Introduction to Internet of Things
(IoT)
By : Lekhraj Vilhekar
Definition of IoT
• IoT stands for Internet of Things
• The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a
network of interconnected physical objects
such as devices, machines, vehicles, or people
embedded with sensors, software, and unique
identifiers that enable them to collect,
exchange, and process data over a network
without requiring direct human-to-human or
human-to-computer interaction
History of IOT
• 1982: Vending Machine: First IoT concept; reported inventory status
remotely.
• 1990: Toaster: First internet-connected appliance; remote control of
devices.
• 1999:IoT Term Coined: Kevin Ashton introduced "Internet of Things."
• 2000: LG Smart Fridge: Remote monitoring of fridge contents; IoT in daily
life.
• 2004: Smart Watch: Wearables with fitness tracking & notifications.
• 2007: iPhone: Smartphones became IoT hubs via apps and connectivity.
• 2009: Cars: IoT enabled diagnostics , performance monitoring.
• 2011: Smart TV: Internet enabled entertainment & apps.
• 2013: Google Lens: Object recognition linking physical world to digital
info.
• 2014: Amazon Echo: Voice controlled smart home via Alexa.
• 2015: Tesla Autopilot: Semiautonomous driving with IoT sensors/software.
Why IoT is Needed
• To automate daily activities
• To monitor systems remotely
• To improve efficiency and accuracy
• To enable smart decision making
Sensors collect data and send it via the network to edge or cloud systems where the
data is processed and analyzed. Results are delivered to users through apps or used to
automatically drive actuators and systems.
Components of IoT System
IoT systems are built on four essential components that work together to
enable seamless connectivity and intelligent decision-making:
1. Devices & Sensors
• Physical objects embedded with sensors or actuators that collect data from
the environment (e.g., temperature, motion, gas, light).
• Sensors convert physical signals into digital data for further analysis.
2. Connectivity: Networks such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRaWAN, or
5G that transmit data between devices, gateways, and cloud platforms.
3. Data Processing
• Edge devices, gateways, or cloud platforms process and analyze collected
data, often using AI or big data technologies.
• This step transforms raw data into meaningful insights.
4. User Interface (UI)
• Applications, dashboards, or mobile apps through which users interact with
IoT systems.
• Interfaces can also trigger actuators to perform automated actions.
Different types of Sensors
• Temperature Sensors: Measure heat or temperature changes in the
environment or objects.
• Image Sensors: Capture visual data for cameras and computer vision
applications.
• Gyro Sensors (Gyroscope): Detect angular velocity and orientation of
objects.
• Obstacle Sensors: Identify the presence of obstacles to avoid collisions.
• RF Sensors: Use radio frequency signals for detection, tracking, and
communication.
• IR Sensors (Infrared): Detect heat signatures or motion using infrared
light.
• MQ-02/05 Gas Sensors: Sense the presence and concentration of gases
like CO, methane, or smoke.
• LDR Sensor (Light Dependent Resistor): Measure light intensity and
brightness levels.
• Ultrasonic Distance Sensor: Calculate distance by using ultrasonic sound
waves.
IoT Enablers
• IoT enablers are the key technologies and tools that make the Internet of
Things work. They provide the foundation for devices to connect, collect
data, process information, and deliver meaningful outcomes.
• RFID & NFC: Used for automatic identification and tracking of objects
through radio waves or short-range communication.
• Sensor Technologies: Devices that measure environmental factors such as
motion, temperature, gas, or light and convert them into digital signals.
• Low-Power Embedded Systems: Specialized hardware designed to
consume minimal energy while delivering reliable performance, ensuring
longer device life.
• Smart Networks & Protocols: Communication methods like MQTT,
CoAP, Zigbee, and 5G that enable fast, efficient, and reliable data transfer.
• Cloud & Big Data: Platforms that store, manage, and analyze massive
volumes of IoT data to generate insights.
• Edge/Fog Computing: Local data processing near the devices, reducing
latency, improving speed, and saving bandwidth.
Working of IoT Devices
• Collect and Transmit Data : For this purpose sensors are widely
used they are used as per requirements in different application areas.
• Actuate device based on triggers produced by sensors or
processing devices: If certain conditions are satisfied or according
to user's requirements if certain trigger is activated then which
action to perform that is shown by Actuator devices.
