By the end of 2023, reports estimate the world will have over 16.7 billion connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This means there will be a tremendous amount of potentially vulnerable targets if they are not properly protected. As the world continues to implement more networks, the importance of IoT security will grow in order to maintain confidence in such devices and systems.
What is IoT Security?
The Internet of Things (IoT) can be defined as the network of software-embedded objects that connect and exchange data with themselves and other devices. IoT security focuses on safeguarding connected devices and networks in the Internet of Things. In other words, this technology segment can be understood as a cyber security strategy.
The Importance of IoT Security
Because troves of valuable and private data flow through IoT devices, they are extremely at risk for cyber attacks. Every device added to a network expands its digital attack surface, which is the number of weak points where an unauthorized user can access the system. This constant exposure to potential data theft and other invasions makes the need for IoT security solutions even more crucial.
While efficient, the interconnectedness of IoT devices unfortunately adds to the threat. Through just one compromised device, a hacker can gain access to the whole system. In a corporate environment where IoT devices are deployed on the network, they have access to the company’s sensitive data and critical systems. Cyber criminals commonly target unprotected printers, smart lighting, and other office devices to gain access to the network and its data.
With IoT, the use of sensors and smart devices to collect data for smart automation specifically benefits the fields of civil engineering, urban planning, and smart cities. Understanding the impacts of the data collected can help with the safe distribution of energy, assist in new structural designs and upgrades, and support the secure interconnection of IoT within smart cities.
Who Is Responsible?
Global legislation defines who is accountable for IoT Security. In the United States, the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act requires government agencies to review their IoT-related risks. Agencies must also adopt best practices for security. IoT device companies are legally responsible for ensuring their products are as secure as possible. Manufacturers are at fault for compromises and vulnerabilities. Given that a company’s product developers are at the front end of these discussions, IoT security is an important skill to master.
Any technical professional, from network security engineers to project managers, can benefit from learning about the valuable craft of IoT security.
Is Your IoT Network Secure?
Ensure the reliability of your company’s IoT network! IEEE Educational Activities, in partnership with IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, developed the course program All About IoT Security to provide insight for defending IoT networks from threats. Comprised of six courses, this online training covers the challenges and opportunities around IoT security, botnet detection, and malware forensics. The program also goes more in depth, looking at business case studies, blockchain applications, and directing network traffic.
Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today to learn how to get access to this program for your organization.
Interested in access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN).
Resources:
What Is An Attack Surface? Fortinet.
What Is IoT Security? Check Point.
H.R.1668 – IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020. Congress.gov.
Sinha, Satyajit. (24 May 2023). State of IoT 2023: Number of connected IoT devices growing 16% to 16.7 billion globally. IoT Analytics.
By 2025, there will be over 23 billion connections on the Internet of Things (IoT) compared to 15.1 billion in 2021, according to a recent report from GSMA, an industry organization that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide.
The Internet of Things is a network of interlinked devices that harness the internet to continuously capture and process data and analytics from physical objects. As IoT adoption increases and it becomes more integrated, global supply chains are expected to reap major benefits. For example, IoT devices create multiple interaction points along supply chains that provide advanced data collection, factory automation, GPS shipment tracking, and enhanced communication between machines and people.
According to Dipti Parmar, writing in CIO, there are two major ways that IoT – combined with artificial intelligence, wireless sensor networks, 5G, and big data – will make supply chains smarter, faster, and more efficient:
Eliminates dependency on complicated infrastructure:
Traditional tracking systems for supply chain analytics are expensive, time consuming, overly complex, and often lead to dependency on vendors. IoT-based data loggers, which can be attached to shipments and send data to cloud-based servers, can solve these issues. Once attached to shipments, these loggers can monitor thousands of goods traveling across the supply chain. This level of detail gives everyone involved valuable insight into any problems —such as temperature changes or container tilting — that could be affecting the shipments in real time. The loggers are also more affordable than traditional hardware used to track shipments, and can provide enhanced analytics for enhanced decision making.
Provides equal access to data:
In an IoT-enhanced supply chain, data is accessible in real time to everyone involved in the shipment of goods. With improved monitoring and visibility, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and retailers can:
- make better and faster decisions
- save time and money
- improve forecasting
- reduce waste
- take more calculated risks
- increase revenue
IoT Depends on Advanced Cloud Technology
While the Internet of Things has the power to transform supply chains, its success will depend heavily on cloud computing technology. This is because IoT devices must be able to connect and send information to the cloud in a centralized location, which allows devices to communicate with one another. As such, organizations that want to adapt the benefits of IoT also need to embrace advanced cloud technology.
