A sense of the world of IOT!

A sense of the world of IOT!

IOT-Many things will become more convenient when things become connected via the Internet. Things that we used to take for granted will be uploaded and redefined. When it is redefined, common sense will change and it will be redefined. That's how humanity has evolved. This time, we would like to introduce articles on IOT cases in Japan and overseas.

What is IoT? Easy-to-understand explanation | Introducing 7 cases in Japan and overseas
Do you know the word "IoT" that has been popular in the media these days?
Even those who do not understand the IoT may be experiencing the IoT in their daily lives without knowing it.
In this article, we will explain in detail what IoT is and examples of actual use of IoT.

What is IoT

IoT is an abbreviation for Internet of Things, and refers to a mechanism in which various things are connected to the Internet and exchange information with each other.
In the past, the Internet was used to connect computers to each other, and was mainly connected to personal computers, servers, and IT equipment. However, nowadays, the Internet is connected to various everyday things such as smartphones, home appliances, automobiles, and containers.
In this way, the mechanism by which the Internet is connected to things is the IoT, which is also called the "Internet of Things."

The advent of the IoT not only enriches our daily lives, but also helps us to create new services and value by utilizing data that we could not obtain before.

Differences and relationships between IoT and AI

AI is one of the things that tends to get confused with IoT. There is no doubt that both are related to the Internet, but what is the decisive difference? What kind of relationship does it have?

First, as mentioned earlier, IoT is a mechanism that connects things via the Internet.
On the other hand, AI is a technology that enables humans to have abilities such as recognition and reasoning on computers.
With the advent of the IoT, it has become possible to collect a large amount of various data, but it is meaningless unless this data is analyzed and utilized.
Therefore, AI is used to analyze various data collected by IoT.

In the future, the fusion of IoT and AI will continue to progress, and by creating new value and services, we will make our lives even more convenient.

Benefits of using IoT

So far, we have introduced IoT, but what are the benefits of using IoT?
I don't think you can imagine what kind of merit and how you can use it just by saying "things connect to the Internet".
Here, we will specifically introduce the merits of utilizing IoT.

Advantages of using IoT (1): Visualization of the state of things and things
To put it simply, the mechanism of IoT is to attach sensors to things so that they can acquire data and utilize it.
This sensor makes it possible to visualize various information that could not be seen before, such as the weight, light, vibration, temperature, and other conditions and location information of objects.
And even in a remote place, you can check the status of things and get information about things using a smartphone.
As a result, users can easily obtain information on home appliances and rooms wherever they are, making it even more convenient than ever.

Benefits of using IoT (2): Convenient daily life
With IoT, everything is connected to the Internet.
For example, watching a movie / drama specialty channel such as Hulu or Netflix on a TV connected to the Internet is one of the IoT.
In addition, you can check the state of the room even while you are away, operate electrical appliances remotely, and use IoT to make everyday things more convenient than before.
Therefore, the advantage is that general users can make their daily lives more convenient and enriched by utilizing IoT.

Benefits of using IoT ③: Trigger new business
In today's era of big data, IoT has become a non-negligible entity for companies. This is not limited to IT companies, but also to general companies such as retailers.

By utilizing IoT, it is possible to acquire various data such as customer needs and purchasing processes from daily life.
You can use that data to develop more accurate strategies and create new value services. It will be an opportunity for companies to use IoT to bring about new innovations.

Background of the spread of IoT

It is often thought that the IoT was born recently, but for more than 30 years, the IoT has been advocated in the form of "ubiquitous computing."
Ubiquitous computing is a concept that describes the state in which computers exist everywhere in society and life and can be used anytime, anywhere.

And in recent years, the realization of IoT, which connects everything, including smartphones, to the Internet has begun in earnest. Why did it take time for it to be realized after it was proposed?
Here, we will introduce the factors that have accelerated the development and spread of IoT around the world in recent years.

