Hi All,
I have created this thread to build an (Industrial)Internet of Things- IoT community on Nairaland. IoT is part of the future technology. Others are :
1: VR- Virtual reality
2: AR- Augmented reality
3: Robotics.
(Industrial)Internet of Things- IoT is going to change our world over the next 10 years. It presents us with numerous opportunities, business value and challenges. The Internet of Things (IoT) will connect 50 million devices and attract over $6 Trillion of investment by 2020. The IoT industry is the next wave of Internet technologies that will fundamentally change the way we live and work, and how business and manufacturing will be done worldwide, as well as create hundreds of thousands of high-paying professional jobs.

Follow the thread to learn more, engage with professionals and tap into this young opportunity. I will be sharing posts and knowledge on the subject matter. what skills are needed. Other IoT enthusiast are welcome to post.

Seun, dragnet, This might be front page worthy.

Bring it on

What is Internet of Things?
According to wikipedia-The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect and exchange data creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions.

According to General Electric- The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects, internet connectivity and communication between objects, IoT is the exchange, collection and analysis of data to improve how things work.

According to me- The Internet of Things (IoT) is a community of objects connected to the internet. We all know the importance of having a community as humans- it fosters development, sees to safety and help reduce the stress of getting things done- time and cost. It is teamwork between objects. Humans communicate by speaking, writing or making signs, How do objects communicate then? They communicate via exchange of data. Put simply, the present Internet connect humans, the internet of things will connect objects and humans to object.

What is Industrial Internet of Things?
According to General Electric- Industrial Internet of Things is about applying IoT to industrial things, sensors attached to industrial equipment. IIoT is an exchange and collection of data from connected machines. process, analyse and interpret the data to predict, optimise and maintain machineries for better performance.

IoT cuts across the Public and Private sector. I will be giving use cases and explaining its application across both sectors.

Use Cases of IoT in the Public sector.
Use the marvel of GPS for travel
GPS is one of the best developments in technology for human beings. If all trains and buses were to be GPS enabled the commuters would be able to get real-time updates of when the bus/train will arrive at a particular stop/station. People can check the time before they leave their homes and so the stations and bus stops would be less crowded.
Improve transport services
IoT not only makes the lives of the commuters easy but can also help the government improve their services. By analyzing all the digital information collected from swipe cards, the frequency of public transportation can be increased or decreased at certain hours of the day.
Manage traffic better
The Internet of Things can help you better manage traffic. Traffic policemen do not need to be physically present to help navigate traffic and avoid congestions. By using GPS tracking devices, traffic can be analyzed in real-time, and the traffic lights can be controlled accordingly.
Promote tourism
Being a smart city will not only be more helpful for the residents but will also attract more tourists. Tourists can opt to get immediate notifications about what’s happening in the city and which are the hottest places to hang out right now.
Strengthen the infrastructure and economy
Imagine all the extra money that could come in from the increased tourism will definitely help strengthen the economy of the country. Add to this, when the public transportation is better, time-saving, and less crowded, people will prefer it over expensive cabs rides. This means more revenue for the government. This added money will help the government build better infrastructure and further improve the quality of their services.
Improve the health of citizens
Think of the possibility of diabetes or hypertension medicine refills for your loved ones being auto-sensed and automated.
If certain medical devices would alert the doctor of patients with such or even severe life-threatening diseases when something is wrong. If a battery-operated medical equipment would send an alert when the battery needs to be replaced. What if there is a device that alerts someone with the simple push of a button. Imagine how many lives could be saved. The possibilities are endless. Many of these have already been successfully adopted in the private sector.
Take better care of the environment
Taking care of environmental issues is one of the major responsibilities of governments. This is probably why the governments of many countries across the globe are coming up with so many green initiatives, encouraging the people to opt for more environment-friendly choices for their daily needs. IoT can help you keep a tab on the pollution levels in the air and enables you to take the necessary action at the right time. To avoid wastage of water, sensors planted in water pipes can detect leaks in advance and receive immediate attention.
Administer citizen identity better
Many amusement parks around the world use a concept called the magic band.
Disney World puts all the information about your holiday in a band to make your travel easier. This band gives you access to all the different parks, depending on your purchase and even lets you unlock your hotel room. It has all the relevant information about you and the people travelling with you, so you do not need to carry any physical documents or room keys when you go to the parks.
The same concept can be adopted to make administration easier. A magic band loaded with all the information about an individual makes information updating really quick and easy. These bands can be made safe using biometrics. This will help reduce identity theft, which is a major safety concern in many countries.
Improve surveillance and security
Apart from dealing with individual level security issues, a government also has to deal with many major security concerns. Computer operated or self-operating drones can help tackle a lot of security problems. Drone surveillance can help detect and neutralize threats before they cause major havoc.
Detect fire accidents before it happens
Having smoke detectors is a good start to reducing the impact of a fire. A smoke alarm warns the people in the house that is on fire, as well as the people in neighboring homes and gives them a chance to save themselves. However, it still takes time for the authorities to arrive and take control of the situation.
The next step in fire safety could be sensors installed in the smoke alarms that are automated to inform the intervention centers. To stay one step ahead, sensors could be installed in gas pipes to detect leaks and potential fire threats. This can help identify the problem before the fire even breaks out.

