. While much of this information is not directly related to people or their activities, a significant portion of it is. For example, targeted advertisement involves companies being aware of the individual consumer and what their purchasing or viewing history is. For some people, this level of information is disconcerting, and many consider that businesses do not have the right to know that much about one person. The Internet of Things works to combine information from many different sources into a single location, for a specific purpose. Because of this, it will often access a wide range of information, all of which is publically available. This gives the Internet of Things the ability to build relatively complete portraits of people, their habits and history which would make many people uncomfortable. There is currently little in the way of law or policy to prevent this from occurring, as most or all of the information gathered in this way is from the public domain and as such is not considered personal information. However, as this area continues to develop, it may become necessary to place safeguards on people’s information to prevent them from being taken advantage of. Another issue is that of control. The development of smart systems means that there is the risk of someone external getting access to the control of the system and manipulating it. At a simple level, this could involve someone hacking into your system and changing the temperature settings for the whole house. Although any such system would have a large number of safeguards, hacking does occur and it is likely that a select number of people would develop ways of getting past security. Consequently, ensuring that the owner of the house or business has complete control is an important factor as is having sufficient security to minimise the risk of hacking. Need for Adequate Technology One of the most essential components of the Internet of Things is the technology involved. Technology is what gives such systems strength and it is also what defines their limitations. Consider the current availability of chipsets. There are still limitations concerning the speed that data can be transferred at, the level of data that can be stored as well as the complexity of programs that can be used. Technology is continuing to develop, and over time, systems continue to improve, offering more functionality and more features. By the time that we are ready to fully take advantage of the Internet of Things it is likely that our technology will have developed to a point where communication between devices is easier, storage is increased and programs can be more complex. For example, to obtain adequate environmental data for a study it may be necessary to gather continuous information from a wide number of sensors for a significant amount of time. This involves significant processing power and programming which may be difficult for some of today’s technology. Importance of Energy Efficiency Throughout the global growth of humans, one factor that has continually suffered is the environment. In recent times, this has become a widely recognised fact, and governments, businesses and individuals work in different ways to try to decrease the effect that we are having on our environment. Many of these approaches focus on ways of producing power that is less harmful, such as the use of biofuels, hybrid or electric cars or clean power. This is because our current method of energy production comes at a substantial cost to the environment as many harmful chemicals are released into the atmosphere. However, instead of looking at how to create energy in a better way, an alternative approach is to use the energy that we have available to us in a better way, so that less is needed. This makes the energy that we have last longer, and reduces the need for environmentally damaging means of producing power. There is another equally important benefit of energy efficiency. Many businesses do not choose environmentally friendly routes because of the cost involved. There may be some initial outlay involved in making a business more energy efficient, regardless of what means is used, such as changing to a more efficient type of light bulb or moving to a smart system. However, the savings that are made by using a more efficient system generally balance this initial cost out. Over time, using an energy efficient system can substantially decrease the cost of running a business. Smart Devices and Smart Systems A standard device in a house would be something such as a light, a television or a heater. These are systems that are fully independent of one another and the environment that surrounds them. They are controlled individually by someone turning on the power, or switching on a button, and turned off in the same manner. This type of system is very inefficient energy-wise, as it generally involves a conscious decision on the part of a person, and requires them to remember. Some places have attempted to mitigate this by the use of reminder stickers, which tell people to turn the light off when they leave the room. However, this is far from efficient, as it still relies on people remembering to turn the lights off, and caring enough to do so. In contrast, a smart device is one that is ‘aware’ of when it is being used and when it is not, and is programmed to change depending on whether it is being used. For example, a smart light is one that is attached another device, such as one that detects movement. The result of this is that if there is no movement in the room for a certain period, such as five minutes, the light will automatically turn itself off, resulting in a substantial decrease in energy usage over time. This can often be seen in hotel rooms, where the light will turn itself off after five or so minutes of inactivity, and a wave of the hand will turn it back on. Many businesses and institutions may use of smart lights in their bathrooms, where multiple lights are tied into one sensor near the door. Bathrooms are a very efficient place for such lighting to be used, as people frequently forget to turn the light off when they