If Everything communicates with Everything - What exactly is the Internet of Things?
Just imagine the dog collar of your dog registers by itself that the dog has to go to the vet. In addition, a free appointment is automatically made with the veterinary practice. Alternatively, your refrigerator informs you when the milk runs low, so you can quickly get a new milk underway. The "Internet of Things" is on the rise. We show you visions of the future, which could soon become a reality, and explain what the Internet of Things actually is.
The industry for years already conjures up on various art fairs that the Internet of Things is the "Next Big Thing". The trend is in the direction that the PC continues to disappear from our everyday world. It is be replaced by smart devices. However, within the Internet of Things, these are not only portable devices such as smartphones or tablets. It is all about everyday objects, which are equipped with embedded processors, sensors and network technology. There are an infinite number of examples - from app-controlled water kettle in the kitchen to completely remote-controlled factories. The goal is clear: The Internet of Things is to facilitate people's daily lives.
An important component of the Internet of Things is the API (Application Programming Interface). API`s enable the exchange of data between apps and devices. Thus, for example via the open API of a meteorological service, the data is passed to the smart awning of a manufacturer to automatically extend the awning during strong winds or storms.
The idea of the Internet of Things comes from the logistics. For us, it has become normal to make the package tracking on the Internet. At the respective transfer stations, the package is scanned using barcodes or 2D codes. So the program is clearly identified and the status can be tracked. "Our goal is a system that fully controls itself," says Michael ten Hompel, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics.
Such processes take place for some time unnoticed by the public in warehouses and factories. Only those whom the work are partly or completely detached do not deal with this technique. However, this will no longer remain this way - the Internet of Things arrives slowly but surely in our everyday lives.
The future, which experts call "Ambient Internet", is not far away: Television that know our viewing habits, health bracelets sending health data to an app on our phone and shavers that automatically reorder their blades - all this is already reality. We are excited about what the future of the Internet of Things will look like!
