Here are some IoT trends for year 2019 to watch:
More device: There are four times as many devices connected to the Internet as there are people in the world, and the number of devices is increasing rapidly. There are computers, smart phones and many different kind of connected devices. Gartner forecasts that 14.2 billion connected things will be in use in 2019, and that the total will reach 25 billion by 2021,
Voice: The integration of voice into IoT devices creates an user experience that many consumers seem to enjoy. The next few years will see voice automation take over many aspects of our lives. The current major players in the IoT voice world are Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google Assistant. Microsoft’s Cortana seems to have already lost in the game as Satya Nadella says Cortana won’t challenge Alexa and Google Assistant directly; Microsoft will focus on making it a skill on other voice platforms instead. Voice won’t change everything but it will be one part of a movement that heralds a new way to think about our relationship with devices and data. Consider voice as a type of user interface to be added to the existing list of UI technologies. Voice will not kill brands, it won’t hurt keyboard sales or touchscreen devices — it will become an additional way to do stuff; it is incremental. We need to learn to design around it.Deloitte expects the sales of 164 million smart speakers at an average price of $43 in 2019. The smart speaker market will be worth more than $7 billion next year, increasing 63% from 2018’s $4.3 billion.
Automobiles: Automobiles are leading the way in IoT adoption. Gartner predicts that one in five cars will be connected by 2020. Both Google and Apple have tools that allow drivers to control calls, listen to messages and control apps using voice.
IoT clouds: Developing for the Internet of Things is a complex endeavor, and nobody wants to do it from scratch. IoT data platforms offer a jumping-off point by combining many of the tools needed to manage a deployment from device management to data prediction and insights into one service. There are many IoT cloud platforms to choose from. All cloud platforms have their own distinctive areas of pros and cons. Ultimately the project needs and cost-effectiveness determine whom to choose. Utilizing cloud services also brings new potential risks that are good to understand already at the beginning of the project. I wrote on article to Uusiteknologia.fi magazine issue 2/2018 on IoT cloud platforms.
Digital Twins: Digital twin tech, or a virtual representation of a product, is a critical concept in IoT that’s still being sorted out. Digital twin refers to a digital replica of physical assets (physical twin), processes, people, places, systems and devices that can be used for various purposes. Definitions of digital twin technology emphasize two important characteristics: connection from the physical model to the corresponding virtual model and this connection is established by generating real time data using sensors. Physical objects and twin models interact. Digital twins applications typically integrate internet of things, artificial intelligence, machine learning and software analytics with spatial network graphs to create living digital simulation models that update and change as their physical counterparts change. In various industrial sectors, twins are being used to optimize the operation and maintenance of physical assets, systems and manufacturing processes.
Edge computing: The shift from centralized and cloud to edge architectures is well under way in the IoT space. In the future, computing the edge of the network will become an increasingly important way of processing data from networked devices and sensor networks. Compared to traditional centralized cloud computing, the new edge computing brings computing servers closer to the edge of the communications network. Compared to cloud centered IoT solutions, edge computing allow for lower delays and more reliable operation with respect to cloud services. At the same time, it promises improved security as not all potentially sensitive information needs to be transferred from the site to cloud. However, this is not the end point because the neat set of layers associated with edge architecture will evolve to a more unstructured architecture comprising of a wide range of “things” and services connected in a dynamic mesh. In thins kind of system data processing can be done on almost all network devices from IoT modules to gateways and in the future to 5G base stations. Relevant standardizing organizations on this field are Edge Computing Consortium Europe, OpenFog Consortium and Industrial Internet Consortium.
5G: 5G networks start to arrive. The standards for 5G will be defined in large part by the direct integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices into global networks and devices. 5G networks are expected to be 10 to 100 times faster than current LTE technology. If you are in need for very high speed, your application resides inside the small 5G test networks coverage areas and your IoT device is allowed to consume considerable amount of power (more than 4G solutions), then you might be able to consider 5G. For all other cases I don’t see 5G would offer much for IoT applications in 2019. There is not yet ready 5G standards specifically designed for IoT applications. So for 2019 IoT and IIoT will need to be pretty much stick to 4G technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M. For 5G to shape industrial computing application in larger scale than just some small tests we will have to wait till 2020. Addressing the issues behind Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices and 5G is important in next few years. Qualcomm, the largest supplier of modem chips used in smartphones, has introduced the X50 modem to give IIoT devices the ability to communicate over 5G networks. Beware of “fake 5G” marketing in 2019. The promise is that 5G will enable the future enterprise technologies everyone is predicting and waiting for: fleets of self-driving delivery trucks, virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and a world of enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) deployments — systems that will define an era that the World Economic Forum termed the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Those promises will take years to realize, you will not see most of them in real use in 2019.