“The cloud helps in this operation by streamlining and optimizing machine-to-machine communications and facilitating this across interfaces,” writes Ritesh Sutaria, Director of Prompt Softech, a custom forward development company, in IoT for All. “With the increased interactions between many connected devices and immense volumes of data generated, organizations will have to find a cost-effective way to store, process, and access data from their IoT solutions.”
Ongoing Disruptions Will Drive IoT Adoption
Despite its many benefits, industries have been hesitant to adopt IoT. However, ongoing challenges in the supply system, such as disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, will likely encourage more organizations to start adopting the technology in coming years.
“Speed and reliability have always been and will continue to be the driving factors of the supply chain for the foreseeable future,” writes Parmar. “The next few months will be critical for companies that bank on data to improve their supply chains. They have a never-before opportunity to build on the momentum and insights gained as a result of COVID-related disruptions by adopting newer technology and systems. The ones that fail to adapt to changing realities will likely be left behind by more agile competitors.”
As organizations adopt IoT, they will increasingly depend on technical professionals who understand this complex technology. Learning the applications, principles, and trends behind the technology is a great way to make your skills more relevant.
Want to Improve Your IoT Skills? Check out the IEEE Academy on IoT
Are you a professional engineer interested in improving your understanding of the Internet of Things? IEEE has created a new academy that combines existing IoT educational materials with the latest research and developments to help guide technical professionals in this expanding field.
IEEE Academies are primarily for technical professionals who need to understand new technical information quickly so they can apply it to their work. In addition to gaining new skills and knowledge, participants will also earn a certificate upon their completion. There are two IoT learning paths from which to choose— and both are available on the IEEE Learning Network (ILN)!
IEEE Academy on Internet of Things (IoT): Communications Standards
Communication technology is an essential part of the Internet of Things as it allows devices to connect to each other. This learning path covers the basic principles of communication technology and practical usage of standardized communication. Learn more.
IEEE Academy on Internet of Things (IoT): Computing Platforms
IoT computing platforms are essential to the development and deployment of IoT applications. This learning path covers all these aspects by providing an overview of the current state-of-art and future trends on computing platforms for IoT applications. Learn more.
What Are IEEE Academies?
IEEE Academies are designed to teach in-demand technical concepts in a new way to IEEE members working in industry. This new learning format at IEEE will help members understand a technical concept without needing a deep background in that technology. This will ensure they understand the fundamental concepts so they can apply them in the context of their general work and technical needs. Learn more about IEEE Academies.
Resources
Sutaria, Ritesh. (8 April 2022). Unveiling the Potential Relationship between IoT and Cloud Computing. IoT for All.
Parmar, Dipti. (12 April 2022). How data from IoT devices is changing supply chain analytics. CIO.
The Mobile Economy 2022. GSMA.
The Internet of Things (IoT) has the power to connect all devices through a cloud-based ecosystem. In the future, it could potentially undergird the infrastructure of smart cities. This would make communications far more streamlined and efficient than they are today. However, a major obstacle for IoT is that it still depends largely on centralized platforms. This can make sensitive data vulnerable to hackers.
Blockchain technology has the potential to fix this problem. As discussed in a previous post, blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger of transactions. It records data in a way that prevents hacking and altering of the data. It does this by duplicating transactions and dispersing them to “nodes” across the network.
Blockchain would allow contracts known as “smart contracts” to be completed autonomously in a decentralized manner. This creates a web of connected devices that gives users control over their own data.
Unfortunately, there are obstacles preventing a full merger between blockchain and IoT. Currently, all IoT devices that “talk” to each other must be on the same blockchain. Similar to how the internet runs on a vast web of servers, a future IoT will need to rely on a network of blockchains. As such, scalability is a major obstacle to merging IoT and blockchain. Current blockchains have yet to reach this level of maturity.
While there are obstacles, the integration of blockchain and IoT would be revolutionary. It would create a record of every transaction made on the IoT, which cannot be altered, making data far more secure. Additionally, it would streamline the entire supply chain—from manufacturing lines to consumers. This would give every stakeholder access to documentation when required. Furthermore, a fully integrated blockchain and IoT will make industries that rely on one another, such as insurance companies and supply chain logistics, interconnected and seamless.