IoT use cases in the private sector- also known as IIoT
IoT in Manufacturing
Inventory and Material Tracking – Easily locate and monitor key inventory (e.g. raw materials, final products, parts, and containers) to optimize logistics, maintain inventory levels, prevent quality issues, and detect theft.

Single Screen Operator View – Connect factory assets and ERP/MES systems to provide role-based views via augmented reality experiences or connected applications to deliver work instructions and quality capture in-context for increased operator productivity and improved production quality.

Real-time Asset Monitoring – Enable real-time monitoring and predictive diagnostics of assets to automatically trigger and proactively initiate maintenance teams or service networks to minimize downtime and identify maintenance and quality problems before they occur.

Connected Operational Intelligence – Combine, analyze, and deliver insights from disparate and diverse silos of assets, operators, and enterprise systems into unified real-time visibility of KPIs for increased operational performance and improved decision making.
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/industries/how-ai-improves-manufacturing-quality/?cm_mmc=OSocial_Twitter-_-Industrial_Industrial-_-WW_WW-_-Industrial+-+Home+smart+home+IoT+and+AI+will+make+where+we+live+more+accessible+-+Twitter+&cm_mmca1=000019XS&cm_mmca2=10005255

IoT Use Cases in Healthcare

1. Reducing Emergency Room Wait Times
Apart from the resulting medical expenses, emergency room visits can sometimes take hours to complete.

one hospital in New York City — effectively slashed wait times for 50% of their emergency room patients who are in need of inpatient care.

It’s their partnership with GE Healthcare and new, IoT-driven software, known as AutoBed, that tracks occupancy among 1,200 units and factors in 15 different metrics to assess the needs of individual patients.

It’s a highly effective system that highlights some of the more innovative and exciting uses of the IoT.

2. Remote Health and Monitoring
In some cases, patients don’t even have to visit an emergency room or hospital. One of the most obvious and popular applications of healthcare and the IoT is in remote health monitoring — sometimes known as telehealth.

Not only does it minimize costs and eliminate the need for some visitations, but it helps improve the patient’s quality of living by sparing them the inconvenience of travel.

If a patient has limited mobility or depends on public transportation, something as simple as this can make a world of difference. There is the concept of digital twin that applies to industries. I believe over the next years individuals and patients will have a ''digital twin'' in the cloud. digital twin is a copy of an asset in the cloud. This copy can predict and tell when a problem will occur on the original asset. Imagine a situation where by you can view your scan or x-ray on your phone without having to go to the hospital. I mean a scenario where you can confirm sickness without running blood test. This is what IoT enables us to do.

3. Ensuring the Availability and Accessibility of Critical Hardware
Modern hospitals require next-gen software and hardware to function — some are even used to save or sustain human life. Like all electronic devices, this equipment is prone to numerous risks — from power outages to system failures — that could be a matter of life or death.

A new IoT-driven solution from Philips, called e-Alert, aims to solve that problem.

Instead of waiting for a device to fail, Philips’ new system takes a proactive approach by virtually monitoring medical hardware and alerting hospital staff members if there’s a problem.

Philips recently unveiled the product through a collaborative effort with OpenMarket.

4. Tracking Staff, Patients and Inventory
Safety is the utmost concern of any hospital or medical facility — or at least it should be. It’s hard to maintain the maximum amount of security without the ability to track assets — staff members, patients and hardware — throughout the building.

It’s a task that’s easily achieved in smaller institutions, but what about larger facilities that feature multiple structures and campuses as well as thousands of patients and staff members?

Many are turning to the IoT and real-time location systems to facilitate asset tracking. Not only is it an inexpensive method of monitoring day-to-day activities in a hospital setting, but it’s unobtrusive, effective and cutting-edge.

5. Enhanced Drug Management
One of the most exciting breakthroughs regarding healthcare and IoT comes in new forms of prescription medication.

It seems like a work of science fiction — but pills containing microscopic sensors that are the size of a grain of rice can send a signal to an external device — usually a patch worn on the body, to ensure proper dosage and usage.

Such information could be invaluable when it comes to ensuring patients remember to take their prescriptions and even when prescribing future medications.

Patients also have access to the information, through a handy smartphone app, to track their personal performance and improve their habits.

6. Addressing Chronic Disease
Recurring health problems are never exciting, but big breakthroughs are being made in the treatment of such issues — and much of it is a direct result of the IoT.

There is an article I am reading, title is ''AI is cancer's new enemy''

IoT Applications in Agriculture

Smart farming based on IoT technologies will enable growers and farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity ranging from the quantity of fertilizer utilized to the number of journeys the farm vehicles have made.

So, what is smart farming? Smart farming is a capital-intensive and hi-tech system of growing food cleanly and sustainable for the masses. It is the application of modern ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) into agriculture.

