Overview of the Internet of Things: Definitions, Characteristics and Evolution

Published: December 17, 2024
Estimated reading time: 30 minutes

(journalism) lede

The Internet of Things (IoT), as the third information technology revolution after the personal computer and the Internet, is profoundly changing the way we live and work. In this article, we will bring you an in-depth understanding of the core concepts of IoT, its basic features and development history, and lay a solid foundation for subsequent in-depth study of IoT technology.

catalogs

1. Definition and meaning of the Internet of Things
2. Basic features of the Internet of Things
3. Technical Architecture of the Internet of Things
4. The evolution of the Internet of Things
5. Analysis of the current state of the Internet of Things
6. Future Development Trends

1. Definition and meaning of the Internet of Things

1.1 Definition of the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the collection of all kinds of needed information such as objects or processes that need to be monitored, connected, and interacted with through a variety of information sensors, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and global positioning system (GPS), etc., and the realization of ubiquitous connection between things and things and things and people through all kinds of possible network access to achieve intelligent sensing, identification, and management of objects and processes.

1.2 Core elements of the Internet of Things

• perceptual layer: Sensors, RFID, GPS and other data collection devices
• network layer: Various types of communication networks and gateway equipment
• podium floor: Data processing platforms such as cloud computing and edge computing
• application layer (computing): Specific applications such as smart home, industrial IoT, smart city, etc.

2. Basic features of the Internet of Things

2.1 Comprehensive perception

The Internet of Things (IoT) realizes a comprehensive perception of the physical world through various types of sensors, RFID tags and other terminal devices. It mainly includes:

• Environment sensing: temperature, humidity, light, etc.
• Location awareness: GPS, Beidou and other positioning technologies
• State awareness: equipment operation status, fault detection, etc.

2.2 Reliable transmission

The IoT needs to ensure reliable transmission of data and key features include:

2.3 Intelligent Processing

The IoT system is capable of intelligently processing the collected data, mainly:

• Data cleansing and pre-processing
• Data analysis and mining
• Intelligent decision-making and control

3. Technical architecture of the Internet of Things

3.1 Four-tier architecture model

4. Evolution of the Internet of Things

4.1 Critical time points

• 1999: MIT presents the concept of the Internet of Things
• 2005: ITU Releases ITU Internet Report 2005: The Internet of Things
• 2009: IBM presents the concept of "Smart Planet".
• 2012: The Internet of Things enters a period of rapid development
• 2015: The Rise of the Industrial Internet of Things
• 2020: 5G commercialization accelerates IoT development

5. Analysis of the current status of the Internet of Things

5.1 Market size

5.2 Distribution of application areas

Market share distribution by major applications:

• Industrial Internet of Things (IoT):: 35%
  • smart manufacturing
  • Predictive maintenance
  • chain management
• consumer internet of things (CIoT): 25%
  • smart home
  • wearable
  • smart home appliance
• Business Internet of Things: 20%
  • smart retail
  • intelligent building
  • Asset tracking
• Other areas: 20%
  • intelligent agriculture
  • environmental monitoring
  • healthcare

6. Future development trends

6.1 Technology trends

1. 5G/6G convergence
   • Higher speeds: peak rates increased to over 10Gbps
   • Lower latency: end-to-end latency reduced to less than 1ms
   • Greater connectivity: connection density increased to 1 million/km²
2. AI Deep Integration
   • Edge Intelligence: enhanced AI capabilities on the device side
   • Adaptive Learning: System Self-Optimization Capability Enhancement
   • Intelligent decision-making: significant improvement in decision-making accuracy
3. Security Enhancement
   • Blockchain applications: enhancing data credibility
   • Privacy computing: securing data
   • Zero Trust Architecture: Enhancing System Security

6.2 Application trends

Future IoT applications will show the following trends:

• Vertical industry deepening: more focused on industry-specific solutions
• Ecosystem improvement: closer industry chain synergy
• Business model innovation: accelerating service-oriented transformation
• Accelerated standardization: the gradual formation of globally harmonized standards

Summary and outlook

The Internet of Things (IoT), as an important part of the new generation of information technology, is accelerating its penetration into various fields. With the maturity of 5G, AI and other technologies, IoT will usher in greater opportunities for development and promote the construction of a digital economy and a smart society. In the future, IoT will continue to deepen its integration with various industries, bringing more innovative applications and business models, and injecting new momentum into social development.

Extended Reading

• Introduction to Internet of Things Systems
• 5G and IoT Technologies
• Architecture and Practice of the Internet of Things
• Industrial Internet of Things Technologies and Applications

Keywords:Internet of Things (IoT) IoT perceptual technology network communication intelligent processing technical architecture