How IoT and Blockchain Can Revolutionize Healthcare and Finance
COVID-19 has created a logistical nightmare for both vaccine distributors and health care workers worldwide. Two of the most common vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, must be kept at below zero degree temperatures or they will degrade. This vaccine challenge is a primary example of how blockchain and IoT can work in tandem to streamline operations and enhance distribution.
As discussed in a previous post, vaccine manufacturers can place IoT sensors on vaccine packaging or even on individual vials. These sensors allow distributors to track and monitor their location and temperature during delivery. They also help quickly spot and fix problems as they arise. When the vials arrive at vaccination centers, health care workers can scan the packages to get immediate access to important information about the quality of vaccines.
Blockchain and IoT also have the power to revolutionize finance through smart payments. For example, JPMorgan Chase & Co recently piloted blockchain payments between satellites orbiting Earth. As an experiment, the bank worked with a nanosatellite supplier called GOMspace, which gave them the ability to run software on their satellites. The test revealed that blockchain networks can fuel transactions between devices. It also demonstrated that it’s possible to build a marketplace where satellites send data to one another in exchange for money. Such a system, for example, could allow a smart refrigerator connected to the IoT to order food from an e-commerce site when it runs low. It could also give an autonomous vehicle the ability to buy gas.
While obstacles for blockchain and IoT remain, a merger between the two has the potential to radically impact our world.
Understand Enterprise Blockchain for Your Industry
What other industries can benefit from blockchain technology? Get Enterprise Blockchain for Healthcare, IoT, Energy, and Supply Chain, a five-course program from IEEE, to find out. Developed by leading experts in blockchain technology, this advanced program provides business use cases across key industries and sectors. It’s ideal for managers, professional engineers, as well as business leaders.
Contact an IEEE Content Specialist to learn more about how this program can benefit your organization.
Interested in getting access for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) today!
Resources
Chai, Raullen. (7 May 2021). Internet of Trusted Things: Democratizing IoT. IoT for All.
(24 March 2021). The Future of the Internet Of Things with Blockchain. Manufacturing Business Technology.
Kavinsky, Marc. (10 March 2021). How Are Blockchain And IoT Helping COVID Vaccine Shipments? IoT Business News
Irrera, Anna. (24 February 2021). JPMorgan’s blockchain payments test is literally out of this world. Reuters.
With the booming Internet of Things (IoT) device market, many people expect to be connected at all times. While it is unrealistic to be online 24/7 with no drops in coverage or speed—especially while travelling—losing connection can be a significant problem for organizations.
Businesses rely on devices and technology such as Wi-Fi and the cloud to remain connected to their data and customers. However, what happens when a business cannot connect? If employees are unable to even check their email inboxes, will productivity grind to a halt?
A possible solution that could help create a permanent connection for IoT devices involves sending data over sound. While this solution involves newer data-over-sound technology over the air, transmitting data via sound is an established practice. The characteristic whines and beeps of the dial-up modem was a form of data-over-sound using wires rather than over the air.
What is Data-Over-Sound?
Companies have been investing in new ways of transmitting data through their devices to ensure they are always securely connected. Sound waves would allow devices to interconnect without the use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The evolution of data-over-sound technology has the real possibility to create network-independent IoT environments with uninterrupted connectivity.
Who Offers Data-Over-Sound?
Organizations that are currently working on data-over-sound solutions include Sonarax and Stimshop. Sonarax, an ultrasonic communication technology company, revealed its new standard in machine-to machine (m2m) connectivity. It enables devices to communicate with one another via sound waves. The protocol is the most extensive global infrastructure install base, and it operates on any device that has a built-in speaker or microphone.
Sonarax’s solution addresses three main areas:
- Ultrasonic Payments: Helping create secure connections for mobile payments and contactless ATM interaction. Pilot programs for this feature have been deployed at major global financial institutions.
- Ultrasonic Authentication: Providing a safe identification solution that can be integrated and used by any third party application.
- Ultrasonic Indoor Positioning: Allowing indoor positioning in buildings, such as shopping malls and hospitals, where GPS stops working. Sonarax is working to implement its technology for novel indoor navigation functionality at a later date.
