Chapter 1

Introduction
By
Dr. Zartasha Baloch
Department of CSE, MUET Jamshoro
 • Answering the W’s
• What is IOT?
• When? (History and Future of
IOT)
• Where? (Applications)
• Why? (Advantages of using it)
Learning Objectives • How? (Enabling Technologies)
Internet of Things
• The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of interconnected devices
embedded with sensors, actuators, and software that enable them to collect
and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet.

• These devices can range from simple sensors to complex machines, and they
are transforming the way we live and work.
Internet of Things
• Internet → The world-wide network of interconnected computer networks,
based on a standard communication protocol (TCP/IP).

• Thing → An object not precisely identifiable.

• Internet of Things → A world-wide network of interconnected objects

uniquely addressable, based on standard communication protocol.

• While current Internet is a collection of rather uniform devices, IoT will

exhibit much higher level of heterogeneity, as objects of totally different
functionality, technology and application fields will belong to the same
communication environment.
Technological Trends
• It is possible to identify five distinct macro-trends that will shape the future of
IT, together with the explosion of ubiquitous devices that constitute the future
of IoT:
• Data deluge : Explosion of the amount of data collected, exchanged, and need to be
stored. Novel mechanisms to find, fetch, and transmit data will be needed.
• Decrease in energy required to operate intelligent devices: The search will be for a zero
level of entropy where the device or system will have to harvest its own energy.
• Miniaturization of devices: the devices will become increasingly smaller.
• Autonomic management: the devices/systems will have self-management, self-healing,
and self-configuration capabilities.
• IPv6 as an integration layer:
Internet of Things Enablers
• Energy: issues such as energy harvesting and low-power chipsets are central to the development
of IoT.

• Intelligence: devices should have capabilities such as context-awareness and inter-machine

communication etc.

• Communication: new, smart multi-frequency band antennas, integrated on-chip and made of new
materials are the communication means that will enable the devices to communicate.

• Integration: integration of smart devices into packaging, or better, into the products themselves
will allow a significant cost saving and increase the eco-friendliness of the products.

• Interoperability: protocols for interoperability have to be standardized.

• Standards: open standards will be the key enablers for the success of the IoT. Sustainable. Fully
global, energy-efficient communication standards that are security and privacy centered and use
compatible or identical protocols ate different frequencies are needed.
Internet of Things Barriers
• Governance: without an authority, it will be impossible to have a truly global
IoT.
• No universal numbering system currently exists. EPC Global and Ubiquitous ID are two
different, non-compatible ways of identifying objects.
• There is a need of keeping governance as generic as possible. One authority per field will
certainly lead to overlap, confusion and competition between standards. Example: EPC
Global architecture has a “single point of failure and control” where Verisign has the
records of all the numbers, and can track where any object is.
• What would be the governance of the IoT is an open question. Will it be a state-led
agency, or a group under the supervision of the UN, or an industrial consortium?

• Privacy and Security:

• Public acceptance of IoT will happen only when strong security solutions are in place.
• The standards must define different security features to provide confidentiality, integrity,
or availability of services.
• The issues related to identity of people must be dealt with in politics and legislations.
Internet of Things Applications
• Manufacturing, logistics and retail sectors → product authentication and anti-counterfeiting, next-
generation industrial automation and supply chain management, inventory management, track & trace,
remote maintenance, service and support.

• Energy and utilities sectors → smart electricity and water transmission grids, real-time monitoring of
sewage systems, efficient energy and water consumption at homes enabled by connected devices to the
grid.

• Intelligent transportation systems → support for vehicular ecosystems, use of in-vehicle sensor networks,
telematics, GPS and wireless networks for developing smart vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle to
roadside communication for collaborative road safety and efficiency, vehicle tracking, traffic data collection
for traffic management etc.

• Environment monitoring systems → wireless sensor nodes to monitor weather, environment, civil
structures, soil conditions etc.