AI: Number one in Gartner’s predictions, no surprise, is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be talked a lot with bold claims that AI goes from expert-only to everywhere. I would not expect it to be everywhere in 2019. Gartner, said in a statement, “AI will be applied to a wide range of IoT information, including video, still images, speech, network traffic activity, and sensor data.” At the moment many neural network systems are power hungry when implemented with traditional computer hardware. “For example, the performance of deep neural networks (DNNs) is often limited by memory bandwidth, rather than processing power.” By 2023, it’s expected that new special-purpose chips will reduce the power consumption required to run a DNN, enabling new edge architectures and embedded DNN functions in low-power IoT endpoints.
IIoT: The concept of a Smart Factory is composed of many different physical and informational subsystems, such as actuators and sensors, control systems, product management systems and manufacturing systems that all work together. This is a very complex system. It is critical to understand differing operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) priorities to achieve collaboration and integration. Without this, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and control projects will fail. Also finding the right Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) vendor partner is crucial to success. OPC Foundation has on initiative to extend OPC UA out to field devices to provide vendor-neutral, end-to-end interoperability beyond the plant. Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) network works well for OPC UA applications.
Value chain: IoT as an umbrella term will diminish. There are strong views that “Internet of things is not valuable in and of itself” so the conversation is going to shift away from an ambiguous buzzword to the actual use of technology. For product designers this means that when we design our connected world, we need to pull ourselves away from the cool technology that we are building and look at the system through our customers’ eyes. The sales pitch will be more like “It’s about the use cases, it’s about the solutions, it’s about the applications, managing and monitoring assets, performance management solutions, different kinds of solutions coming together to solve a problem—that’s really what the value proposition is.”
IoT platforms: IoT vendors will compete to be the destination for IoT platforms. The IoT supply chain has been moving toward more collaboration to provide development and design kits designed for specific use cases and industries. IoT development kits are sold more and more with bundled IoT could service offer. IoT cloud service providers offer and recommend hardware that is tested to work well with their platforms. IoT platform vendors will be narrowing their scope in 2019, honing in on specific use cases. Business professionals aren’t looking for one industrial IoT platform to manage every process going on at their company, they are instead looking for platforms that specialize in specific tasks.
New development kits: A new breed of development kits is incorporating the three tenets of IoT design — ease of use, security, and business value. The promise is that the design engineers don’t need to have specialized expertise in several areas like networking protocols or security-related tasks, enabling a much faster development time. One way to simplifying design work is by intelligently reusing the fundamental building blocks.
Security: Wireless IoT devices are considered a major threat to the security of industrial networks. A growing number of embedded systems are open to security threats as a result of increasing connectivity and IoT device adoption. And it’s costing OEMs a lot in terms of money and reputation. A 2018 Gartner Inc. survey found that nearly 20% of organizations surveyed experienced at least one IoT-based attack in the past three years. IoT security is already a 1.5 billion dollar market. The market research firm Garnet expects that global spending on IoT security will rise to $3.1 billion in 2021, up from $1.5 billion in 2018. It is not about the spending on IoT security products. Already “a significant portion of OEMs’ existing in-house labor cost is already dedicated to addressing security” and is rising faster than development costs. VDC pegs the worldwide embedded engineering labor spend related to security at $11.6 billion in 2017, representing nearly 8% of the overall cost of embedded engineering labor. There will be different kind of certification marks for IoT product cyber security – some mandated with laws on some countries and some voluntary. 5G is going to increase security risks. Do we understand the 5G security threats to come? Most probably not because we don’t seem to understand well even that 5G really is.
eSIM: The embedded SIM card has been spoken for a long time, and even the first smartphones in which the SIM card has been implemented with an integrated circuit have already been introduced to the market. Infineon has presented the world’s first industrially qualified eSIM. Of course, eSIM shares opinions. Many operators do not like it.