Stimshop, an agency in France, offers data-over-sound technology via its protocol Wi-Us. Stimshop’s Wi-Us technology can turn speakers or sound systems into a vehicle for wireless communication, detection, authentication, and geo-location. The company also states that its technology can be used in environments incompatible with radio waves such as explosive environments or those with electromagnetic scrambling issues.
Security Concerns
What are the security concerns when it comes to transferring data via sound? Experts worry that there are apps that can acquire the information sent through the sound waves.
However, Sonarax CEO Benny Saban states that over-the-sound verification between two devices restricts man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. This type of attack involves hackers trying to interfere with the communication between two devices.
“As in all communication protocols, encrypted data is converted to ultrasonic data and reaches its destination–unchanged–through the same encrypted method by which it was sent,” says Saban. “Essentially, the ultrasonic communication protocol adds an additional layer of security to the first layer of encryption. This means that in order to hack the data, one needs to intercept the sonic data, decipher it, and then decipher the encryption used.”
Preparing for Evolving IoT Technology
Find out what new IoT developments could impact your industry. Prepare your organization with the IEEE Guide to the Internet of Things, a series of eight training courses led by top researchers in the field. This program is designed for professionals working in engineering, IT, computer science, and related disciplines across all industries.
Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.
Resources
Chandler, Simon. (18 October 2019). How Data-Over-Sound Will Ensure A Permanently Connected IoT World. Forbes.
(27 February 2019). Sonarax Unveils a Novel Ultrasonic Device-to-device Communication Protocol. PR Newswire.
(10 January 2018). When Wi-Fi Won’t Work, Let Sound Carry Your Data. Wired.
Stimshop Mobile Interactions and Data Transfers. Stimshop.
Edge computing improves the way businesses collect and analyze their data by processing information near the source as opposed to in the cloud. It provides real-time information, which allows companies to make data-driven decisions. Analyst predict that by 2024, the global edge computing market will rise to $9 billion USD. However, only 56% of networking professionals currently have plans to integrate this form of decentralized computing into their organizations, according to the IDG 2018 State of the Network.
As the technology improves, more companies are exploring edge computing capabilities. So how can your organization get a head start on the integration process?
Steps to Integration
Some helpful steps for organizations looking into edge computing include:
Step 1: Virtualize
Updating your infrastructure with virtualized machines can improve reliability, manageability, and create a solid foundation for edge integration. Besides these immediate benefits, transferring workloads to virtual machines should help simplify a future edge integration.
Step 2: Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT)
Many companies with separate Integrating Operational Technology and Information Technology are now seeking to bridge the gap. Because they possess dual skill sets, Hybrid OT and Industrial IT specialists may provide greater performance, productivity, agility, and cost-efficiency.
Step 3: Choose a vendor
The total cost of ownership, deployment, management, downtime risk, and operational efficiency are all key factors when selecting an edge computing solution. Be sure to do your research. Before selecting a vendor that works well with your organization, you should consider where the platform will be installed. The physical environment as well as the distance between the location and where the data is collected will likely impact your decision.
Step 4: IIOTint
Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) devices use smart sensors to collect and analyze data instantaneously. This data allows industrial devices to make decisions and act on them, which optimizes quality, workforce, and engagement.
Step 5: Security
Increased interconnectivity also increases security vulnerabilities. Security risks include software hacks and system manipulation— both of which can cause breaches in customer data and bring operations to a standstill. Investing in cybersecurity and IIOT systems that provide regular monitoring and detection in the event of malware infection is crucial to keeping your information safe.
Benefits of Edge Computing
Staying up and running: Edge computing can benefit many industries, especially those that operate remotely. Because retail companies generally have more than one location, edge computing works well from both point of sale and security perspectives. Like retail companies, financial institutions, including banks, also have multiple branches and can benefit from edge computing.
Quick processing: The Internet of Things provides massive amounts of data. Because the data generally needs to be analyzed instantly in cloud applications, communication must be fast in order to be efficient.
Cost savings: Edge computing can reduce organizational costs by using smaller deployments. This helps businesses avoid building infrastructure at every site.