leave, and it may be hours before someone else uses the bathroom. A smart system is a combination of multiple devices and types of devices that are linked to one another and intercommunicate. Generally, a form of software is used to control the entire network. Despite the significant benefits that such a system offers, it is still in its early stages with less than one percent businesses making use of smart systems. Although the most common type of smart system is lighting, this is not the only type of system available, and many others have been envisioned. For example, one type of system is a building-wide temperature regulation system, which links a range of different heating and cooling devices together with sensor control. The result of which is a building that is kept at an optimal temperature, while using the minimum amount of energy to do so. Smart Grid As technology continues to increase, the amount of devices that interact with one another continues to increase. One example of this is a smart grid, which is a controller that links the inputs of multiple devices, allowing the user to control them remotely. Some systems or devices that can be on the grid include smart appliances that operate using a WiFi signal, global positioning system (GPS) system in cars, cell phones, computers and WiFi devices such as iPads and iPods. Some cell phone companies are attempting to take advantage of this by creating their own smart grids that link different products to one another. Smart Lighting Systems One such system is Enlightened Inc. This is a company that uses lighting control technology to manage the lighting that is used in an office. They estimate that the use of their system can decrease the lighting that is needed in a commercial building by up to 75 percent . For businesses, there is a significant benefit in investing in such a system. Not only does it help a company to be less harmful to the environment, but also significantly reduces their energy output. This will result in lower power bills over time and eventually the cost of installing such as system will be balanced out by the amount that is saved by using it. This is the most common type of smart system and is based on the idea that movement indicates that someone is in the room, and lack of movement means that someone is not. Of course, such systems need to be sensitive, as it is easy to imagine the lights going out because someone barely moves when they work, or spends a little time standing or sitting still and thinking. This would not be such an issue in the daytime, but during the evenings or the night, this could be irritating. Sensors and Devices One of the key aspects of the Internet of Things is the inclusion of small devices and sensors that are contained within physical objects. The information that is gathered from these devices is then used to inform the system, and this forms the basis of its decision-making. This can already be seen in systems that are currently present. For example, advanced farm equipment makes use of ground sensors that relay information about crop condition. This information can then be used to adjust the way that a particular part of the field is farmed, such as by supplying more or less water based on the soil moisture content. We are only beginning to imagine the type of sensors that will be available, and it is likely that as our technical expertise grows, we will be able to track more information at greater accuracy. It has been suggested that new electronics be embedded with a networking module, which will allow devices to connect to a network and to the internet. This would enable external control and monitoring of the devices. There are already sensors incorporated into a wide range of products. For example, Ford uses a system called Tool Link, which incorporates sensors into the vehicle, so that when the user presses a button on the dash it shows all tools that are on the vehicle. For the Information of Things to be effective there needs to a large number of sensors. The more there are, the more reliable and accurate the system will be. However, sensors can be expensive if there are a large number, and the information is not useful unless there is some way to interpret and examine it. This can occur through a smart system, or through graphical software which will displace the information in forms that are easy to understand. From the business perspective there needs to be an overall gain to make investing in this technology worthwhile. For example, if using an identifier in a card bypasses the need for a staff member, then the costs are offset by the benefits. Furthermore, if the same chips can be used to gather multiple types of information, then the costs are further offset. An example of this is a club card that contains an identification chip, you swipe the card each time you enter the facility and also every time you buy something. Thus, the business does not need to hire someone to check passes to see who can enter, this is done automatically. Additionally, the company has a record of the purchases that you make and can use this for targeted advertising. Java Sun SPOT Developed by Sun Microsystems the Sun Small Programmable Object Technology (Sun SPOT) is a system that is built around the idea of the Internet of Things. The project was originally created to assist in the development of new devices and applications that can interact with one another, with the environment and with the users. As such, it was an internal project, with the developers seeking easier and more efficient ways to work with powerful sensors. However, after working on the system for a while the developers decided to sell it publically, as there is much more potential in the system than they could take advantage of. The system is both hardware and software based. The devices themselves are strong sensors, able to detect a range of different changes in the environment. The Sun SPOT device uses Java scripting, the same type that is used in more than a billion cell phones around the world. They use WiFi communication, and are encrypted. Java is used to program the devices and users