• Home management and monitoring → use of sensor nodes, smart applications, wireless networks, home
gateways for applications such as home security, elderly care, smart energy control etc.
Internet of Things - Architectural Trends
• The following issues are important for IoT standardization

➢ Designing Web Services as a common platform to publish service definitions and exchange
configuration information between various hosts.
➢ Designing Messaging Services Layers providing a basic web-services messaging framework
between hosts which abstracts lower layers.
➢ Designing Common Data Exchange Formats for sharing of structural data across different
systems.
➢ Using Internet Protocol Layers or an IP proxy layer, for connecting network nodes across
multiple types of networking technologies, RF waveforms, and radio platforms.

• The architectural framework needs to incorporate all the desired aspects such as
scalability, flexibility, adaptability etc.

• The components, and interfaces for various building blocks such as device
interfaces, data formats, networking standards and protocols, service platforms and
application interfaces are to be defined in IoT standards.
Internet of Things

Things, People and Cloud Services get

connected via Internet to enable new
use cases and business models

Figure source : Iman Khajenisiri [Link]., A Review of Internet of Things Solution for Intelligent Energy Control in Buildings for Smart City Applications, Energy
Procedia, Volume 111, 2017
Internet of
Things
Applications
Internet of Things Applications
Internet of Things Applications
Internet of Things Applications: Smart Grid
Internet of Things Applications: Healthcare
Internet of Things Applications: Industry 4.0
Internet of Things Applications
Internet of Things Applications
Internet of Things Applications: Smart Street Lights
Internet of Things Applications: Review
History of Internet of Things
• First IoT Device : RFID (1940-1950), Major efforts in development for Tracking and identifying
aircrafts in World War II ( Friends or Foe )
• 1960 : RFID was used for monitoring nuclear and other hazardous materials, RFID companies
founded 1973 : Mario W. Cadullo received the first US Patent for an active RFID tag
• 1980 : RFID research started, marks the beginning of transforming RFID into more widespread technology
• 1990 : First UHF Reader invented, RFID usage expanded to shipments, Walmart introduces their RFID
program

Source : Internet
History of Internet of Things

Source : Introduction to the Internet of Things, Marco Zennaro, Telecommunications/ICT4D

Lab, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
History of Internet of Things : Progression
• Progression in 1980’s : Cloud and Server Space ( Data moved to centralized server )
• Progression in 1990’s : Machine to Machine interaction
• 1995 : First cellular module built, First GPS network ( version 1 ) complete
1998 : IPv6 adds 2^128 new IP addresses
• 1999 : Kevin Ashton of MIT coins a new term IoT

• Progression in 2000-2010 : Fog oriented architectures ( Central Server to Regional Server

located closer to Data Server subnetwork )
• 2000 : LG announces first smart fridge
• 2007 : First iPhone released
• 2008 : First International Conference on IoT held
• 2009 : Google started testing self driving cars

• Progression in 2010-onwards : High Processing power and Edge computing

• 2013 : Google glass is released
• 2014 : Amazon releases Echo ( smart home market opens )
• 2015 : GM, Uber, Tesla are testing self driving cars
• 2017- : IoT continues to grow,
IoT – Basic Idea
IoT Ecosystem
IoT Devices

● Sensors – Types, Use and Calibration, Sensor arrays

● Sensing Circuits – Smart sensors
●
Wireless sensor networks
●
Actuators – Types and Use
●
Embedded Devices – Microprocessors for IoT
● Battery and Power Management
● IoT Development Platforms
●
Interfacing sensors to microcontrollers
●
Components of IoT
IoT System Component : Things

Physical things exist in the physical world and are

capable of being sensed, actuated and connected.
Examples : industrial robots, goods and electrical
equipment
Virtual things exist in the information world and are capable
of being stored, processed and accessed.

Examples : multimedia content and application software

Source: Recommendation ITU-T Y.2060

 Capturing the Real World
• Physical things help in capturing the real world - System states
and immediate surroundings

• Q: How to capture system states and surroundings?

• A : Sensors

• Q: How to monitor machines?

• A : Sensors

• Q: How to monitor humans?