Getting Up to Speed
Prepare your organization for edge computing integration. Designed to train your entire team to support edge computing, IEEE Introduction to Edge Computing is an online five-course program. The on-demand courses included in this program are:
- Overview of Edge Computing
- Practical Applications of Edge Computing
- Research Challenges in Edge Computing
- Designing Security Solutions for Edge, Cloud, and IoT
- Tools and Software for Edge Computing Applications
To learn more about getting access to these courses for your organization, connect with an IEEE Content Specialist today.
Interested in the course for yourself? Visit the IEEE Learning Network (ILN) to learn more.
Resources
(23 August 2019). What Is Edge Computing? Forbes.
(16 September 2019). The analyst projects the global edge computing market to grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2019 to USD 9.0 billion by 2024, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 26.5%.Yahoo! Finance.
Conboy, Alan. (17 September 2019). What’s next for the Internet of Things? Going to the edge. IoT News
(16 September 2019). Five steps to successful edge integration. It Web.
Smart grid technology is enabling the effective management and distribution of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen. The smart grid connects a variety of distributed energy resource assets to the power grid. By leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect data on the smart grid, utilities are able to quickly detect and resolve service issues through continuous self-assessments. Because utilities no longer have to depend on customers to report outages, this self-healing capability is vital component of the smart grid.
Smart Grid Management of Renewable Energy
The relationship between the smart grid and renewable energy revolves around gathering data. For example, wind farms use mechanical gears that require each link to support multiple sensors. Each sensor is able to note current climate and environmental conditions. This information is then quickly sent though the grid to alert the utility of any issues, which improves both the quality of service and safety.
“You’ve got this story of this invisible, dangerous commodity that travels at the speed of light that we call electricity and for the last hundred-plus years most people could interact with it in only the most rudimentary ways,” says Mark Feasel, vice president of smart grid for Schneider Electric. Companies are now deploying much more advanced sensing devices. According to Feasel, some devices can continually capture information on electricity up to 60,000 times per second.
Semiconductor materials, such as silicon, are supporting the creation of green energy with smart grid technology. Due to their ability to hold millions of minuscule transistors, these materials have enabled IoT advancement. In turn, this advancement has allowed the smart grid to link up devices throughout the system, which ensures that the supply of energy is equal to the demand. It also keeps the current evenly distributed.
Smart grids equipped with parts made from semiconductor material reduce the usage of electricity. For example, electric vehicles can charge at night— a time when offices and homes are not typically using much electricity. Lights switches and furnaces can also automatically power on and off. In this way, energy usage becomes “smart” by not using more than what is needed.
Renewable Energy with Smart Grid Technology Initiatives
As smart grid technology becomes more promising, both local and federal governments are exploring potential grid improvements.
Thailand
By 2037, Thailand wants a third of its energy to be generated by renewable energy sources. This means that Thailand’s grid will need to be modernized to handle the varying levels of energy provided by renewable sources. Any modernization plans will also need to take the country’s growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs), which is predicted to grow in coming years.
“When we have more renewable energy, the grid will become more difficult to manage, and then we will need to give them more flexibility with the digital to make it smarter,” says Dr. Surat Tanterdtid, Chief of Enterprise Architecture of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. Smart grid technology can help monitor and predict the supply of renewable energy into Thailand’s grid. This may allow the country to anticipate power outages and prepare accordingly.
New York
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority is currently holding a competition in order to improve the state’s energy distribution. The Future Grid Challenge, which began in July, is part of a push to transition the state’s electric grid to renewable energy. A new statewide act includes requirements for a clean or carbon-free electricity sector by 2040 as well as an 85% greenhouse gas emissions drop by 2050.
The first round of funding will provide up to $6 million USD to projects that partner with Con Edison and Orange & Rockland Utilities. The goal of the competition is to improve data analytics, grid stability, and forecasting while reducing system losses.
Modernizing the Smart Grid
One of the biggest frontiers in electrical engineering today is the development and implementation of smart grid technology. Fueled by the global demand for greener technologies and alternative fuels, environmentally-friendly smart grid technology has the ability to stimulate stagnant economies as well as change the way power is delivered to electricity consumers around the world.
Modernizing the Smart Grid is a four-course program designed to get you and your team up to speed quickly on the latest smart grid technologies. Learn more about how your organization can benefit from this IEEE course program today!
Resources
Pilkington, Ben. (4 September 2019). The Role of Semiconductors in Clean Energy. AZO Clean Tech.
Castagna, Rich. (29 August 2019). How Smart Grid Technology Is Driving Renewable Energy. IoT World Today.