In IoT-based smart farming, a system is built for monitoring the crop field with the help of sensors (light, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, etc.) and automating the irrigation system. The farmers can monitor the field conditions from anywhere. IoT-based smart farming is highly efficient when compared with the conventional approach.

The applications of IoT-based smart farming not only target conventional, large farming operations, but could also be new levers to uplift other growing or common trends in agricultural like organic farming, family farming (complex or small spaces, particular cattle and/or cultures, preservation of particular or high quality varieties etc.), and enhance highly transparent farming.

In terms of environmental issues, IoT-based smart farming can provide great benefits including more efficient water usage, or optimization of inputs and treatments. Now, let’s discuss the major applications of IoT-based smart farming that are revolutionizing agriculture.

Smart farming based on IoT technologies will enable growers and farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity. CLICK TO TWEET

Precision Farming
Also known as precision agriculture, precision farming can be thought of as anything that makes the farming practice more controlled and accurate when it comes to raising livestock and growing of crops. In this approach of farm management, a key component is the use of IT and various items like sensors, control systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, automated hardware, variable rate technology, and so on.

The adoption of access to high-speed internet, mobile devices, and reliable, low-cost satellites (for imagery and positioning) by the manufacturer are few key technologies characterizing the precision agriculture trend.

Precision agriculture is one of the most famous applications of IoT in the agricultural sector and numerous organizations are leveraging this technique around the world. CropMetrics is a precision agriculture organization focused on ultra-modern agronomic solutions while specializing in the management of precision irrigation.

The products and services of CropMetrics include VRI optimization, soil moisture probes, virtual optimizer PRO, and so on. VRI (Variable Rate Irrigation) optimization maximizes profitability on irrigated crop fields with topography or soil variability, improve yields, and increases water use efficiency.

The soil moisture probe technology provides complete in-season local agronomy support, and recommendations to optimize water use efficiency. The virtual optimizer PRO combines various technologies for water management into one central, cloud based, and powerful location designed for consultants and growers to take advantage of the benefits in precision irrigation via a simplified interface.

Agricultural Drones
Technology has changed over time and agricultural drones are a very good example of this. Today, agriculture is one of the major industries to incorporate drones. Drones are being used in agriculture in order to enhance various agricultural practices. The ways ground-based and aerial based drones are being used in agriculture are crop health assessment, irrigation, crop monitoring, crop spraying, planting, and soil and field analysis.

The major benefits of using drones include crop health imaging, integrated GIS mapping, ease of use, saves time, and the potential to increase yields. With strategy and planning based on real-time data collection and processing, the drone technology will give a high-tech makeover to the agriculture industry.

PrecisionHawk is an organization that uses drones for gathering valuable data via a series of sensors that are used for imaging, mapping, and surveying of agricultural land. These drones perform in-flight monitoring and observations. The farmers enter the details of what field to survey, and select an altitude or ground resolution.

From the drone data, we can draw insights regarding plant health indices, plant counting and yield prediction, plant height measurement, canopy cover mapping, field water ponsing mapping, scouting reports, stockpile measuring, chlorophyll measurement, nitrogen content in wheat, drainage mapping, weed pressure mapping, and so on.

The drone collects multispectral, thermal, and visual imagery during the flight and then lands in the same location it took off.

Livestock Monitoring
Large farm owners can utilize wireless IoT applications to collect data regarding the location, well-being, and health of their cattle. This information helps them in identifying animals that are sick so they can be separated from the herd, thereby preventing the spread of disease. It also lowers labor costs as ranchers can locate their cattle with the help of IoT based sensors.

JMB North America is an organization that offers cow monitoring solutions to cattle producers. One of the solutions helps the cattle owners observe cows that are pregnant and about to give birth. From the heifer, a sensor powered by battery is expelled when its water breaks. This sends an information to the herd manager or the rancher. In the time that is spent with heifers that are giving birth, the sensor enables farmers to be more focused.

Smart Greenhouses
Greenhouse farming is a methodology that helps in enhancing the yield of vegetables, fruits, crops etc. Greenhouses control the environmental parameters through manual intervention or a proportional control mechanism. As manual intervention results in production loss, energy loss, and labor cost, these methods are less effective. A smart greenhouse can be designed with the help of IoT; this design intelligently monitors as well as controls the climate, eliminating the need for manual intervention.

For controlling the environment in a smart greenhouse, different sensors that measure the environmental parameters according to the plant requirement are used. We can create a cloud server for remotely accessing the system when it is connected using IoT.

IoT for Transportation
I. End-to-End Visibility
Transportation and logistics businesses around the globe are focused on maximizing supply chain efficiency in order to sustain profitability and viability.

However, to reach this level of performance, they need to make end-to-end improvements. Complete visibility facilitates more effective, timely decisions and reduces delays through quicker detection of issues.

