From smart cities and cars to smart stethoscopes and dog collars, Internet of Things (IoT) examples are becoming more commonplace every day.
Former Google and Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt made this bold IoT prediction during a panel at the World Economic Forum back in 2015: “[T]he Internet will disappear. There will be so many IP addresses, so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with, that you won’t even sense it. It will be part of your presence all the time.”
We’re not there yet, but we could be soon. With the number of connected devices expected to reach 27 billion by 2025, consumers will undoubtedly encounter IoT devices. To help understand how IoT works and how connected we really are, let’s take a look at real-life Internet of Things examples and the companies behind them.
Audi drivers can choose from a slate of Audi connect® plans, which offer various connectivity features for Audi vehicles. With this IoT system, drivers can receive their EV’s charging status, control a vehicle’s interior temperature and review data on their driving behavior — all from their phone. Audi has doubled down on connectivity by forming a partnership with Cisco to keep its connected vehicles secure.
Zubie offers real-time GPS for rent and business fleet tracking while monitoring vehicle health and driver performance. If a driver is in the habit of braking hard or accelerating rapidly, that information can be used to track maintenance and avoid potential accidents as well as increase fuel efficiency.
While Tesla is known for making strides in the electric vehicle market, connectivity plays a big part in Tesla’s cars too. All cars come with connectivity features that provide access to features through Wi-Fi only, in addition to basic maps, navigation and music streaming. Users can purchase Tesla’s Premium Connectivity to access all connectivity features through cellular data as well as Wi-Fi.
Tesla also gives drivers the option to connect to their vehicle through the Tesla app, which can access the vehicle’s charging history and climate controls and be used to schedule service and roadside assistance.
LG Electronics offers home appliances, consumer electronics and B2B solutions, as well as products ranging from digital signage and air conditioning to solar and vehicle components. LG’s ThinQ line of appliances incorporates machine learning and can easily connect to Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. LG’s ThinQ app can also be used to connect to devices — and devices will notify you when maintenance is needed. Users can choose from smart appliances like refrigerators, washers, dryers and ovens.
While Samsung may be a recognizable name for its mobile devices, the electronics company also offers smart home appliances and TVs. Samsung products use seamless integration to allow users to connect phones, tablets and computers easily to one another. Samsung’s connected appliances can also be accessed through a mobile device where users can schedule cleanings with the Jet Cordless Stick Vacuum or get notifications when the fridge door is left open.
Electrolux is a home appliance company offering fridges, ovens, washers, dryers and more. Founded in 1919, Electrolux designs its products to be sustainable by using sensor technology that prevents excessive energy use in dryers and fridges. As a result, the company has improved its products’ energy efficiency by 12.6 percent since 2015.
Tovala pairs its smart oven with a meal-kit delivery subscription service to provide users with an effortless, mess-free way to cook food. Tovala’s smart oven works by scanning QR or bar codes and connecting to Wi-Fi, which it then uses to determine the best temperature and time to cook the food to avoid undercooking or burning.
Wyze makes a wide range of IoT-controlled devices and appliances to help people control the products they interact with more seamlessly. Wyze’s smart security cameras offer both wired and wireless options and can be stacked on top of each other to provide more coverage. The Wyze app can connect to any of the company’s devices so users can view video feeds when they are away from home.
Josh.ai provides voice-controlled home automation that can connect to a variety of devices. The voice-based Josh OS can connect to smart devices like phones, watches, TVs and tablets. The options for home security range from doorbell cameras and door locks to ceiling and outdoor cameras. The Josh app lets users control their devices remotely.
Verkada operates a connected, around-the-clock security system that includes a variety of security cameras available in different sizes and configurations, as well as environmental sensors, integrated alarm panels and access control devices like door controllers, camera intercoms and door readers. Each Verkada device is controllable through the company’s Command platform, which delivers actionable insights in real time and automatic updates to all cloud-connected devices.
SimpliSafe makes wireless and cellular home security systems that are disaster-ready, protected against power outages, operate on extra-secure networks and employ deep encryption. The company’s Glass Break Sensors can differentiate between types of shattering — say, a broken bottle versus a broken window pane.
Eyelock creates iris-based identity authentication technology. Its suite of IoT products serves the automotive, financial, retail, mobile and healthcare sectors. Eyelock’s nanoIXT is a security system that can authenticate 30 people per minute. Designed for controlled access environments, the nanoIXT is equipped with verbal, multi-language support and auto-tilt cameras for scanning facial features and irises.
John Deere acquired tech startup Blue River Technology in 2017 to further the company’s goal of applying IoT and machine learning to agriculture. Deere’s equipment monitors important agricultural factors like moisture levels, air and soil temperature and wind speed and relays the collected data to farmers. The company’s tractors and other equipment are outfitted with satellite-connected guidance and tracking systems that collect data allowing for what’s called “precision farming,” which greatly increases the efficiency of fertilizers and pesticides.
HerdDogg makes lightweight sensors that are attached to the ears of herd animals to collect herd data and transmit it to the cloud, where it can then be accessed via the company’s app. HerdDogg also offers a drone that taps into the GPS location of herd animals so farmers and ranchers can oversee their herds remotely.