• A : Mobile Phone ( sensor hub )
 Basic Principle of Sensor

Measuring Conversion Device Useful Signal

Parameter

Displacement, Temperature, Pressure Voltage, current,

etc…. capacitance

✓Sensor is a device that when exposed to a physical

phenomenon (temperature, displacement, force, etc.) produces a
proportional output signal (electrical, mechanical, magnetic,
etc.).
Human beings are equipped with 5 different types of
sensors.
 Transducer
✓A device which converts one form of energy to another
✓When input is a physical quantity and output electrical → Sensor
✓When input is electrical and output a physical quantity → Actuator

Sensors Actuators
e.g. Piezoelectric:
Physical Electrical Force -> voltage
parameter Input Voltage-> Force

Electrical Physical
Output
Output
Characteristics of Sensors
Static Characteristics
• Accuracy: It measures the correctness of the measurement.
• Absolute Error = Measured value – True Value
• Relative Error = Measured value / True Value

• Range: Range is the lowest to highest possible measurement. Beyond the

range, sensors give improper response. E.g. RTD Range (-200o to 800o)
• Resolution: It provides smallest changes in input that a sensor can sense.
Higher the resolution better the precision.
• Precision: A measuring instrument giving the same reading repetitively
measuring the same quantity under the same prescribed conditions
Characteristics of Sensors
Static Characteristics
• Sensitivity: Sensitivity indicates the ratio of incremental change in the
response of the system to the incremental change in the input parameters. It
can be found from the slope of the output characteristics curve of a sensor.
• Linearity: The deviation of the sensor value curve from a particular straight
line. Linearity is determined by the calibration curve. If the curve is straight
line that describes linearity.
• Drift: The difference in the measurement of the sensor from a specific
reading when kept at that value for a long period of time.
• Repeatability: The deviation between measurements in a sequence under
the same conditions. The measurements have to be made under a short
enough time duration so as not to allow significant long-term drift.
Characteristics of Sensors
Dynamic Characteristics
• Zero order System: output shows a response to the input signal with no
delay. It does not include energy storing elements. E.g potentiometer
measures linear and rotary displacements.
• First order System : When the output approaches its final value gradually.
Consists of an energy storage and dissipation element.
• Second order System: Complex output response. The output response of
sensor oscillates before steady state.
Classification of Sensors

Sensors

Passive and Active Analog and Digital Scalar and vector

Classification of Sensors
• Passive Sensor: can not independently sense the input. Example: Accelerometer, soil
moisture, water level, temperature sensors etc.
• Active Sensor: independently sense the input. E.g Radar, sounder and laser altimeter
sensor.
• Analog Sensor: The response or output of the sensor is continuous function of its
input parameter. E.g. Temperature, LDR, Analog pressure sensor.
• Digital Sensor: Response in binary nature. Designed to overcome the disadvantages
of analog sensors. Along with the analog sensor, it also comprises extra electronics for
bit conversion. E.g. passive infrared (PIR) sensor and digital temperature sensor
(DS1620).
• Scalar Sensor: Detects the input parameters based on its magnitude. The answer for
the sensor is a function of magnitude of some input parameter. Not affected by the
direction of the input parameter. E.g. temperature, gas, strain, color, smoke sensor.
• Vector Sensor: The response of the sensor depends on the magnitude of the direction
of and orientation of the input parameter. E.g. Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetic
field and motion detection sensor.
Some common Sensors

Source : Internet
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
1. Temperature sensors
• Temperature sensors measure the amount of heat generated from an area or
an object.
• They detect a temperature change and convert the findings to data.
Temperature sensors are used in various industries, including manufacturing,
healthcare, and agriculture.
• Some examples are thermistors, thermocouples, and resistor temperature
detectors (RTD).

• Functionality: Measure ambient temperature.

• Use Cases: Climate control in smart homes, industrial processes, and
agriculture.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
2. Proximity sensors
• Proximity sensors detect the presence or absence of objects near the sensor
without physical contact.
• They often emit a beam of radiation like infrared or an electromagnetic field.
• They can be used for process monitoring and control, object counting, assembly
lines, and determining available space.
• Proximity sensors are common in retail settings, industrial complexes, and parking
lots.
• Some examples are photoelectric, magnetic, capacitive, inductive, and ultrasonic.