Mobile devices, such as radio frequency identification (RFID), barcode scanners and mobile computers, have become a major influence in supply chain visibility and operations. Many transportation and logistics companies using RFID today are reaching nearly 100 percent shipping and receiving accuracy, 99.5 percent inventory accuracy, 30 percent faster order processing and 30 percent reduction in labor costs.

Mobile technologies provide businesses line of sight into equipment, inventory and business processes. This asset intelligence allows organizations to increase their efficiency by providing them real-time data across their entire supply chain.

Though these types of solutions have already helped transportation and logistics businesses make improvements over the years, leveraging them with enabling technologies like the IoT can deliver even more asset intelligence, leading to more informed decisions.

Visibility Papers

2. Warehouse and Yard Management
The warehouse and/or yard are at the core of transportation and logistics businesses. Their efficiency directly impacts the cost of doing business and the ability to compete. With IoT-enabled mobile devices designed to track inventory data, equipment and vehicles, enterprises can give their physical assets a digital voice.

By converting the physical to digital, transportation and logistics warehouses can capture and share their mission-critical data across the cloud, ensuring they have the right products in the right place at the right time.
Yard personnel are frequently moving around on foot or in vehicles, manually conducting their routine tasks. This process is time intensive and prone to error which causes a number of visibility-related problems including redundant trailer moves, yard gate congestion, product shrinkage, wasted fuel and lost time. To address these issues, organizations across the supply chain implement RFID systems that automate asset tracking and location.

By reducing human intervention and enabling more machine-to-machine information sharing, enterprises can greatly increase efficiency and accuracy.

Warehouse Yard Management Papers

3. Fleet Management
When it comes to transportation and logistics, fleet management plays a critical role in managing maintenance schedules, everyday vehicle usage and service routes. In order to maximize productivity and operational efficiency, fleet downtime must be minimized. With mobile scanners, computers and RFID systems alone, enterprises can gain visibility into their assets and better streamline operations to keep their fleet moving.

By replacing manual and hard-copy work orders with mobile devices, technicians save time and increase data accuracy. Furthermore, with realtime, accurate insight into maintenance history, parts availability and inventory records, technicians can relay information back to their central database.

By leveraging connected, mobile devices, enterprises can capture, share and manage data around their moving assets across the enterprise. Connectivity also enables enterprises to communicate with their technicians (drivers) anytime, anywhere, allowing them to be proactive with in-field repairs, maintenance, etc. With real-time updates on certain conditions such as bad weather or traffic, fleet technicians can better respond and/or prepare.

For field technicians, real-time visibility into driver and vehicle performance is critical. This visibility can be used to increase the safety of technicians, reduce damaged inventory and decrease insurance-related costs all of which are critical to an enterprise’s bottom line. Additionally, with real-time insight, technicians and drivers can respond to customer service inquiries in a timely manner. This helps personnel know when and where to allocate their time - improving the organization’s overall performance and customer service.

Furthermore, with the ability to securely monitor their equipment and environment in real time, field service technicians can take action before problems arise. With the IoT, companies can gain intelligence remotely around their assets in the field, allowing them to facilitate needbased maintenance and eliminating unnecessary and/or reactive responses.

Advances in mobile technology and the IoT are dramatically improving the way transportation and logistics businesses operate. The Enterprise Asset Intelligence delivered through these solutions is what enables organizations to pinpoint inefficiencies in real time, improving throughput and helping them build progressive plans to move toward innovation.

IoT for Retail

1.Smart Shelves
Bringing innovative business models, smart shelves have already started working their way into the retail industry. Smart shelf systems contain three elements: an RFID tag, an RFID reader, and an antenna.

Being placed on the goods, RFID tags have an integrated circuit and a microchip antenna that transmits data to the RFID reader. Information is collected from the RFID tags and sent to an IoT platform, where it’s stored and analyzed.

Smart shelves are suited to inventory management, that has been an expensive and tedious process for a long time. Now smart shelves can automatically monitor inventory and send managers alerts if a certain item is running low or its date will expire soon.

Therefore, connected devices are crucial for avoiding oversupply, shortage of goods, and thefts in stores. By tracking inventory, they enable to reduce stress, remove operating mistakes, and save costs.

Smart shelves also take an important part in making intelligent insights into customer behavior. By monitoring inventory and transmitting data about items movements and whereabouts to an IoT platform, the system can provide retailers with information about customer needs and preferences, showing them ways to improve their services, increase customer interactions, and boost sales.

2.Beacons
Beacons are devices that use low-energy Bluetooth connections to automatically send push notifications directly to shoppers’ smartphones once they appear in the coverage area.

Customers are notified about shares, discounts, and offers in real-time, making them more likely to enter a store and make a purchase. As beacons are small, they can be easily attached to walls, counters, and other places.

Retail companies also use beacons for customer in-store navigation, sending push messages, and collecting customer data. Coupled with mobile apps, beacons enable retailers to increase customer loyalty and boost sales. Through beacon technology, retailers can easily reach their audience and provide an engaging experience.

Also, beacons are irreplaceable for customer in-store navigation and collecting data about customer behavior, for example, the most preferred routes, goods, and stores in the shopping center.