Clemens, Ashley. (12 September 2019). New York power grid challenge is part of larger state energy goals. Daily Orange.
Basu, Medha. (19 August 2019). Thailand will use smart grid to predict outages. GovInsider.
Basu, Medha. (16 September 2019). How Thailand will integrate renewables and EVs into the grid. GovInsider.
Connected devices are transforming the world in ways we could barely have imagined just a few decades ago. The Internet of Things (IoT) is already changing industries and lives around the world. The following are just four industries that are experiencing this transformation:
Agriculture: IoT tractors are helping farmers increase productivity and decrease costs. These vehicles not only drive themselves, but also use algorithms to calculate the best routing based on things like number of vehicles and vehicle turn radius.
Education: So long, one-size-fits-all lectures! Thanks to IoT devices that enable task-based learning, students can work at their own pace via connected devices. The devices notify teachers when students need extra guidance. Wearable devices help teachers out, too, taking over tedious tasks like attendance taking.
Industrial Environments: IoT devices that combine historical records with real-time data to predict breakdowns and schedule preventive maintenance reduce downtime.
Healthcare: IoT is already improving care and delivering it to more people. The ability to remotely monitor patients’ vital signs reduces emergency room visits and helps people in rural areas avoid long and expensive trips to a medical center.
What’s Next
Find out what the IoT could have in store for your industry. Prepare your organization for the IoT now with IEEE’s Guide to the Internet of Things, a series of eight training courses led by top researchers in the field. This program is designed for professionals working in engineering, IT, computer science, and related fields across all industries. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.
Resources
Podnar, Kristina. (25 Feb 2019). How to Protect Yourself from the Siren Song of Healthcare IoT. IoT for All.
In the healthcare arena, the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). It’s doing lots of good in the world by improving care and delivering it to more people. Any place becomes a point of care, not just within the four walls of a healthcare facility. This means care is accessible whenever it is needed. But, of course, there are potential risks associated with connected devices in healthcare as well.
The Pros
Wearable technology access allows for real-time data on daily health. This ranges from how active you are to how fast your heart is beating. Technology allows us to have a better understanding of our overall health. It looks pretty good in terms of these four aspects:
Cost savings: People with chronic illnesses like lung disease or cancer often incur high costs associated with continuous medical care. The costs come from rehospitalization, transport, time spent our of work and general support for their disease, as well as suffering a physical toll on the body. Connected technology has the potential to reduce costs and save time for these individuals. IoMT brings care to the patient. They can remotely check-in with doctors, ask questions and perform simple tests on a connected device that shares the data real-time.
Transparency: Connected electronic health records (EHR) can save patients from having to regurgitate information at every new doctor’s office, simplifying visits. Those that have multiple physicians would be able to easily share their health records. Connected devices have the ability to communicate with multiple EHRs stored in the cloud that patients can share. Patients gain better insight into their health information, getting immediate access to doctors notes after a visit. This will increase consumers’ expectations when it comes to the quality of care they receive as the healthcare system become more transparent.
Caregiving: IoMT can be beneficial to anyone that is a caregiver to their parents and growing children.It enables those who don’t live nearby or simply can’t make it to every appointment to still oversee the process. IoMT keeps all parties in the loop.
Compliance: IoMT innovation can also improve compliance. A carer or family member would be able to see when their loved takes a medication, misses a dose, or needs a refill with connected caps on pill bottles. The connected cap would also have the ability to send alerts that notify them, improving the care of the patient.
The Cons
There’s always something for developers to question when exploring new technology. An IoT for All article takes a look at the challenges associated with just ingestibles. Here are just three:
Security: Doctors at University of Minnesota Health and Fairview Health announced they’re treating a small group of cancer patients with digital medicine. It is a new chemotherapy pill that includes a sensor to let patients and doctors monitor dosage to make sure they’re taking their medicine when they’re supposed to. Sounds great, but one of the biggest concerns about IoT is security. Ingesting connected devices, if not properly secured, could have people unknowingly broadcasting their health status everywhere they go.