Background of the spread of IoT (1): Spread of smartphones
The spread of smartphones is one of the factors that have attracted attention to the IoT. Today, many people around the world are using smartphones.
As a result, companies have become able to provide various IoT mechanisms via smartphones.

In addition, various sensors such as acceleration sensors and fingerprint authentication sensors and IC tags are built into the main body of the smartphone.
This sensor is now commonly used, but it was expensive when the concept of IoT was advocated. Therefore, it was difficult to spread it in our lives.
In this way, it can be said that one of the factors that made IoT possible is that the times have advanced, smartphones have become widespread, and sensors have become easy to use.

Background of the spread of IoT (2): Development of device size reduction technology
With the development of technology, the sensors and communication chips installed in IoT are becoming smaller and lighter. For example, communication devices and sensors for collecting data have sufficient functions even if they are small, and can be developed at low cost.
Therefore, with such miniaturization and weight reduction technology, it has become possible to mount devices such as sensors on various objects. In this way, as the times progress and technology develops, IoT will become widespread and expand.

IoT use cases
There are various ways to utilize IoT, and various values ​​can be created by companies and services. For example, it is used in all fields such as self-driving cars, which have been widely featured in the media, and familiar home appliances.
Here, we will introduce some interesting examples of how IoT is being introduced both in Japan and overseas.

IoT utilization example (1): Panasonic's HOMEX

HOMEX is an IoT platform for residential use developed by Panasonic.
It is a system that instantly understands living conditions and problems and automatically provides a comfortable living space for each individual.
The HOMEX Display, a dedicated display equipped with IoT, allows you to remotely control the air conditioner, certification, shutter, etc.
In addition, it creates a comfortable space with sounds and lighting that suit each person based on the health status and behavior history of the family in the room.

IoT use case (2): SkyBell HD's SkyBell

SkyBell is a smart doorbell that allows you to check visitors at the front door from your smartphone and respond through an intercom even when you are away. Equipped with a motion sensor, it can instantly detect an intruder on your premises even if the visitor does not press a button.
Therefore, it is useful not only as a doorbell but also in crime prevention.

IoT use case ③: Slow Control's HAPIfork

HAPIfork is an electronic fork that monitors the pace of your meals.
If you bring HAPIfork to your mouth too fast, it will alert you with vibrations and LED lights to prevent premature eating.
The frequency of this warning can be set arbitrarily by the user through the app, which can lead to a stress-free improvement in the pace of meals.

In addition, as a function of HAPIfork, meal data can be sent to the device, so you can check daily meal information. Eating fast has adverse effects on the body such as indigestion and weight gain.
If you just want to eat fast, why not use HAPIfork to review your eating habits?

IoT utilization example ④: JINS MEME of JINS

Eyeglasses normally correct your eyesight so that you can see what is in front of you. However, JINS MEME is a pair of glasses with the concept of "knowing" instead of "seeing".
The sensor mounted on the glasses detects the number of blinks, the movement of the black eyes, the inclination of the body, etc., and can grasp the degree of fatigue, body movement, concentration state, etc. of the wearer. This is useful in various situations such as improving performance such as work and training, preventing drowsy driving, and preventing overwork.

In addition, by collecting and analyzing these data in real time using sensing technology, it is possible to know the mind and body of the person.
In this way, it is attracting attention as glasses that allow you to see yourself as well as see things.

IoT utilization example ⑤: ORII of JINS Origami Labs

ORII is a ring-shaped smart voice ring that uses bone conduction technology.
By attaching the ORII to your finger and linking it with the app, you can make calls, send emails, and even use voice assist without a smartphone.
In addition, since the sound is transmitted from the ear through the bones, it is easy to hear the voice even in a noisy place, and it is a feature that you can communicate smoothly with the other party.