Now beacons are becoming widely introduced in the retail sector. BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, predicted the beacon installed base to swell from 96,000 in 2015 to 3.5 million in 2018.

3.Robots
Robots have the potential to significantly change the retail sector. BI Intelligence predicts 2.8 million enterprise robots to ship between 2016 and 2021. Wishing to become pioneers and take a competitive advantage, many companies have already integrated robots into their work.

Target, for instance, tested robots in one of its San Francisco locations to help stock shelves and take inventory.

Restaurants in China have started replacing waiters with robots. Startups Simbe Robotics and Fellow Robots are creating service robots that help shop visitors quickly find products they need as well as ensure the shelves stay stocked.

4.Digital Signage
Digital signage helps retail companies provide personalized and interactive shopping experience. Digital signage solutions like Ipad screens, digital-out-of-home applications (DOOH), intuitive touch screens, and in-store digital screens, help retailers impress customers and increase sales. With digital signage applications, marketers save costs related to traditional print media and push customer engagement to the next level.

Digital signage solutions can serve not only as an attractive and simple way to display advertisements, but also be successful in thinking logically and improving in-store experience, due to the Internet of Things.

For example, they can push ads and price changes to stores in real-time. Also, digital signage can be programmed by accumulating contextual cues and patterns from the customers and establishing connections based on their expectations.

It can work as follows: using beacons, sensors, or smart devices, the system collects customer data, calculates when customers generally group particular items, the time of the year these items are purchased, and so on. Using IoT technology, digital screens can display not only commercials and catalogs but also personalized promotions based on collected data.

Realizing great prospects of smart signage, retailers are integrating this technology in stores, supermarkets, and shopping centers. MarketsandMarkets expects the global market value for digital signage to grow from $19.61 billion in 2016 to $32.84 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.4% between 2017 and 2023.

Well articulated . how can I learn to design application tailored with Machine learning

jayinfo2:
Well articulated . how can I learn to design application tailored with Machine learning

what type of design?

majekdom2:
what type of design?

Actually I want to learn data science with machine learning.


But I want to begin the journey with using advanced excel data analysis so as to have a basic understanding of data analysis

jayinfo2:


Actually I want to learn data science with machine learning.


But I want to begin the journey with using advanced excel data analysis so as to have a basic understanding of data analysis

good you want to start with excel analysis however data science these days is about programming. Whatever excel will do, programming and scripting languages like python and R are able to do it. Data science goes beyond dataset in excel. It includes big data i.e over 1 Terabyte of data. Check online platforms like Udacity, datacamp and there are videos on YouTube that will help.

The Internet of Things is still evolving and there are no particular standards yet. However, there are generally accepted views on the concept.
There are 5 layers in the Internet of Things space.
1. Device Layer
2. Sensor Layer
3. Network Layer
4. Application Layer- Analytics
5. Platform Layer- Cloud.
These are quite self explanatory. Layer1-3 are termed the hardware layer, Layer 4 and 5 are termed the software layer.

1. Device Layer: The Device layer is the asset i.e the ''thing'' that is being connected to the internet. it could be your phone, house , car factory or any asset you want to monitor for better performance.

2. Sensor Layer: A sensor is a device used to measure and capture certain parameters of an equipment. a sensor is usually designed to collect specific information from a device. The types of senor used in IoT are:

Temperature sensors
By definition, “ A device, used to measure amount of heat energy that allows to detect a physical change in temperature from a particular source and converts the data for a device or user, is known as a Temperature Sensor ”
These sensors have been deployed for a long time in a variety of devices. However, with the emergence of IoT, they have found more room to be present in an even greater number of devices.
Only a couple of years ago, their uses mostly included A/C control, refrigerators and similar devices used for environmental control. However, with the advent of the IoT world, they have found their role in manufacturing processes, agriculture and health industry. In the manufacturing process, many machines require specific environment temperature, as well as device temperature. With this kind of measurement, the manufacturing process can always remain optimal.
On the other hand, in agriculture, the temperature of soil is crucial for crop growth. This helps with the production of plants, maximizing the output.
Followed are some sub-categories of Temp Sensors:
Thermocouples: These are voltage devices that indicate temperature measuring with a change in voltage. As temperature goes up, the output voltage of the thermocouple rises.
Resistor temperature detectors (RTD): The resistance of the device is directly proportional to the temperature, increase in a positive direction when the temperature rises resistance going up.
Thermistors: It is a temperature sensitive resistor that changes its physical resistance with the change in temperature.
IC (Semiconductor): They are linear devices where the conductivity of the semiconductor increases linearly and it takes advantage of the variable resistance properties of semiconductor materials. It can provide a direct temperature reading in digital form, especially at low temperatures.
Infrared sensors: It detects temperature by intercepting a portion of emitted infrared energy of the object or substance, and sensing its intensity, can be used to measure temperature of solids and liquids only, Not possible to use it on gases because of their transparent nature.

