IoT

Sensors

These devices are equipped with multiple sensors for measuring environmental data. Examples of such sensors include:

• Magnetometers (“magnetic compass”) to indicate compass direction
• Accelerometer to measure a change in speed or direction
• Anemometer to measure wind speed
• Barometer to measure atmospheric pressure
• Biometric sensors
• Smartphone digital cameras are used to measure distance, heart rate and more.
• GPS units
• Gyroscope
• Hygrometer to measure humidity
• Light sensor to measure light intensity (in lux)

Connected

Essential to these devices is connectivity, more often than not, always-on high-speed Internet connectivity for uploading and downloading data. Modern broadband always-on Internet is widespread, and as network speeds increase and data costs drop, we see more devices becoming connected.

Automated

All of this cleverness allows automation with little to zero human input, allowing around-the-clock observation and data collection.

This creates an astounding number of possibilities.

Examples

Remote Automatic Weather Stations

Automatic weather stations at remote locations in the wilderness or even at sea must be self-powered (mostly by solar panels) and able to upload data from the data logger to a remote server.

Most automatic weather stations have:

• Thermometer for measuring temperature
• Anemometer for measuring wind speed
• Wind vane for measuring wind direction
• Hygrometer for measuring humidity
• Barometer for measuring atmospheric pressure

Some weather stations have:

• Ceilometer for measuring cloud height
• Present weather sensor and/or visibility sensor
• Rain gauge for measuring liquid-equivalent precipitation
• Ultrasonic snow depth sensor for measuring the depth of snow
• Pyranometer for measuring solar radiation

Mars Curiosity Rover

The Mars Curiosity Rover is bristling with sensors:

• Cameras
  • Mastcam for colour images
  • MAHLI for taking extreme close-up images
  • MARDI colour video
• Spectrometers
  • APXS
  • ChemCam
  • CheMin
  • SAM
• Radiation Detectors
  • RAD
  • DAN
• Environmental Sensors
  • REMS
• Atmospheric Sensors
  • MEDLI

Reading up on how communication with Curiosity Rover takes place is equally technologically impressive. ^[2]

Advantages

• Information can be relayed in real-time.
• Computers are capable of operating in environments unsafe for humans.
• Reliable, continuous monitoring.

Disadvantages

• A human might detect phenomena or conditions other than those being monitored.
• IoT raises many concerns about privacy & security. Hackers may gain access to information or even gain control of systems (e.g., disabling a security system)

Coding & Robotics

One of the goals of a Coding & Robotics syllabus is to enable students to learn about creating such IoT devices. Several kits are available for this and most of them revolve around Arduino or Raspberry Pi devices.