have the ability to write the complete code from start to finish . The potential for these devices is substantial. They are designed for a wide range of uses and skill groups. Java is not a difficult programming language to learn at the basic level, but at the same time, has many complexities, allowing users to develop a limitless range of functionalities for the device. The sensor responds and reacts to different environmental changes depending on the coding. The user is able to program the device so that this reaction can make another system do something else. For example, a simple application would be to place it in a baby’s room and have it activate a monitor when the noise that they baby makes exceeds a certain level. Alternatively, the device could be programmed to stream data from a range of different variables to a computer where the information is stored. This is particularly useful for scientific study where one wants to see how something behaves over time, or in an environment that is not easily accessible. Sun SPOT devices are increasingly being used in the educational environment, to teach students about coding and the wide range of devices and interactions that can be formed. There are many places online which contain repositories of source code information for people who are looking at using the Sun SPOT system, but do not know all the coding that is involved. Additionally, this information is useful for people looking for inspiration or for someone looking for a particular way to code something. There is a large range of information present on how to use the device and the associated coding as well as tutorials for all of the main components. The versatility inherent in this system is amazing and it has the potential not only to interact with systems that are already present, but those that have yet to be developed. While it is not suitable for the development of a large-scale smart system, it can be used for the development of models or prototypes for such systems. For example, the coding could be tested within a few rooms of a house, tweaked and developed from this. The device continues to be developed, with releases such as more detailed sensors, longer battery life and changes to the software. Developments in the software allow for an increasing range of functions and support for different operating systems. As technology continues to develop it is likely that the use of Sun SPOT technology will only increase. It serves as the perfect vehicle for testing new ideas and for the development of small-scale systems. In terms of education, the system is a good introduction into the Internet of Things, as users have to consider the way in which different systems and devices interact with each other and with the physical world around them. Building a remote light control One interesting project that can be made using the Internet of Things is the building of a remote light control. Remote light switches are a common device to build for students who are learning about electronics and programming, as it provides a perfect introduction into the associated concepts, and is not too complex to learn. There are a number of different variations to this theme. For example, it is possible to build a system that gives you remote access to the lights of a certain part of the house from some distance away, such as being able to turn off the garage lights from inside the house. Another example is to link all the lights in a bedroom to a remote control which a child can carry to bed with them. The development of additional functions is also possible, such as turning off the main lights from the remote control, while a different button turns on a night light. The Sun SPOT devices can be operated remotely, and are easy to interface with a wide range of different devices, including lights. This makes the design of a system like the one explained here feasible to accomplish, and a project that can be worked on by beginners, or developed and extended much further by those who understand more about the system. For example, it would be possible to make most or all of the systems in the room respond to the remote control, such as television, lights, computer and clock. Furthermore, using the sensor functions of the Sun SPOT and a substantial amount of coding work it may be possible to develop a ‘smart room’ with many interlinked systems, relying on the information that they give. This is only one of the functions of the Sun SPOT, and the real advantage of the system is that it has endless combinations and is continually open to development and to new ideas and technology. It opens the way into understanding the Internet of Things, and it is likely that systems such as this on both a small- and large- scale will become the way of the future. Conclusion In the Internet of Things we are seeing the beginnings of a revolution. The way that people look at information and systems is beginning to change, and this change is likely to grow as technology catches up with our visions. While building-wide systems remain relatively uncommon, and other systems are also early in development with few practical examples, there is substantial growth in the way that devices interact with one another. The potential inherent in the Internet of Things is substantial and the uses are limitless. As technology grows, more devices and sensors are becoming available and we are beginning to find ways to link these together and to create systems that take advantage of this substantial amount of information. Energy efficiency is one factor that can be dramatically improved through the use of such systems. Lighting systems may reduce the amount of energy spent on electricity by up to 75%, significantly reducing the cost for businesses that incorporate these systems. Already, the Sun SPOT device allows users to create small systems of their own and prototypes for larger, more involved systems or devices. The possibilities here are limitless, as the Java based coding is written from the ground up by the user and can be linked to a wide range of environmental cues and other devices. References Read More