Proximity sensor
A device that detects the presence or absence of a nearby object, or properties of that object, and converts it into signal which can be easily read by user or a simple electronic instrument without getting in contact with them
Proximity sensors are largely used in the retail industry, as they can detect motion and the correlation between the customer and product they might be interested in. A user is immediately notified of discounts and special offers of nearby products.
Another big and quite an old use-case is vehicles. You are reversing your car and are alrmed about an obstacle while taking reverse, that’s the work of proximity sensor.
They are also used for parking availability in places such as malls, stadiums or airports.
Following are some of the Proximity Sensors sub-categorised:
Inductive Sensors: Inductive proximity sensors are used for non-contact detection to find out the presence of metallic objects using electromagnetic field or a beam of electromagnetic radiation.
It can operate at higher speeds than mechanical switches and also seems more reliable because of its robustness.
Capacitive Sensors : Capacitive proximity sensors can detect both metallic as well as non-metallic targets. Nearly all other materials are dielectric different from air. It can be used to sense very small objects through a large portion of target. So, generally used in difficult and complicated applications.
Photoelectric Sensors : Photoelectric sensor is made up of light-sensitive parts and uses a beam of light to detect the presence or absence of an object. It is an ideal alternative of inductive sensors. And used for long distance sensing or to sense non-metal object.
Ultrasonic Sensors: Ultrasonic sensors are also used to detect the presence or to measure the distance of targets similar to radar or sonar. This makes a reliable solution for harsh and demanding conditions.

Pressure sensor
A pressure sensor is a device that senses pressure and converts it into an electric signal. Here, the amount depends upon the level of pressure applied.
There are plenty of devices that rely on liquid or other forms of pressure. These sensors make it possible to create IoT systems that monitor systems and devices that are pressure propelled. With any deviation from standard pressure range, the device notifies the system administrator about any problems that should be fixed.
Deployment of these sensors is not only very useful in manufacturing, but also in the maintenance of whole water systems and heating systems, as it is easy to detect any fluctuation or drops in pressure.
Water quality sensor
Water quality sensors are used to detect the water quality and Ion monitoring primarily in water distribution systems.
Water is practically used everywhere. These sensors play an important role as they monitor the quality of water for different purposes. They are used in a variety of industries.
Following is a list of the most common kind of water sensors in use.
Chlorine Residual Sensor: It measures chlorine residual (i.e. free chlorine, monochloramine & total chlorine) in water and most widely used as disinfectant because of its efficiency.
Total organic carbon Sensor: TOC sensor is used to measure organic element in water.
Turbidity Sensor: Turbidity sensors measure suspended solids in water, typically it is used in river and stream gaging, wastewater and effluent measurement.
Conductivity Sensor: Conductivity measurements are carried out in industrial processes primarily to obtain information on total ionic concentrations (i.e. dissolved compounds) in water solutions.
pH Sensor: It is used to measure the pH level in the dissolved water, which indicates how acidic or basic (alkaline) it is.
Oxygen-Reduction Potential Sensor : The ORP measurement provides insights into the level of oxidation/reduction reactions occurring in the solution.

Chemical sensor
Chemical sensors are applied in a number of different industries. Their goal is to indicate changes in liquid or to find out air chemical changes. They play an important role in bigger cities, where it is necessary to track changes and protect the population.
Main use cases of chemical sensors can be found in Industrial environmental monitoring and process control, intentionally or accidentally released harmful chemical detection, explosive and radioactive detection, recycling processes on Space Station, pharma industries and laboratory etc.
Following are most common kind of chemical sensors in use:
Chemical field-effect transistor
Chemiresistor
Electrochemical gas sensor
Fluorescent chloride sensors
Hydrogen sulfide sensor
Nondispersive infrared sensor
pH glass electrode
Potentiometric sensor
Zinc oxide nanorod sensor

Gas sensor
Gas sensors are similar to the chemical ones, but are specifically used to monitor changes of the air quality and detect the presence of various gases. Like chemical sensors, they are used in numerous industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and health and used for air quality monitoring, Detection of toxic or combustible gas, Hazardous gas monitoring in coal mines, Oil & Gas industries, chemical Laboratory research, Manufacturing – paints, plastics, rubber, pharmaceutical & petrochemical etc.
Following are some common Gas sensors:
Carbon dioxide sensor
Breathalyzer
Carbon monoxide detector
Catalytic bead sensor
Hydrogen sensor
Air pollution sensor
Nitrogen oxide sensor
Oxygen sensor
Ozone monitor
Electrochemical gas sensor
Gas detector
Hygrometer

Smoke sensor
A smoke sensor is a device that senses smoke (airborne particulates & gases ) and it’s level.
They have been in use for a long period of time. However, with the development of IoT, they are now even more effective, as they are plugged into a system that immediately notifies the user about any problem that occurs in different industries.
Smoke sensors are extensively used by manufacturing industry, HVAC, buildings and accommodation infra to detect fire and gas incidences. This serves to protect people working in dangerous environments, as the whole system is much more effective in comparison to the older ones.
Common Type of Smoke Sensors
Smoke sensors detect the presence of Smoke, Gases and Flame surrounding their field. It can be detected either optically or by the physical process or by the use of both the methods.
Optical smoke Sensor (Photoelectric) : Optical smoke sensor used the light scatter principle trigger to occupants.
Ionization smoke Sensor: Ionization smoke sensor works on the principle of ionization, kind of chemistry to detect molecules causing a trigger alarm.