• Functionality: Detect the presence or absence of an object within a certain range.

• Use Cases: Automatic doors, object detection in robotics, and security systems.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
3. Pressure sensors
• These sensors detect changes in a gas or liquid.
• When the pressure range is beyond a set threshold, pressure sensors alert to the
problem.
• They are used for leak testing, water systems, vehicles, and aircraft.
• For example, the BMP180 is a digital pressure sensor found in cell phones and GPS
navigation devices.
• some vehicles use a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to alert when tire pressure
is low and potentially unsafe.

• Functionality: Measure force or pressure exerted on a surface.

• Use Cases: Industrial processes, automotive applications, and altitude
measurement.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
4. Water quality sensors
• As you’d expect, water quality sensors monitor the quality of water.
• They are often used in water distribution systems, but they function in a
variety of industries.
• There are different kinds of water sensors, including residual chlorine
sensors, turbidity sensors, pH sensors, and total organic carbon sensors.

• Functionality: Measure various physical, chemical, and biological properties

of water to assess its quality for specific applications.
• Use Cases: drinking water, industrial processes, agriculture, or environmental
monitoring.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
5. Chemical and gas sensors
• These sensors monitor air quality for the presence of toxic or hazardous gas.
• They often use semiconductor, electrochemical, or photo-ionization
technologies for detection.
• They are typically used in industrial and manufacturing settings, though they
are also found in carbon dioxide detectors.

• Functionality: Detect the presence of specific gases in the environment.

• Use Cases: Air quality monitoring, industrial safety, and gas leak detection.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
6. Infrared sensors
• Some sensors either detect or emit infrared radiation to sense
characteristics and changes in the surrounding area.
• They’re useful for measuring heat emissions from an object.
• Infrared sensors are used in remote controls, healthcare settings, and even
by art historians authenticating artwork.

• Functionality: Detect infrared radiation emitted by objects, which is not visible

to the human eye.
• Use Cases: automatic doors, intrusion alarms, remote controls, thermal
imaging, flame detection, and health monitoring (e.g., measuring body
temperature).
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
7. Smoke sensors
• Most people are familiar with smoke detectors, as they have protected our
homes and businesses for a long time.
• However, with improvements based on IoT, smoke detectors are now more
user-friendly, convenient, and wire-free.

• Functionality: Smoke sensors use optical methods (photoelectric) to detect

light scattering caused by smoke particles or ionization methods, where
smoke disrupts an electrical current.

• Applications: Used in fire alarms, safety systems, and residential/commercial

buildings to detect fires.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
8. Motion sensors
• Motion sensors detect physical movement in an area. Of course, these
sensors play a significant role in the security industry, but they are used in
nearly every industry.
• Applications include automated sinks and toilet flushers, automatic door
controls, energy management systems, and automated parking systems.
Standard motion sensors include ultrasonic, microwave, and passive infrared
(PIR).
• Functionality: Detect movement or changes in position.
• Use Cases: Security systems, lighting control, and activity tracking in
healthcare wearables.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
9. Level sensors
• Level sensors detect the level of various substances, including powder,
granular material, and liquids.
• Industries that use them include water treatment, food and beverage
manufacturing, oil manufacturing, and waste management.
• They can detect the level of liquid in a container and can even determine
the amount of waste in a dumpster.
• Functionality: to measure and monitor the level of substances, such as
liquids, solids, or granular materials, within a container, tank, or open area.
• Use Cases: Industrial Automation, Water and Wastewater Management,
Automotive, Food and Beverage, Environmental Monitoring, Home
Automation.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
10. Image sensors
• These sensors convert optical images into signals and are generally used to
display or store files electronically.
• They are found in radar and sonar, biometric devices, night vision equipment,
medical imaging, digital cameras, and even some cars.
• Charge-coupled devices (CCD) and complementary metal-oxide
semiconductors (CMOS) are commonly used.

• Functionality: Capture visual information and convert it into electrical signals.

