Connected Living According to a NASSCOM report published in 2017, the IoT landscape in India is expected to reach $15 Billion by 2020, making up 5% of the global market. The last three years have seen over 100 Indian startups in IoT. Investors are showing interest in startups offering innovative IoT solutions and a whopping $60 million has been invested in the last two years. Among the leading verticals, healthcare and manufacturing are hot for investment.  

IoT Implementations Talking about IOT applications, we may divide them into two broad categories: Industrial and Consumer segments. The industrial segment includes industrial and retail automation, contributing to the development of smart offices and smart cities. In the coming years, more organizations shift towards IoT will for improved and efficient businesses for higher productivity and better business returns. The manufacturing industry is using smart machines to improve the overall manufacturing process and to produce better goods.

The consumer segment, on the other hand, covers smart lifestyle, home, health, and fitness automation. IoT-based lighting system (with in-built sensors), remotely controlled air conditioners or smart security systems are already in use. Smart water management solutions from IoT Solutionz (an initiative by Pixel Solutionz with smart monitoring and automatic pump control services, helps you cut down on power bills, save water for later use.   Wearable technology is largely in use for monitoring critical health conditions. Sensors are collecting data and at the same time, the data is made available for doctors. Now doctors can monitor crucial patients, closely, all the time, even when working from a far-off location.  

Bigger players in the fray On a larger scale, IoT-based surveillance systems with LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network), is used to solve the problem of chlorination plant chlorine leakage along with chlorine cylinder temperature in India, has already been implemented. Google’s Project Brillo, which includes familiar tools such as Android Studio, the Android SDK, Google Play Services, and Google Cloud Platform, allows developers to build smart devices with Android APIs and Google services while staying highly secure with updates direct from Google. IoT is one of the biggest game changers of the century.

The Indian consumers have already realized the potential of smarts and market experts predict a steady growth for IoT-based solutions. The coming years will see more companies with better offerings, making life simpler for us. The IoT landscape in India looks bright and promising.