• Receive Information: From network devices, users or devices can
take certain information also for their analysis and processing
purposes.
• Communication Assistance: Communication assistance is the
phenomenon of communication between 2 networks or
communication between 2 or more IoT devices of same or different
networks. This can be achieved by different communication
protocols like: MQTT, Constrained Application Protocol, ZigBee,
FTP, HTTP etc.
Characteristics of IoT
• Always Connected : IoT devices love to stay connected, but to save energy
they sometimes take small naps (sleep mode) and wake up only when
needed.
• Good at Teamwork: They can talk to all kinds of other devices big or
small, old or new without complaining about differences in hardware or
software.
• Adaptive in Nature: Like a quick learner, an IoT device can adjust itself
when situations change for example, a smart light getting brighter when the
room gets dark.
• Quietly Smart: They don’t just collect data; they process it to give
meaningful insights like a fitness tracker telling you not just how many
steps you walked, but how healthy your activity level is.
• Scalable: Whether you add one device or thousands, IoT systems are
designed to grow without losing efficiency.
• Energy Conscious: They know how to save battery, turning off when not
in use and waking up only when needed, just like an energy-efficient
roommate.
Features of IoT
• Real-time data collection
• Automation
• Cloud integration
• Remote access
• Security mechanisms
Basic IoT Architecture
• Device Layer – Sensors & Actuators
• Network Layer – Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Processing Layer – Cloud & Analytics
• Application Layer – User Interface
Applications of IoT
• Smart Homes
• Healthcare
• Agriculture
• Smart Cities
• Industrial IoT
Modern Applications
• Smart Grids and energy saving
• Earthquake detection
• Radiation detection/hazardous gas detection
• Smartphone detection
IoT in Healthcare
• Remote patient monitoring
• Smart wearable devices
• Emergency alert systems
Advantages of IoT
• Automation and efficiency
• Time and cost saving
• Better monitoring
• Improved safety
• Increased convenience and accessibility of
information.
Limitations of IoT
• Security risks
• Privacy concerns
• High implementation cost
• Internet dependency
Summary
• • IoT connects physical devices to the internet
• • Used in many domains
• • Has both advantages and limitations
Physical Design of IoT
Things in IoT:
I. IoT i.e Internet of things, where things refer to the IoT devices
which have unique identities and can perform remote sensing,
actuating and monitoring capabilities (ex: combination of
sensors, actuators, Arduino, relay, non IoT devices).
II. The IoT devices can share information with as well as collect
information from other connected devices and applications
(directly and indirectly).
III. They can process the data locally or in the cloud to find
greater insights and put them into action based on temporal and
space constraints (i.e space memory, processing capabilities,
communication latencies and speeds and deadlines).
IV. IoT devices can be of varied types. For ex: wearable sensors,
smart watches, LED lights, automobiles and industrial machines.
Logical design of IoT
• Logical design of IoT refers to an abstract
representation of entities and the processes
without going into the details of the
implementations. The logical design includes
functional block of IoT and the communication
APIs
IoT functional Block
• The functional block of the system provides the
capabilities for identification, sensing, actuation,
communication and management. Various components
of IoT functional block are as follows.
• • Device
• • Communications
• • Services
• • Management
• • Security
• • Application
Device
I. IoT i.e Internet of things, where things refer to the IoT
devices which have unique identities and can perform remote
sensing, actuating and monitoring capabilities (ex:
combination of sensors, actuators, Arduino, relay, non IoT
devices).
II. The IoT devices can share information with as well as
collect information from other connected devices and
applications (directly and indirectly).
III. They can process the data locally or in the cloud to find
greater insights and put them into action based on temporal
and space constraints (i.e space memory, processing
capabilities, communication latencies and speeds and
deadlines).
IV. IoT devices can be of varied types. For ex: wearable
sensors, smart watches, LED lights, automobiles and industrial
machines.
Communications
• It refers to various communication protocols
which allows different devices to communicate
with each other by sharing some information.
• It also allows interoperability among different
devices.
Services
• IoT system provides various services such as
device monitoring, device control services,
data publishing services, device discovery
services.
Management
• Various management functions to govern the
IoT system.