Infonomics and Data Broking: Last year’s Gartner survey of IoT projects showed 35 percent of respondents were selling or planning to sell data collected by their products and services.“Data is the fuel that powers the IoT and the organization’s ability to derive meaning from it will define their long term success,” This brings us to Social, Legal and Ethical IoT because“ Successful deployment of an IoT solution demands that it’s not just technically effective but also socially acceptable,” It is possible tha tIoT Firms Face a ‘Tidal Wave’ of Lawsuits.
IoT Governance: As the IoT continues to expand, the need for a governance framework that ensures appropriate behavior in the creation, storage, use and deletion of information related to IoT projects will become increasingly important. We also need to manage IoT devices to keep them secure and make sure that they do what they are supposed to do. A market for IoT managed services will develop to help manage and operate fragmented IoT assets. “The idea of managing the ongoing end-to-end life cycle of a connected product is becoming more important, and ultimately this managed service opportunity is going to need momentum in the coming year,”
New Wireless Technologies: IoT networking involves balancing a set of competing requirements, such as endpoint cost, power consumption, bandwidth, latency, connection density, operating cost, quality of service, and range. No single networking technology optimizes all of these.
Trusted Hardware and Operating System: Gartner surveys invariably show that security is the most significant area of technical concern for organizations deploying IoT systems. Today organizations often don’t have control over the source and nature of the software and hardware being utilised in IoT initiatives. “However, by 2023, we expect to see the deployment of hardware and software combinations that together create more trustworthy and secure IoT systems.
Home automation: Arm predicts that the intelligent home goes mainstream. In survey results they published two-thirds of respondents said technology became “more a part of my life” during 2018. Cisco Systems is saying connected homes will be a big driver for the Internet of Things. “Connected home applications, such as home automation, home security and video surveillance, connected white goods, and tracking applications, will represent 48%, or nearly half, of the total M2M connections by 2022, showing the pervasiveness of M2M in our lives,” Cisco states in its new white paper, Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Trends, 2017-2022. The market is starting slowly. Bundled IoT services will try to motivate a slow consumer market.
Smart cities: Cities are becoming smarter and smarter in an effort to improve efficiency in operations. Smart cities bring in both benefits and risks. Between smart lighting, traffic controls, and public transportation, smart cities are bringing in a whole new family of threat vectors. Cybercriminals will target smart cities with ransomware attacks. Smart cities need to take precautions.
Silicon Chip Innovation: “Currently, most IoT endpoint devices use conventional processor chips, with low-power ARM architectures being particularly popular. However, traditional instruction sets and memory architectures aren’t well-suited to all the tasks that endpoints need to perform,” New special-purpose chips will reduce the power consumption required to run a DNN. Very low power circuit designs are important in many applications. Battery-powered designs require complex optimizations for power in the context of area, performance and functionality. Devices that work without battery and gather operating power from environment are maybe even more challenging. Clearly, sensors are a big part of any connected device, and there is a lot of innovation occurring in this market that delivers new features — think AI — all housed in smaller packaging.
Open source: 2019 Will Be the Year of Open Source in IoT and embedded systems applications. From software and even hardware, we saw more activity in open source than ever before in 2018. And the momentum isn’t likely to slow down in 2019. Arduino is pushing strongly to IoT markets with MKR1000 series of IoT boards. Raspberry Pi is very widely used in IoT systems, especially on prototyping and small scale deployments
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Links to other articles for IoT trends for 2019:
Internet of Things in 2019: Five predictions
Kymmenen tulevaisuuden kuluttajatrendiä ja ilmiötä
Deloitte’s 9 tech predictions for 2019
New Chip Architectures, Sensors and Trust in Top 10 IoT Trends (Gartner presented its top 10 strategic IoT technology trends)
Week In Review: IoT, Security, Auto (predictions from Arm, Deloitte and Juniper Research)
Predictions 2019: The Internet Of Things
Gartner Identifies Top 10 Strategic IoT Technologies and Trends
1,283 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Flatburn “Open Source City Scanner” Looks to Put High-Accuracy Air Quality Monitors Everywhere
Powered by a Particle Boron, this low-cost 3D-printed air quality monitor can trade blows with commercial units — thanks to ML calibration.