When aiming for any Internet of Things (IoT) project, the first thing comes in mind is to choose a microcontroller. Microcontroller is the brain of the system. The whole system is controlled by microcontroller. Information sent by the sensors is processed, converted if required and then the output is being chosen accordingly by the microcontroller. There are a number of microcontrollers available. So we have to choose the correct microcontroller for our project to reduce price and increase performance. Here we will be discussing with some microcontrollers and some development boards which can be used in project. 1. ATMEL ATMEGA 8A Atmega 8A is a microcontroller from Atmel. The key features are – 1. 8 Kilobytes of in system programmable flash memory 2. 1 Kilobytes of Internal SRAM 3. 3 PWM Channels 4. 6 Channel ADC 5. 23 Programmable IO Pins 6. 512 bytes EEPROM So, Atmega 8 can be used where the program memory is less than 8 Kilobytes and there are fewer variables as the SRAM memory is only 1 Kilobyte. Pros: 1. Lightweight because there are only 28 pins and it comes in small PDIP package. 2. 23 Programmable IO Pins can handle a lot of sensors and outputs. 3. Low Cost Buy 4. Easy to program 5. 6 channel 10 bit ADC can handle six different analog sensors. Cons: 1. Only 1 KB of SRAM 2. There are only 3 PWM Channels 3. Any type of wireless communication must be added externally. 2. ATMEGA 328P Atmega 328p is a 8-bit low power microcontroller with 32k In-System Programmable flash in a 28 pin PDIP Package. Features — 1. 32 Kilobytes of in system programmable flash memory 2. 2 Kilobytes of Internal SRAM 3. 6 PWM Channels 4. 6 channel ADC 5. 23 IO Pins 6. 1 Kilobyte of EEPROM Pros: 1. 32 KB Flash Memory can handle bigger programs. 2. 6 PWM channels can be used for six different analog output machines. 3. 1KB of EEPROM can store a lot of data even when the power is off.. Cons: 1. Costly (Buy) 2. For wireless communication we have to add modules externally. 3. NODEMCU ESP8266 NodeMCU is an open-source firmware and development kit that helps you to prototype or builds IoT products. It includes firmware that runs on the ESP8266 Wi-Fi SoC from Espressif Systems. Features: 1. 4 Megabytes of in system programmable flash memory. 2. 128 Kilobytes of internal RAM 3. 802.11b/g/n HT40 WifiTranceiver 4. 10 Programmable GPIOs 5. Single ADC 6. 10 PWM Pins Above features of NodeMCU ESP 8266 shows that it is ideal for wifi based projects. Though there are some cons. Pros: 1. Wifi in-built 2. Current Consumption is as small as 80 mA during transmission and 20 uA during sleep. 3. All GPIOs are PWM enabled. 4. 4 Megabytes of program space can hold an extremely large program. Cons: 1. Only one ADC. For multiple sensors we have to use multiplexer. 2. The number of GPIOs is quite low. 4. ESP32 DEV BOARD Created by Express if Systems, ESP 32 is a low cost, low power system on chip series with wifi and bluetooth capabilities. Features: 1. ESP 32 is Dual Core 2. Wifi and Bluetooth built in 3. 4 MB of in system programmable flash memory 4. 512 KB SRAM 5. 34 GPIOs 6. 18 Channel ADC Pros: 1. 34 GPIOs can be connected with a lot of input and output devices. 2. 18 channel ADC makes it easier to connect with multiple analog sensors. 3. It has built in touch switches. 4. WiFi and Bluetooth two in one features make the communication easier. 5. ADC is 12 bit so, more accuracy. Cons: 1. High Price 2. More complex 3. Because it is more recent than esp 8266, not all software has been developed to take the most out of the ESP32 functionalities. 5. RASPBERRY PI 3 Raspberry pi 3 is a single board computer with LAN, wifi and bluetooth connectivity. Features: 1. Quad Core broadcam BCM 2837 64 bit ARMv8 Processor 2. Runs at 1.2 GHz 3. Four USB Ports 4. 26 IO 5. 4 PWM Pins 6. 1GB internal RAM 7. Wifiand bluetooth 8. Ethernet 9. 3.5mm Audio Jack Above features makes it possible to use this Raspberry Pi where a PC or a greater processing power is necessary. Pros: 1. Raspberry pi does not require the user to have extensive programming experience. 2. The Raspberry pi is perfect for adaptive technology: It is able to display images or play videos at 1080p hd resolution to building systems such as digital jukeboxes or prototyping embedded systems. 3. The product is energy efficient and provides a greener ethical alternative to small businesses. This small credit card sized product makes it easy to recycle and does not release as much carbon dioxide emissions into the environment, unlike big servers that require lots of energy and extensive cooling systems. 4. The product also gives you a lot of room to experiment and turn it into something else that is entirely different. The SD cards on the board can be easily switched, which allows you to change the functions of the device without spending a lot of time re-installing the software. Cons: 1. It does not replace your computer, since the Ethernet is only a 10/100 and the processor is not as fast, it is time consuming to download and install software and is unable to do any complex multitasking. 2. Not compatible with other operating systems such as Windows. 3. Heavy Cost There are various microcontrollers or brains for different uses. When making a project we have to choose the microcontroller wisely depending on the requirement like project cost, wireless communication, number of digital and analog sensor etc. We provide a variety of IoT devices like Automatic Pump Controller, Motion Sensing Light, Safety Devices like Fire Alarm, Smoke Alarm and many Industrial IoT Solutions. Contact us if you have such requirements in mind.

The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into business is leading to exponential growth and expanding business results.

A typical AI is trained and fed with inputs that it uses to analyze and act accordingly. AI was founded as an academic discipline in 1956 and has been modified till 2010.

Since then, AI is being massively incorporated into various domains of the business sector.

Generally, AI technologies are fundamentally enabling businesses to develop innovative products and services.

How AI and IoT are transforming businesses?