IR sensors
An infrared sensor is a sensor which is used to sense certain characteristics of its surroundings by either emitting or detecting infrared radiation. It is also capable of measuring the heat being emitted by the objects.
They are now used in a variety of IoT projects, especially in Healthcare as they make monitoring of blood flow and blood pressure simple. They are even used in a wide array of regular smart devices such as smartwatches and smartphones as well. Other common use includes Home appliances & remote control, Breath analysis, Infrared vision (i.e. visualize heat leaks in electronics, monitor blood flow, art historians to see under layers of paint), wearable electronics, optical communication, non-contact based temperature measurements, Automotive blind-angle detection.
Their usage does not end there, they are also a great tool for ensuring high-level security in your home. Also, their application includes environment checks, as they can detect a variety of chemicals and heat leaks. They are going to play an important role in the smart home industry, as they have a wide-range of applications.

Level sensors
A sensor which is used to determine the level or amount of fluids, liquids or other substances that flow in an open or closed system is called Level sensor.
Like IR sensors, level sensors are present in a wide array of industries. They are primarily known for measuring fuel levels, but they are also used in businesses that work with liquid materials. For example, the recycling industry, as well as the juice and alcohol industry rely on these sensors to measure the number of liquid assets in their possession.
Best use cases of level sensor is, Fuel gauging & liquid levels in open or closed containers, Sea level monitoring & Tsunami warning, water reservoirs, Medical equipment, compressors, hydraulic reservoirs, machine tools, Beverage and pharmaceutical processing, High or low-level detection etc.
This helps better streamline their businesses, as sensors collect all the important data at all times. With the use of these sensors, any product manager can precisely see how much liquid is ready to be distributed and whether the manufacturing should be stepped up.
There are two basic level measurement types:
Point level sensors: Point level sensors usually detect the particular specific level and respond to the user if the sensing object is above or below that level. It is integrated into single device to get an alarm or trigger
Continuous level Sensor: Continuous level sensors measure liquid or dry material levels within a specified range and provide outputs which continuously indicate the level. The best example of it is fuel level display in the vehicle.

Image sensors
Image sensors are instruments which are used to convert optical images into electronic signals for displaying or storing files electronically.
The major use of image sensor is found in digital camera & modules, medical imaging and night vision equipment,thermal imaging devices, radar, sonar, media house, Biometric & IRIS devices.
Two main types of sensors are used in: CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) imagers. Although each type of sensor uses different technology to capture images,
Both CCD and CMOS imagers use metal-oxide semiconductors, having the same degree of sensitivity to light, and no inherent quality difference
An average consumer would think that this is a regular camera, but even though this is not far from the truth, image sensors are connected with a wide range of different devices, making their functionality much better.
One of the best-known uses includes the car industry, in which imagery plays a very important role. With these sensors, the system can recognize signs, obstacles and many other things that a driver would generally notice on the road. They play a very important role in IoT industry, as they directly affect the progress of driverless cars.
They are also implemented in improved security systems, where images help capture details about the perpetrator.
In the retail industry, these sensors serve to collect data about customers, helping businesses get a better insight into who is actually visiting their store, race, gender, age are only some of the useful parameters that retail owners get by using these IoT sensors.

Motion detection sensors
A motion detector is an electronic device which is used to detect the physical movement(motion) in a given area and it transforms motion into an electric signal ; motion of any object or motion of human beings
Motion detection plays an important role in the security industry. Businesses utilize these sensors in areas where no movement should be detected at all times, and it is easy to notice anybody’s presence with these sensors installed. These are primarily used for intrusion detection systems, Automatics door control, Boom Barrier, Smart Camera (i.e motion based capture/video recording),Toll plaza, Automatic parking systems, Automated sinks/toilet flusher,Hand dryers,energy management systems(i.e. Automated lighting, AC, Fan, Appliances control) etc.
On the other hand, these sensors can also decipher different types of movements, making them useful in some industries where a customer can communicate with the system by waving a hand or by performing a similar action. For example, someone can wave to a sensor in the retail store to request assistance with making the right purchase decision.
Even though their primary use is correlated with the security industry, as the technology advances, the number of possible applications of these sensors is only going to grow.
Following are key motion sensor types widely used:
Passive Infrared (PIR) : It Detects body heat (infrared energy) and the most widely used motion sensor in home security systems.
Ultrasonic : Sends out pulses of ultrasonic waves and measures the reflection off a moving object By tracking the speed of sound waves.
Microwave : Sends out radio wave pulses and measures the reflection off a moving object. They cover a larger area than infrared & ultrasonic sensors, but they are vulnerable to electrical interference and more expensive.