https://www.hackster.io/news/the-flatburn-open-source-city-scanner-looks-to-put-high-accuracy-air-quality-monitors-everywhere-3cde5fd81263
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/thunderberry5-sbc-to-take-on-raspberry-pi
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/13/supercon-2022-irak-mayer-builds-self-sustainable-outdoor-iot-devices/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/20/remote-water-quality-monitoring/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/tekniset-artikkelit/14728-valitse-langaton-teknologia-oikein-osa-1
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/03/23/smart-occupancy-sensor-knows-all/
Tomi Engdahl says:
CubeSat Operators Launch an IoT Space Race New tech and lower costs make it possible to monitor devices straight from orbit
https://spectrum.ieee.org/cubesat
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon opens its low-bandwidth, long-range Sidewalk network to developers
https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/28/amazon-opens-its-low-bandwidth-long-range-sidewalk-network-to-developers/
Back in 2019, Amazon announced Sidewalk, its low-bandwidth, long-range wireless network that uses the 900 MHz spectrum to connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It does this by creating a mesh network between Amazon’s own Echo and Ring devices and sharing a small part of their owner’s bandwidth. Ideally, this means Sidewalk will be able to connect devices that sit beyond the reach of a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal. Until now, though, only a select number of developers were able to build applications for the network. But that’s changing today. The company is now shipping software and hardware development kits, as well as an easy-to-use test kit to test the available Sidewalk connectivity in your neighborhood.
Using the new test kit, developers will be able to check their local signal strength on a map to get a better sense of whether their devices will be able to connect to the network before they start working on a product.
“We’ve rapidly built out a long-range, low-bandwidth network that now covers more than 90% of the U.S. population, and this is an open invitation for developers to put it to the test,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services. “Many types of connected devices have been limited by the range of Wi-Fi and the cost of cellular technology, which has hindered the ability to connect devices like environmental sensors, leak detectors and smart locks. Sidewalk is designed to provide a secure, low-cost way to invent and connect a whole new range of devices, and we can’t wait to see what developers build.”
For the software development kits, Amazon partnered with Nordic Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, Texas Instruments and module vendor Quectel. These companies will also offer hardware development kits, with Quectel launching a Sidewalk connectivity module that will allow developers to quickly take Sidewalk-enabled devices into production. Amazon is also launching mobile SDKs for iOS and Android to help developers build Sidewalk into their mobile apps. The company is also launching an app that will help developers debug and troubleshoot their devices in the field.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon just opened up its Sidewalk network for anyone to build connected gadgets on / The long-range, low-bandwidth network can give any IoT device free low-speed data.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/28/23659191/amazon-sidewalk-network-coverage
Tomi Engdahl says:
Developing a New Wireless Hardware Product? Here’s Your Most Important Decision
https://predictabledesigns.com/most-important-decision-when-creating-wireless-product/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Assistant might be doomed: Division “reorganizes” to focus on Bard
The Google Assistant makes no money and hasn’t released hardware in two years.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/google-assistant-might-be-doomed-division-reorganizes-to-focus-on-bard/
Is the Google Assistant doomed? The evidence is starting to pile up that the division is going down the tubes. The latest is news from CNBC’s Jennifer Elias that says the Google Assistant division has been “reshuffled” to “heavily prioritize” Bard over the Google Assistant. It all sounds like the team is being reassigned.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RIP to Dropcams, Nest Secure: Google is shutting down servers next year
Sales ended years ago, but they’ll turn into bricks when the servers shut down.
9https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/google-is-bricking-dropcams-and-nest-secure-offers-discounts-to-upgraders/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Imitation Batteries Take on Testing of Portable IoT Devices
March 29, 2023
Keysight’s new battery emulator packs an electronic load and power supply that provides up to 200 W at a maximum of 30 V and 20 A.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21262901/electronic-design-imitation-batteries-take-on-testing-of-portable-iot-devices?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230331054&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 quiescent-current (Iq) specifications to understand
https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/powerhouse/posts/3-quiescent-current-iq-specifications-you-need-to-understand?HQS=null-null-pwr-pwr_gen_3_specifications-asset-ta-ElectronicDesign_psfi_lowiq_l1-wwe_awr&DCM=yes&dclid=CPb32qyVof4CFYyvmgod_v0LMQ
A common definition of quiescent current (IQ) is the current drawn by an integrated circuit (IC) in a no-load and nonswitching but enabled condition. A broader and more useful way to think about it is that quiescent current is the input current consumed by an IC in any number of its ultra-low-power states.