It has gradually led to a revolution in our work, mindset, and lifestyle. It helps in business engagement leading to effective and meaningful interactions with its customers. Broad categories of Artificial Intelligence:-

• Analytical AI:- It works according to the learnings based on a large amount of data and past experiences to generate meaningful insights and inform future decisions.
• Human-inspired AI:- It consists of Cognitive and emotional intelligence, predicting and understanding human emotions.

Insight into the incorporation of AI in various domains:-

• Facebook face recognition:- It is face recognition technology used by Facebook to identify a person present in a photo through tag suggestion. The notification for tag suggestions comes automatically as a part of AI.
• Chatbot:- It is an AI software that engages interaction between a machine and a human through messaging applications, mobile apps, etc.
• YouTube recommendation:- Above all, youTube provides video recommendations according to the search history of a user as a part of AI.
• E-Commerce:- Through AI, online shopping portals give recommendations of items based on our shopped items and search history.

Such implementation of Artificial Intelligence in business has created a revolution in generating new leads, and enhanced customer experience, thereby leading to business growth.

A relevant quote by Daniel Derin reveals the importance of AI – “From better chatbots for customer service to data analytics watching your company’s activities, AI in business is rapidly becoming a commonly used competitive tool”.

Internet of Things (IoT):- The Internet of Things is an evolving term these days that have impacted our daily lifestyle on everything, ranging from the way we travel to the process manufacturers follow to keep track of their inventory.

It is a network of interrelated computing devices connecting software and hardware systems, which has the ability to transfer huge data without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction.

Advantages of AI and IoT in business

These days, we are used to a lot of facilities which is conceptualized by IoT.

• Ola or Uber cabs:- The whole concept of booking these cabs just by a click on your mobile app is based on IoT as it is connecting software and hardware with the huge network of IoT.
• Investigation of food security:- Devices with built-in sensors connected to an Internet of Things platform help to detect the quality of food being carried by truck.

Thus the huge amount of data and information generated by connected devices enables us to make smart decisions that save time and money.

IOT stands for the internet of things, to start with the first query. The Internet of Things refers to physical items used to gather and share data via a network connection.

A few examples of physical objects that have electronics, software, and sensors embedded in them are cars, buildings, devices, and other objects.

How is IoT useful and how is it gaining a lot of importance is a matter which one must look upon. IoT helps to revolutionize our lives in major ways some of which is been expressed as follows:

Efficient and real-time operations

The ability to connect devices to the Internet helps to bolster the efficiency and effectiveness of business operations with a real-time approach.

Opportunities to improvise business skills.

Along with the efficiency and effectiveness, we get an advantage from the out-of-the-box approach which gives us new ideas and methodologies to increase revenue streams.

Availability of data with the just-in-time approach.

With the availability of data, a wide range of techniques become available to help improvise creativity in the existing pattern of working thus helping to provide solutions just in time by surfing on the internet.

Improvise public relations through social media.

Public relations and marketing methods have started adopting the means of the internet like Whatsapp and Facebook thus staying connected with social circles. IoT has its advantages as well as disadvantages too.

Since we have landed up visiting through the advantages of IoT thus we should have a look at the disadvantages of the same too. Some of them are expressed below:

Cyber security and privacy concerns.

Devices connected through a network are vulnerable to thieves who hack the online data and steal sensitive information thus thereby hacking the private data.

Increase of virtual interactions than personal interactions. Dependency on gadgets and machinery.  

The wheel is a prime example of a technological improvement that allowed us to get more output with less input. So, we were able to improve our mobility with less energy, and that’s why it was such groundbreaking technology, that we still use today.

Now, fast forward that thinking to today and you’ll see how tech companies like Apple use the same force multipliers. They replaced the password for a smartphone, which constituted of keystrokes, with the phone camera taking a picture of the user, running a Machine Learning model, and unlocking the phone. It reduced the time of the task from several seconds to sub-seconds and put in place a more secure protocol.

5 ways AI/ML are transforming businesses

The probability that a random person in the world population could look at your iPhone or iPad Pro and unlock it using Face ID is approximately 1 in 1,000,000 with a single enrolled appearance. The use of such technological force multipliers put a more efficient process in place which is several times faster.

