The Internet of Things is a concept that will only continue to grow as the years progress. It will soon be as ubiquitous as the internet itself. IoT technology trends will appear every year no matter how preposterous they may seem today. Eventually they will taper out and will become essential parts of our lives. For now, here are the latest IoT technology trends.
Rise of Smart Home Demand
Home automation seems very much a non-essential for the average consumer. That is, until it’s been tried out as much as Dijon mustard as an acquired taste. The smart home demand is growing, and the ability of homeowners to turn on or off their homes’ power automatically when going to and from work is a no brainer. No more worrying if the toaster or flat iron is left on. Toasters, ovens and coffee makers themselves won’t be left to overheat can be turned off remotely. Garage doors open upon arrival and homeowners are greeted to soothing music and a cooled or heated living area. These minor comforts gradually become the new norm as prices for devices that allow them continue to drop.
IoT Technology Trends Healthcare
Healthcare is one of the continuously growing IoT technology trends. This year is no different as more and more healthcare-related IoT products continue to be deployed. More and more users now purchase smartwatches or dedicated fitness trackers and sleep monitors. There’s also remote patient monitoring technology. Hospital equipment becomes connected to the internet informing and alerting medical professionals of the status of their patients. Among diabetics, glucose monitoring devices and apps are becoming more popular as well as connected inhalers for asthmatics. Also, unlike the mood rings of the 1970s, smartwatches actually have the ability to determine the wearer’s mood. They also monitor for depression and data can be sent to the wearer’s psychiatrist. Lastly, remote robotic surgery where surgeries can be performed even if the surgeon is half a world away via online remote connection to a surgical robot.
IoT Security Awareness and Training
Thanks to the massive Mirai botnet attack of 2016 (which brought much of the Internet on its knees), one of the emerging IoT technology trends is security awareness and training. There are currently many security and awareness programs available for IoT professionals as well as IoT users. IoT devices should not be left on their default security settings. By customizing your settings, you prevent hackers from hijacking thermostats, home cameras, echo dots and others. Professionals and makers also learned their lessons and are creating more secure IoT products.
IoT Technology Trends Energy and Resource Management
As awareness vs Global warming continues to grow, energy and resource management has become one of the emerging IoT technology trends. IoT can play a big part in managing energy and resources. It can minimize the carbon footprint of individuals and businesses that take advantage of it. Because home lighting and temperature control systems become connected to the internet, people can now remotely control how they operate and turn them off when not needed. This is also applicable to vehicles inadvertently left running after an unexpected extension of absence by the driver.
Adoption of Blockchain and Standardization of IoT
In relation to the topic of security, it’s becoming increasingly important for IoT devices to connect to secure databases. This is true for both management as well as data storage. The most secure medium for such storage is blockchain. IoT companies are currently researching or are already into working blockchains into their devices. Aside from using blockchains, there’s also the issue of standardizing software and hardware interfaces of IoT devices. Even though these devices can already be hooked up to central nodes like specialized control centers or basic Amazon Echoes, they still remain different. And much like the USB and Wi-Fi standards, manufacturers will soon have capabilities, and start integrating device interfaces into one standard.