For battery-powered applications, this input current comes from the battery, so it determines how long the battery operates before it either needs recharging (for rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH)) or replacing (for primary batteries, such as alkaline or lithium manganese dioxide (Li-MnO2)). For battery-powered applications that spend a large amount of their time in standby or sleep mode, IQ can impact the battery’s run time by years. For example, using an ultra-low-IQ buck converter like the 60-nA TPS62840 to power an always-on application, such as the smart meters shown in figure 1, enables 10 years of battery run time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.renesas.com/eu/en/products/wireless-connectivity/bluetooth-low-energy
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/04/15/internet-of-washing-machines-solves-an-annoyance/
https://tratt.net/laurie/blog/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/smart-home-prototype-by-a-master-of-iot/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm Launches Four New Processors for the IoT, Bundles Neural Coprocessors in All Models
Range-topping chips designed to deliver “extreme edge AI processing,” the company claims, with cellular modem options available.
https://www.hackster.io/news/qualcomm-launches-four-new-processors-for-the-iot-bundles-neural-coprocessors-in-all-models-76cbd54c1beb
Tomi Engdahl says:
New IoT Devices Bring Cutting Edge to Green Tech, Connectivity, and Imaging
April 25, 2023
The latest Internet of Things devices can provide insight into everything from air quality to process control costs.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/iot/media-gallery/21264650/electronic-design-new-iot-devices-bring-cutting-edge-to-green-tech-connectivity-and-imaging?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230419136&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
What is the IoT?
Some of the latest IoT technologies.
How do those devices operate and what potential IoT applications can they address?
The Internet of Things (IoT) has exploded over the last two decades with an increase in intelligent devices and platforms in nearly every industry and commercial market. The IoT enables devices and systems to connect to one another and networks, and it’s become a prominent component in everything from manufacturing to building automation systems. According to a report from McKinsey & Company, the number of IoT-connected devices is expected to hit 43 billion by the end of 2023 and command a market share of $76.21 billion.
Low electronics costs, the cloud, big data, and mobile devices have all contributed to the rise of the IoT and will continue to spur innovation and development of connected devices over the coming decade. In this roundup, we will look at some of the latest IoT technologies to hit the market and their respective applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
11 Myths About SAR-Compliant Chips in Connected Devices
April 25, 2023
Standards for specific absorption rates (SARs) keep people safe, but it’s one more engineering challenge when designing cell phones, laptops, and other electronic goods. It’s not impossible to meet those standards, though, despite what some rumors say.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21264674/semtech-11-myths-about-sarcompliant-chips-in-connected-devices?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230419136&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFC Chip Enables Battery-Free Locks
April 24, 2023
Infineon’s near-field communication tags use short-range RF technology to empower wireless tagging of consumer products as well as support functionality in IoT devices.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/iot/video/21264517/electronic-design-nfc-chip-enables-batteryfree-locks?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230419120&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Infineon Technoiogies’ near-field communication (NFC) tags use short-range RF technology to empower wireless tagging of consumer products as well as support functionality in IoT devices.
Important for the development of passive smart devices that need to operate with high accuracy, efficiency, and design convenience, NFC-based sensing controllers with energy-harvesting capabilities are critical for a wide range of IoT applications. The NGC1081 is a single-chip solution for low-cost, miniaturized, smart edge computing/sensing devices, enabling them to be controlled and powered by mobile phones.