Privacy: Any connected healthcare devices would be subject to HIPAA standard, naturally, but when it comes to ingestibles there are lots of questions about who owns the device. Is it the manufacturer, doctor, healthcare system, insurance company, or the person whose body it’s in? Could the owner retrieve the device at will, forcing the patient to undergo an unwanted medical procedure? And if the individual owns the data (according to regulations like HIPAA and the GDPR), how would consent work? Can data be erased or deleted from the device remotely, or will it require a medical procedure? What if the device malfunctions? Can it stay in the patient forever, or will that cause harm, and who’s liable for that?
Unintended Use: Concerns about the unintended use of ingestibles are more about potential abuse of power. It’s possible that police departments could give people convicted of drunk driving the choice of losing their license or ingesting a device that would monitor their blood alcohol level – too high and it could alert police and/or disable the car. In the same vein, businesses could start requiring ingestibles as a condition of employment. It can be with the intention of maintaining a drug-free workplace. Parents could make ingestibles a condition of letting their teen get a driver’s license.
IoT Beyond Healthcare
IEEE’s Guide to the Internet of Things explores healthcare and other industries. In this eight-course program, participants learn about the IoT, its applications, challenges, and future opportunities. This program is designed for professionals working in engineering, IT, computer science, and related fields across all industries. Connect with an IEEE Content Specialist and receive a custom quote for your organization today.
Resources
Podnar, Kristina. (25 Feb 2019). How to Protect Yourself from the Siren Song of Healthcare IoT. IoT for All.
Cosgrove, Carrie. (7 Jan 2019). IoT Applications in Consumer Healthcare. IoT for All.
The Internet of Things (IoT), the ability for devices in our everyday environment to connect and share information, offers amazing potential for positive impact in government, education, finance and transportation, as well as nearly endless consumer applications.
Companies are working to deploy billions of connected devices – from personal health and fitness trackers, to remote home monitoring and management systems, to community data sharing portals – that not only send alerts to your smartphone, but communicate with each other to maximize practicality and productivity. For example, imagine a fire alarm that doesn’t just beep, but shuts off your gas appliances and wakes you with an alert sent to your household phones.
However, as computing power increases, battery life becomes a problem, limiting IoT potential.
Eliminating the Limits
Extending battery life is a must for continued innovation. With the number of IoT devices projected to grow to more than 20 billion in just the next couple of years, energy conservation is critical. The trick lies in balancing power consumption with the performance of future networked devices exclusively dependent on battery power.
In order for IoT technology to flourish, especially in situations where it’s infeasible or impractical to frequently replace batteries (think pacemakers and other medical devices), a reduced need for frequent recharging or replacement of batteries is essential.
A low-power, low-latency solution will allow devices and sensors to last longer and become infinitely more useful.
Enter: Wake-Up Radio
Wake-Up Radio removes the need to compromise between power savings and latency by reducing the significant energy waste that wireless devices cause during their idle communication mode. The radio consumes minute amounts of power while still being in a constant active or listening state. Wake-Up Radio goes into sleep mode with regular intervals in which it will wake up to sample the channel for activity.
Incorporating the additional tiny radio, which runs over Wi-Fi and uses less power, allows the main battery to last significantly longer, by up to 694 days. According to Adrian Stephens, chair of the Wake-Up Radio standards task group, the technology “is suitable for a new class of battery-powered devices that will drive innovation and exciting new applications in the market.”
Get the Report
Academic researchers have worked on wake-up receivers for close to a decade. Now, with Wake-Up Radio, innovation in IoT devices is limitless.
To learn more about the specifics of how Wake-Up Radio works and some potential uses, check out the IEEE Technology Report on Wake-Up Radio, crafted to help stakeholders better understand the potential of the technology and market. This insightful report is available for purchase at a 50% discount for a limited-time only via IEEE Xplore.
Resources
(16 Nov 2017). IEEE Releases Report on Wake-Up Radio Technology Aimed at Increasing Battery Life for Wireless Devices. everything RF.
Brogan, Chris. (2 Apr 2018). Learn about IoT with IEEE. Making the Brand: Customer Experience with Chris Brogan.
Mackenzie, Craig. (1 March 2014). Internet of Things device battery life optimization: Engineering design considerations. Embedded Computing Design.
Sharma, Manoj. (October 2017). Wake-Up Radio Systems: A New Perspective. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Engineering & Technology.
Wilhelmsson, Leif and Sundman, Dennis. (18 Dec 2017). Wake-Up Radio – A key component of IoT? Ericsson Research Blog.
An Internet of Things. Postscapes.