IoT utilization example ⑥: Smarter Coffee from Smarter

"I wish there was a machine that would automatically make coffee on a sleepy morning ..." It was a dreamy story a while ago, but this has finally come true.
Developed by Smarter, headquartered in the United Kingdom, Smrter Coffee allows you to enter your favorite taste and desired warmth from your smartphone and it will make coffee exactly as it is.
You can make coffee with just one smartphone, so even in the morning when you don't wake up, you can drink freshly made coffee when you get up by typing in the bed.

Another feature of this machine is that it can work with smart speakers such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Therefore, by linking with a smart speaker, you can easily drink delicious coffee at any time with the word "make coffee".

IoT utilization example ⑦: Waymo's self-driving car

Waymo, an autonomous driving development company under the umbrella of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, has realized a vehicle dispatch service using autonomous vehicles. If you specify the boarding place and destination from the dedicated app, the fare and required time will be displayed in advance, and if you agree, the vehicle will be dispatched.
However, at this stage, this service is available only to some people and specific areas who have enrolled in the early use program recruited by Waymo in advance.
All driving is done automatically, but a Waymo driver is on board in the driver's seat just in case.
For this reason, general use has not yet been realized, but in the future, such self-driving cars may become commonplace.

Challenges of IoT
IoT

As we have introduced some examples, advances in IoT technology will make our lives more convenient and enriched.
However, on the other hand, since it is a service via the Internet, problems such as security are also raised.
In addition to the problems on the user side, there are some problems on the provider side as well.
Here, we will introduce the points that you should know when each of you will be involved in IoT in the future.

Issues facing IoT (1): Security issues
The spread of IoT has progressed rapidly in recent years, and it is expected that it will continue to expand in the future.
As a result, security will become more important as the expansion of IoT devices increases. Why is the IoT said to have security problems?

Currently, the IoT is used as the "Internet of Things" in daily life and business, and is integrated into our daily lives.
Therefore, the use of IoT devices will increase without being aware that they are using the Internet. There is little recognition that IoT has the same dangers as when using the Internet normally, and security measures are not sufficient.

In other words, it is possible that you have suffered damage such as unauthorized login or virus infection, or have been involved in cybercrime without your knowledge.
Therefore, it is necessary for each person to be aware that there are risks similar to those of personal computers in terms of IoT security when using IoT.

Challenges facing IoT (2): Securing human resources with advanced technology
As introduced, there are many products equipped with IoT.
The IoT will enable companies to acquire vast amounts of data. However, it is meaningless without analyzing and utilizing those data.
Therefore, it is necessary to secure excellent human resources such as data scientists who analyze such data and engineers who build AI and systems.
In particular, securing human resources for engineers is still an issue for companies. With the further development of IoT in the future, the issue may become even more serious.

Issue ③ of IoT: Legal development is not catching up
With the spread of IoT, it will be possible to collect a lot of data.
But on the other hand, there is also the question of who the data collected by the IoT belongs to.
For example, a manufacturer can deliver a product equipped with IoT to a factory that is a user, and can provide regular services such as parts replacement and new product proposals.
However, can the factory use the data to review its own production control and staffing? Also, if the manufacturer wants to use the factory data in another place, can it be used without permission?
In this way, there is a debate about who the data obtained by IoT belongs to. Another issue is where to take responsibility if a third party suffers damage due to a malfunction of an IoT device.

As you can see, the current law does not rigorously set rules such as ownership and responsibility for the data collected by the IoT. Therefore, as IoT is expected to develop further in the future, urgent legislation and revisions are also issues.

Future and challenges of IoT
As the development of IoT progresses and becomes more widespread, the amount of data that can be collected will increase significantly.
In addition, as the amount of data handled increases, it is expected that the accuracy of artificial intelligence and machine learning will increase.
IoT is expected to be useful for daily life and for business, but it is still developing due to issues such as securing human resources and strengthening security. In the future, the issue will be resolved, and attention is being paid to whether or not IoT will be utilized to develop current technologies and create many new values.