Accelerometer sensors
Accelerometer is a transducer that is used to measure the physical or measurable acceleration experienced by an object due to inertial forces and converts the mechanical motion into an electrical output. It is defined as rate of change of velocity with respect to time
These sensors are now present in millions of devices, such as smartphones. Their uses involve detection of vibrations, tilting and acceleration in general. This is great for monitoring your driving fleet, or using a smart pedometer. In some instances, it is used as a form of anti-theft protection, as the sensor can send an alert through the system if an object that should remain stationary is moved.
They are widely used in cellular & media devices, vibration measurement, Automotive control and detection, free fall detection, aircraft and aviation industries, movement detection, sports academy/athletes behavior monitoring, consumer electronics, industrial & construction sites etc.
There are various kinds of accelerometers and following are few mainly used in IoT projects:
Hall-effect accelerometers : Hall-effect accelerometers are using Hall principle to measure the acceleration, it measures the voltage variations caused by changes in a magnetic field around them.
Capacitive accelerometers : Capacitive accelerometers sensing output voltage dependents on the distance between two planar surfaces. Capacitive accelerometers are also less prone to noise and variation with temperature.
Piezoelectric accelerometers: Piezoelectric sensing principle is working on the piezoelectric effect. Piezo-film based accelerometers are best used to measure vibration, shock, and pressure.
Each accelerometer sensing technology has its own advantages and compromises. Before selecting, it’s important to understand the basic differences of the various types and the test requirements.

Gyroscope sensors
Gyroscope sensors :
A sensor or device which is used to measure the angular rate or angular velocity is known as Gyro sensors, Angular velocity is simply defined as a measurement of speed of rotation around an axis. It is a device used primarily for navigation and measurement of angular and rotational velocity in 3-axis directions. The most important application is monitoring the orientation of an object.
Their main applications are in Car navigation systems, Game controllers,Cellular & camera devices, consumer electronics, Robotics control, Drone & RC control helicopter or UAV control, Vehicle control/ADAS and many more.
There are several different kinds of gyro sensors which are selected by their working mechanism, output type, power, sensing range and environmental conditions.
Rotary (classical) gyroscopes
Vibrating Structure Gyroscope
Optical Gyroscopes
MEMS(micro-electro-mechanical systems) Gyroscopes
These sensors are always combined with accelerometers. The use of these two sensors simply provides more feedback to the system. WIth gyroscopic sensors installed, many devices can help athletes improve the efficiency of their movements, as they gain access to the athletes movement during sports activities.
This is only one example of its application, however, as the role of this sensor is to detect rotation or twist, its application is crucial for the automation of some manufacturing processes.
Humidity sensors
Humidity is defined as the amount of water vapour in an atmosphere of air or other gases. The most commonly used terms are “Relative Humidity (RH)
These sensors usually follow the use of temperature sensors, as many manufacturing processes require perfect working conditions. Through measuring humidity, you can ensure that the whole process runs smoothly, and when there is any sudden change, action can be taken immediately, as sensors detect the change almost instantaneously. Their applications and use can be found in Industrial & residential domain for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems control. They can also be found in Automotive, museums, industrial spaces and greenhouses , meteorology stations,Paint and coatings industries, hospitals & pharma industries to protect medicines

Optical sensors
A sensor which measures the physical quantity of light rays and convert it into electrical signal which can be easily readable by user or an electronic instrument/device is called optical sensor. Optical sensors are loved by IoT experts, as they are practical for measuring different things simultaneously. The technology behind this sensor allows it to monitor electromagnetic energy, which includes, electricity, light and so on.
Due to this fact, these sensors have found use in healthcare, environment monitoring, energy, aerospace and many more industries. With their presence oil companies, pharmaceutical companies and mining companies are in a much better position to track environmental changes while keeping their employees safe.T
Their main use can be found in Ambient light detection, digital optical switches, optical fibres communications,due to Electrical isolation best suited for oil and gas applications, civil and transportation fields, High speed network systems, elevator door control, assembly line part counters and safety systems.
Following are key type of optical sensors:
Photodetector: It uses light sensitive semiconductor materials like photocells,photodiodes or phototransistors to work as photodetector
Fiber Optics : Fibers optics carry no current, So its immune to electrical & electromagnetics interference and even in damaged condition no sparking or shock hazard happens.
Pyrometer : It estimates the temperature of an object by sensing the color of the light and Objects radiate light according to their temperature and produce same colors at same temperature.
Proximity & Infrared : Proximity use light to sense objects nearby and Infrared are used where visible light would be inconvenient.

The African Leadership University and General Electric are currently accepting applications into their Post Graduate programme in the IIOT space. Follow this links to apply:
https://www.alueducation.com/aiip/
https://aiip.smapply.io

You are right, it can work, and more and more products are using iot, which is showing its effectiveness. Also, in the article https://www.eliftech.com/insights/iot-product-development-step-by-step-guide-eliftech/ there is more information about the development of such a product

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