The tag-side controller supports a dual power-supply function, operating in battery-free passive mode using energy harvesting, or in battery-powered mode as a self-contained sensing node using a 3- to 3.3-V external power supply. Its galvanically isolated sensing interface can create innovative sensing use cases that require no batteries with minimal maintenance. It’s based on a low-power Arm Cortex-M0 microcontroller that’s NFC front-end-compliant with the ISO 14443 type-A standard and a motor-control driver that employs an H-bridge circuit with a current drive capability of up to 250 mA.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How ‘Intelligent Twins’ Are Redefining The Future Of Manufacturing
The technology is unlocking efficient new approaches, from predictive maintenance to VR collaboration. So why isn’t it ubiquitous?
https://www.wired.co.uk/bc/article/how-intelligent-twins-are-redefining-the-future-of-manufacturing-microsoft
Tomi Engdahl says:
Partners use generative AI to boost industrial productivity
https://www.edn.com/partners-use-generative-ai-to-boost-industrial-productivity/
Siemens and Microsoft are employing generative AI to increase efficiency across the design, engineering, manufacturing, and operational lifecycle of products. The companies are integrating Siemens’ Teamcenter software for product lifecycle management (PLM) with the Microsoft Teams messaging and collaboration platform. The integration will also include the language models in Azure OpenAI Service, as well as other Azure AI capabilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PricelessToolkit’s ESPClicker Aims to Make It Easy to Convert Disconnected Devices to the IoT
Designed to be wired into a control panel, the compact ESPClicker simulates button presses — and includes isolated AC power monitoring, too.
https://www.hackster.io/news/pricelesstoolkit-s-espclicker-aims-to-make-it-easy-to-convert-disconnected-devices-to-the-iot-89367dddb658
Tomi Engdahl says:
Your Guide To Using Amazon’s Sidewalk Network For The Internet Of Things
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/01/your-guide-to-using-amazons-sidewalk-network-for-the-internet-of-things/
As the Internet of Things became a mainstream reality, it raised an interesting point about connectivity. We quickly learned it wasn’t ideal to have every light bulb, toaster, and kettle buzzing away on our main WiFi networks. Nor was it practical to sign up for a cellular data plan for every tracker tag or remote sensor we wanted to use.
To solve this issue, various tech companies have developed their own low-power mesh networking solutions. Amazon’s Sidewalk network is one of the widest spread in the US. Now, it’s opening it up for wider use beyond its own products, and you can get in on the action.
Amazon just opened up its Sidewalk network for anyone to build connected gadgets on
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/28/23659191/amazon-sidewalk-network-coverage
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rezodo: Long Range irrigation and weather station
https://hackaday.io/project/190577-rezodo-long-range-irrigation-and-weather-station
Rezodo aims at building a distributed irrigation system and a weather station with farmers. It’s also a fully open platform for IoT learning
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/04/hacking-hue-lightbulbs/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/power/article/21265618/electronic-design-powermanagement-ic-makes-energy-harvesting-easy-for-iot?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230504073&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Sidewalk Welcomes First LoRa-Based Devices
May 10, 2023
The latest devices outfitted with Semtech’s LoRa technology are designed to exploit Amazon’s Sidewalk IoT network.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/embedded/systems/media-gallery/21265641/microwaves-rf-amazon-sidewalk-welcomes-first-lorabased-devices
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s the Difference Between Wi-Fi HaLow and Bluetooth?
May 2, 2023
As the IoT’s reach into daily life is extended, it’s important to understand the various wireless protocols that meet the unique needs of IoT environments.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/embedded/systems/article/21265152/morse-micro-whats-the-difference-between-wifi-halow-and-bluetooth?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230505086&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/process/posts/ti-extends-support-of-amazon-sidewalk-to-improve-connectivity-between-homes-neighborhoods-and-cities?HQS=null-null-conbr-connect_gen_extension-asset-ta-electronicdesign_psfi_connect_l2-wwe_int&DCM=yes&dclid=CPPHy9md7_4CFYdGkQUds30NGA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Creating new possibilities with connectivity technology
Making connections simpler, scalable and more secure
https://www.ti.com/technologies/wired-wireless-connectivity.html?HQS=null-null-conbr-connect_gen_create-asset-pp-electronicdesign_psfi_connect_l1-wwe_int&DCM=yes&dclid=COb539ed7_4CFca2mgodEpUI_A
Tomi Engdahl says:
Passively Generating Power Day And Night Takes The Right Parts
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/13/passively-generating-power-day-and-night-takes-the-right-parts/
A thermoelectric generator (TEG) can turn a temperature difference into electricity, and while temperature differentials abound in our environment, it’s been difficult to harness them into practical and stable sources of power. But researchers in China have succeeded in creating a TEG that can passively and continuously generate power, even across shifting environmental conditions. It’s not a lot of power, but that it’s continuous is significant, and it could be enough for remote sensors or similar devices.