The tech companies pass on the time saved by force multipliers to the end-user, thereby creating a more compelling product. We’re in the midst of the next big technological transition.

Automating routine tasks

Data is the new currency. We are entering the age of Artificial Intelligence. AI is going to be a profound game-changer. “AI is the new electricity” – famously said by Andrew Ng, who is the co-founder of Coursera, and an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University.

So, instead of thinking of it as a product, think of it more as a power source. Appliances will be built on top of it. It is akin to the Internet in itself, as opposed to an application. This means every business is going to incorporate AI and ML in some capacity.

Some businesses have already incorporated these technologies into their core product. So, if you think about products like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple iPhone, all these products are leveraging AI and ML technology and using it to create a more compelling product.

Enhancing decision-making

Additionally, artificial Intelligence, bundled with Machine Learning, is the single answer to a variety of problems faced by businesses big and small. Businesses are learning to leverage AI and ML to boost sales as well as to detect revenue leakage and fraud.

An improved customer experience and automated work processes are brought about by these emerging technologies. A major use of them is in Big Data Analytics, crunching humongous customer and event data pools to identify patterns that result in predictive analysis.

The expensive overhead of a human workforce is slowly being replaced by chatbots and virtual assistants, which are just applications, built on top of artificial intelligence.

The longer you wait to incorporate these technologies, the more you are positioning yourself behind the cutting edge. One business that is leveraging ML to improve its processes is AirBnB.

Above all, they have enhanced customer satisfaction by using an API-based translation tool to help facilitate communication between users living in two different countries.

It has been a game-changer in the hospitality business. Businesses need to board the AI and ML train. If you miss it today, the competition will be far ahead of you tomorrow.

It has changed the world in more ways than we could imagine until a few years back. The changes and advancements in various domains will continue and will shape our future. A study reveals that around $6 trillion is estimated to be spent on the Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in the next five years. At present, each and every industry is impacted by it. The Internet of Things has already impacted our lives significantly.

Future trends in IoT in various domains:

• Retail companies:

Retail companies are investing heavily in IoT as they understand the importance of data-driven analytics and also to further improve customer experience. Customers, on the other hand, are enjoying the new experiences made possible because of IoT. The popular application cases in Retail sector are as below:

1. Use of Beacons to send notifications to the consumers about any coupon or sale.
2. Re-inventing trial rooms using virtual and smart mirrors.
3. Smart shirt monitors (like Heart Rate Polo Shirts) to monitor the heart and pulse rate.

• Manufacturing industries:

The manufacturing industry is making use of smart machines to improve the overall manufacturing process and to produce better goods. Industrial automation is now a familiar term which is the use of control systems, such as computers or robots, and information technologies for handling different processes and machineries in an industry to replace a human being. It enhances quality, flexibility, efficiency and productivity. The popular application cases are as below:

1. Application of RFID (radio frequency identification) tags with Wi-Fi infrastructure to track real-time productivity.
2. Application of smart tools to manage manufacturing processes like measuring, drilling, tightening etc. to improve production efficiency.

• Heath sector:

IoT is reshaping healthcare as well. Sensors are collecting data and at the same time, the data can be visible to doctors. This is helping doctors closely to monitor crucial patients from far away. The popular application cases are as below:

1. IoT enabled clinical trial solutions to evaluate specific outcomes.
2. Wearable devices to monitor pulse, heart, walking, biking, and other health data.
3. Sensor-enabled mobile devices to remotely monitor patients with chronic illness.

• Advanced internet facilities:

We are welcoming the era of 5G network which will allow the collection, management, and analysis of data in real-time. We are not far from the time when there won’t be any buffering in the internet speed and we won’t have to wait even for a minute to access information and services. As an increasingly digital-first nation, India is likely to witness a robust NB-IoT network being deployed in 2019. With the incorporation of ICT and IoT, we are heading towards the establishment of a smart city which will enhance operational efficiency, access to information, thereby uplifting the overall quality of life.