Security
• It secures the IoT system by providing
authentication, authorization, message and
content integrity and data security.
Application
I. IoT applications provide an interface that the
users can use to control and monitor various
aspects of the IoT system.
II. It also allows viewing the system status and
view or analysing the processed data.
Architecture of Internet of Things
(IoT)
• It defines how sensors, networks and cloud systems
interact to collect, process and exchange data
efficiently.
• The IoT architecture acts as the foundation for all
connected devices and applications.
• Each layer has a distinct role, from sensing real-world
data to delivering intelligent actions.
• A clear structure ensures scalability, security and
smooth device communication.
• This architecture forms the backbone of IoT systems,
powering everything from smart homes to industrial
automation.
The architecture consists of four different layers i.e. Sensing
Layer, Network Layer, Data processing Layer and Application
Layer.
1. Sensing Layer
• This is the bottom-most layer responsible for detecting
physical conditions from the environment.
• Functions
• Collects raw data such as temperature, humidity, motion,
sound or pressure.
• Senses changes in the surroundings through embedded
components.
• Initiates actions using actuators when required.
• Components
• Sensors like humidity, gas, infrared, ultrasonic
• Actuators like motors, switches, valves
• Microcontrollers and RFID tags
• Communication: Transfers sensed data to the network layer
via wired or wireless links.
2. Network Layer
• This layer provides connectivity and communication
between IoT devices and cloud systems.
• Functions
• Transmits collected sensor data to processing platforms
securely.
• Supports device-to-device and device-to-server
communication.
• Handles addressing, routing and data forwarding.
• Technologies
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, LoRaWAN
• Ethernet and satellite networks
• Supporting Devices
• Routers and switches
3. Data Processing Layer
• This layer analyzes, filters and interprets data received from
network devices.
• Functions
• Cleans and formats raw sensor data for meaningful insights.
• Applies analytics to detect patterns or abnormalities.
• Stores data for historical analysis or reporting.
• Components
• IoT cloud platforms
• Data lakes and warehouses
• Stream processing and machine learning engines
• Output
• Predictive alerts and reports
• Anomaly detection signals
• Decision rules for automation
4. Application Layer
• This top-most layer interacts directly with end users and
business systems.
• Functions
• Provides interfaces to monitor and control IoT devices
remotely.
• Displays visual analytics through dashboards and charts.
• Triggers automated actions based on processed insights.
• Components
• Mobile applications
• Web dashboards and portals
• Visualization and alerting tools
• Capabilities
• Remote device management
• Real-time condition monitoring
• Integration with enterprise applications
Sensor
• A device used for the conversion of physical events or
characteristics into the electrical signals. This is a hardware device
that takes the input from environment and gives to the system by
converting it. For example, a thermometer takes the temperature as
physical characteristic and then converts it into electrical signals for
the system.
• Types of Sensors
• Temperature Sensors: Take temperatures.
• Light Sensors: Light intensity sensors: It has the function of
detecting the intensity of the light.
• Pressure Sensors: To use it to measure pressure in gases or liquids.
• Motion Sensors: Recognize motion in an established region.
Actuator
A device that converts the electrical signals into the physical
events or characteristics. It takes the input from the system and
gives output to the environment. For example, motors and
heaters are some of the commonly used actuators.
• Types of Actuators
• Linear Actuators: Utilize a linear motion to convert
energy, Kinetic/pendulum.
• Rotary Actuators: This will affect the creation of rotational
motion.
• Hydraulic Actuators: How does fluid power gives motion.
• Pneumatic Actuators: Function with use of compressed
air.
Difference between Sensor and Actuator
SENSOR ACTUATOR
It converts physical characteristics into electrical It converts electrical signals into physical
signals. characteristics.
It takes input from environment. It takes input from output conditioning unit of system.
It gives output to input conditioning unit of system. It gives output to environment.
Sensor generated electrical signals. Actuator generates heat or motion.
It is placed at input port of the system. It is placed at output port of the system.
It is used to measure the continuous and discrete
It is used to measure the physical quantity.
process parameters.
It gives information to the system about environment. It accepts command to perform a function.
Example: Photo-voltaic cell which converts light Example: Stepper motor where electrical energy drives
energy into electrical energy. the motor.