Historically, passive TEGs have used ambient air as the “hot” side and some form of high-emissivity heat sink — usually involving exotic materials and processes — as the “cold” side. These devices work, but fail to reliably produce uninterrupted voltage because shifting environmental conditions have too great of an effect on how well the radiative cooling emitter (RCE) can function.
New passive device continuously generates electricity during the day or night
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-04-passive-device-generates-electricity-day.html
Researchers have developed a new thermoelectric generator (TEG) that can continuously generate electricity using heat from the sun and a radiative element that releases heat into the air. Because it works during the day or night and in cloudy conditions, the new self-powered TEG could provide a reliable power source for small electronic devices such as outdoor sensors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14996-iot-data-kannattaa-pakata
Tomi Engdahl says:
ChatGPT Rules The World… Or, At Least, The Home
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/chatgpt-rules-the-world-or-at-least-the-home/
With all the hype about ChatGPT, it has to have crossed your mind: how can I make it control devices? On the utopia side, you could say, “Hey, ChatGPT, figure out what hours I’m usually home and set the thermostat higher when I am away.” On the dysfunctional side, the AI could lock you in your home and torment you like some horror movie. We aren’t to either extreme yet, but [Chris] couldn’t resist writing a ChatGPT plugin to control a Raspberry Pi. You can see a video of how it turned out below.
Using ChatGPT for home automation
14 May 2023
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/22/chatgpt-rules-the-world-or-at-least-the-home/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Wireless Network Standards Will Rule the Smart Home?
May 18, 2023
Wireless network protocols that are available for smart-home applications today won’t necessarily be the most widely adopted in the future. Here’s a look at Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Matter, and Thread.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21266261/insight-sip-what-wireless-network-standards-will-rule-the-smart-home?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230518094&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Explainable AI for Anomaly Detection
May 24, 2023
Explainable AI (XAI) can improve safety, security, and the overall user experience in IoT applications.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded/machine-learning/article/21266589/ceva-explainable-ai-for-anomaly-detection
Anomaly detection is the process of identifying when something deviates from the usual and expected. If an anomaly can be detected early enough, relevant corrective action can be taken to avoid serious consequences. As children, we have played the game of who can identify the oddities in a cleverly composed picture. This is anomaly detection at play.
Engineers, scientists, and technologists have historically counted on anomaly detection to prevent industrial accidents, stop financial fraud, intervene early to address health risks, etc. Traditionally, anomaly-detection systems have relied on statistical techniques, predefined rules, and/or human expertise. But these approaches have their limitations in terms of scalability, adaptability, and accuracy.
The number of real-life, high-value use cases for AI anomaly detection have grown a lot over the years and are expected to continue to rise. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing the field of anomaly detection. The result is improved accuracy, faster detection, reduced false positives, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. This article will identify what’s needed to implement such solutions and will touch on some use cases for illustrative purposes.
These days, many of the anomalies we come across may not be just happenstance but rather human created with malicious intent. For example, social media is rife with images and videos that are fake and deepfake. Advanced graphics and video production and manipulation technologies have made this possible. Let’s take a simple example and play the game of spotting the oddities on a modern day picture that was found on social media.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15012-iot-data-tuo-isot-saeaestoet-technopoliksen-energiakuluihin
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/05/25/etaohjattava-ups-litiumakuilla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/05/20/an-elegant-solution-for-smart-home-device-integration/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mitä mitata Ruuvilla?