• Use Cases: Surveillance cameras, facial recognition systems, and industrial
inspection.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
11. Humidity sensors
• These sensors measure the amount of water vapor in the air. Typical uses
include heating and air conditioning systems (HVAC) and weather
monitoring and prediction.
• When humidity must be tightly controlled, such as in museums, hospitals,
and greenhouses, humidity sensors assist the process.

• Functionality: Measure the moisture content in the air.

• Use Cases: Environmental control in greenhouses, HVAC systems, and
weather monitoring.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
12. Accelerometer sensors
• Accelerometer sensors detect the orientation of an object and the rate of
change, including tap, shake, tilt, and positioning.
• They are used in many industries for smart pedometers, anti-theft
protection, and monitoring auto fleets.
• Some types are capacitive accelerometers and hall-effect accelerometers.

• Functionality: Measure acceleration and tilt.

• Use Cases: Wearable devices, fitness trackers, and motion control in gaming.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
13. Gyroscope sensors
• A gyroscope sensor measures the angular rate or velocity, or the speed of
rotation around an axis.
• They are generally used for navigation in the auto industry for navigation
and anti-skid systems as well as in video games and drones.
• Some examples include optical gyroscopes, rotary gyroscopes, and
vibrating structure gyroscopes.

• Functionality: measure angular velocity or rotational motion around one or

more axes.
• Use Cases: Wearable devices, fitness trackers, and motion control in gaming,
Aerospace and Aviation, Marine and Underwater Navigation, automotive,
robotics.
Commonly used Sensors in IoT
14. Optical sensors
• Optical sensors measure light and convert it into electrical signals.
• Many industries make use of optical sensors, including auto, energy,
healthcare, and aerospace.
• Sensors include fiber optics, photodetector, and pyrometer.

• Functionality: They can use light to measure distances, motion, or changes in

material properties.
• Applications: Object detection in industrial automation (e.g., laser sensors),
Barcode scanning, optical fiber communication, and medical imaging,
Environmental monitoring, such as detecting particles or pollutants.
How IoT sensors work across industries
• Agriculture: Soil moisture sensors enable farmers to monitor crop conditions
and make data-driven decisions about irrigation. By ensuring crops receive
the right amount of water, these sensors help optimize yields, conserve
water, and reduce costs.

• Healthcare: Wearable sensors, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers,

monitor vital signs like heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. This
continuous monitoring empowers healthcare providers to offer remote care,
catch early warning signs, and improve patient outcomes.

• Smart Homes: Motion, temperature, and humidity sensors play a critical role
in home automation. They help regulate indoor climates, trigger lighting
systems, and improve security, creating a more energy-efficient and
comfortable living environment.
How IoT sensors work across industries
• Manufacturing: Chemical, temperature, proximity, and level sensors track
machinery performance, detect anomalies, and predict maintenance needs,
helping prevent costly downtime and extending equipment life.

• Retail: Proximity and infrared sensors are used to manage inventory in real
time, monitor product conditions, and analyze customer behavior in-store.
This data helps retailers make decisions that improve supply chain
efficiency, enhance the shopping experience, and optimize stock levels.
Advantages of IoT
• Leads to Automation and Technical optimization
• Reduces waste and uses our natural resources effectively
• Minimize the human effort and save time
• Saves the cost of the production
• Improves the productivity
• Enhances the product quality
• Takes timely action to avert the accident
• IoT deployed with Al can improve the model/process behavior over a period of
time
• Asset tracking, traffic or transportation tracking, inventory control, delivery,
surveillance, individual order tracking, and customer management can all be
made more cost-effective with the right tracking system.
Advantages of IoT
• IoT embedded with big data helps users to extract useful data from the pool
of raw data.
• Improves monitoring with smart sensors
• Predict or analyze the outcome of the operation/business
• Identify the fault location
• Access Information in Real-Time
Disadvantages of IoT
• Vulnerable to attacks.
• Maintaining privacy is a major challenge
• Security of confidential Data is a key concern
• Huge dependency on the internet
• Dependency on many devices and software
• We may lose control of our lives.
• Risk of losing jobs
• Difficult to plan, build, manage, and enable a broad technology to IoT
framework
• Incompatible IoT standards among different operators
• Impact of overuse of IoT on people's health
Any Questions?