AGCO has developed a smart farming platform called Fuse, which enables farmers to digitize daily processes. The platform contains a number of mobile tools for managing fleets, making operations more productive and informing decisions, among other uses. For example, the Connect mobile app compiles equipment data, so farmers can spot inefficiencies and implement changes to improve machines’ performance.
Engage3’s Price Image tool helps retailers set prices and evaluate competitive costs by using machine learning to combine in-store audits, web scraping and point-of-sales data. Its platform provides predictive analytics, historical pricing data and a product database containing millions of UPCs and billions of annual price updates.
Enevo uses IoT-enabled container sensors to manage waste and recycling services for a variety of sectors, including retail. The company’s sensors collect dumpster data that can then be compared with collection schedules so waste haulers can’t bill customers for collections that weren’t made.
Spectralink uses IoT-linked technology to help mobile workers improve customer care, operational efficiency, omnichannel sales and sales associate knowledge. The company provides solutions for retailers to equip mobile workers, like delivery drivers, with devices and apps that are connected to its AMIE platform. Spectralink’s AMIE provides a central location to manage deployment, analytics and diagnostics as well as alert users when issues arise.
Zippin employs an ecosystem of sensors, cameras and check-in kiosks to support checkout-free retail stores. Shoppers check in with an app or credit card at a kiosk before entering the store. Then, sensors and cameras track when shoppers select items off of shelves to determine their total charge. Customers can view items and automatic charges on their phones without having to wait in a checkout line, creating a more seamless in-store experience.
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Endotronix’s Cordella heart failure system connects patients and doctors through proactive monitoring with goals like the early detection of heart failure, better-informed medical interventions and more efficient patient management. Doctors implant a tiny Endotronix sensor to monitor pulmonary arterial pressure instead of doing a much more invasive heart catheterization.
Nexleaf provides data analytics tools and lightweight sensor services to those in the global public health and climate change sectors. Through its medical equipment program, Nexleaf has used its sensor data to pinpoint gaps in healthcare systems. In addition, the company runs a vaccine program where it uses sensors to track vaccines in transit, alerting teams if dangerous conditions are detected.
By attaching Propeller’s sensor to an inhaler, users can learn more about what triggers asthma attacks while staying connected to friends, family and healthcare providers through an online app. According to the company’s website, using digital data to assess asthma control has been shown to more accurately determine how many inhaler puffs were needed to control an attack, which in turn could influence usage guidelines and improve patient health.
Nanit develops smart baby monitors to help families provide more personalized care for their babies. The company’s Nanit Pro Camera collects and shares data with a mobile app, analyzing data on a baby’s movements, sleeping, breathing and immediate environment. This way, parents can better understand their babies’ sleep patterns, take steps to help their babies get higher-quality sleep and act quickly upon receiving alerts.
Tulip’s platform is designed to help frontline operations teams build functional and user-friendly apps that integrate with hardware throughout the factory. Its I/O Gateway and Edge MC facilitate easy connection to devices, sensors and machines in any factory, allowing them to provide real-time production insights and visualizations of shop floor data. The platform also enables users to create and customize reports, dashboards and visualizations to best fit their needs with the self-service analytics tool.
StrongArm Technologies makes IoT-connected safety wearables that use a massive industrial data set to provide workers with athlete-level attention and keep them safe while on the job. The company’s wearables collect gigabytes of data per day from each worker, calculating metrics on motion, time at work, machine data and CCTV activity to form a safety score that can uncover weaknesses or blind spots.
Amper’s production monitoring system uses machine learning, data science and IoT sensors to enhance the manufacturing process. The sensors register a variety of factors, including energy use and downtime, so factory owners and supervisors can plan schedules, cut costs and pinpoint areas of growth.
Axzon sensors provide real-time data on temperature and moisture during the automotive manufacturing process, and its predictive maintenance technology monitors the condition of factory equipment to help prevent breakdowns and time-consuming repairs. The sensors keep tabs on equipment temperature, which can prevent overheating, melted motor windings and broken bearings.
UrbanFootprint’s urban planning software is used to design sustainable cities and evaluate energy usage. The city of Madison, Wisconsin enlisted the company to model the impacts and benefits (on things like transit accessibility, public health and emissions) of enhancing its bus rapid transit system as part of a 2040 Comprehensive Plan update.
Telit builds IoT connectivity management platforms that can be scaled up to sustain the needs of smart cities. With these platforms, cities can use mobile devices to monitor public lighting, dim or brighten them based on the time of day and traffic needs and stay on top of any lighting outages. City governments can also adjust lights in different areas to accommodate first responders and deter crime at certain hours, among other use cases.
HAAS Alert has designed a Safety Cloud for first responders and other emergency personnel to communicate alerts with drivers in real time. Drivers can receive digital alerts about upcoming accident scenes, approaching emergency vehicles and students crossing the street up ahead to board a school bus. Giving drivers a faster heads-up in these scenarios allows them to take extra precautions, preventing additional accidents and traffic confusion.
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the ecosystem of connected devices, including sensors, appliances and software. Often attached to machines and equipment, these devices compile data from their surroundings and share it with the cloud and other devices.
Examples of the Internet of Things include connected cars, smart appliances, connected security systems and smart agricultural equipment.