Näillä vinkeillä pidät huolen kodistasi, vapaa-ajan asunnostasi ja tavaroistasi. Samalla säästät energiankulutuksessa ja helpotat jokapäiväistä arkeasi.
https://ruuvi.com/fi/ideat/?utm_source=Social&utm_medium=FB%2FIG&utm_campaign=Traffic+-+Henri+-+05+-+2023+-+VER1&utm_content=FIN+-+Traffic+-+Still+-+General+-+1-170523&fbclid=IwAR0BF8aTbgYWSJ3WGtFfbE9gDAm2aBDDURRqSiMBPRwF_o5mswb7NaAwlxk_aem_th_AQ-BKnLbsQgT-wIpfK-RTX-nmP92jK5jXfraFimAt-r4dGlJjG7gyy_NbTH_XHUO1HLvdjeVTR88pZAfZMuQ5w3K
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open-source project that allows Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 USB dongles (and the devkit) to be used as #Zigbee coordinators working with #HomeAssistant home #automation framework. #smarthome #opensource
zigpy-zboss library makes Nordic Semi nRF52840 Zigbee dongles compatible with Home Assistant
https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/05/29/zigpy-zboss-nordic-semi-nrf52840-zigbee-dongles-home-assistant/
zigpy-zboss is a Python library that adds support for Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 modules to zigpy open-source Python Zigbee stack project, as well as other Network Co-Processor radios that run firmware based on ZBOSS Open Initiative (ZOI). This enables integration with compatible Zigbee gateway implementations such as Home Assistant’s ZHA integration component and allows users to directly control Zigbee devices from a wide range of manufacturers such as IKEA, Philips Hue, SmartSung SmartThings, ITEAD SONOFF, Xiaomi Aqara, and others.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.digikey.fi/en/articles/how-to-effectively-implement-multi-connectivity-asset-tracking-applications?dclid=COjMsfSDpP8CFSEKogMdxKQDSA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Did The Home Assistant Future Not Quite Work The Way It Was Supposed To?
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/05/why-did-the-home-assistant-future-not-quite-work-the-way-it-was-supposed-to/
The future, as seen in the popular culture of half a century or more ago, was usually depicted as quite rosy. Technology would have rendered every possible convenience at our fingertips, and we’d all live in futuristic automated homes — no doubt while wearing silver clothing and dreaming about our next vacation on Mars.
The Future is Here, and it Responds to “Alexa”
An Amazon Echo Dot device
“Alexa, why haven’t you been a commercial success?”
There’s one aspect of the Jetsons future that has begun to happen though. It’s not the futuristic automation of projects such as Disneyland’s Monsanto house Of The Future, but instead it’s our current stuttering home automation efforts. We’re not having domestic robots in pinnies hand us rolled-up newspapers, but we’re installing smart lightbulbs and thermostats, and we’re voice-controlling them through a variety of home hub devices. The future is here, and it responds to “Alexa”.
But for all the success that Alexa and other devices like it have had in conquering the living rooms of gadget fans, they’ve done a poor job of generating a profit. It was supposed to be a gateway into Amazon services alongside their Fire devices, a convenient household companion that would help find all those little things for sale on Amazon’s website, and of course, enable you to buy them. Then, Alexa was supposed to move beyond your Echo and into other devices, as your appliances could come pre-equipped with Alexa-on-a-chip. Your microwave oven would no longer have a dial on the front, instead you would talk to it, it would recognise the food you’d brought from Amazon, and order more for you.
Instead of all that, Alexa has become an interface for connected home hardware, a way to turn on the light, view your Ring doorbell on models with screens, catch the weather forecast, and listen to music. It’s a novelty timepiece with that pod bay doors joke built-in, and worse that that for the retailer it remains by its very nature unseen. Amazon have got their shopping cart into your living room, but you’re not using it and it hardly reminds you that it’s part of the Amazon empire at all.
Sadly for most Alexa users it seems that a device piping your actions back to a large company’s data centres is not enough of a concern for them. It’s an easy prediction that Alexa and other services like it will continue to evolve, with inevitable AI pixie dust sprinked on them. A bet could be on the killer app being not a personal assistant but a virtual friend with some connections across a group of people, perhaps a family or a group of friends.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/06/a-lightweight-smart-home-server/
How I wrote my own Smart Home software
… using Lua and the incredibly lightweight Mako Server
https://renato.athaydes.com/posts/writing-your-own-smarthome-manager.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15078-olisitko-valmis-antamaan-verkkoyhteytesi-naapurien-kaeyttoeoen
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/05/why-did-the-home-assistant-future-not-quite-work-the-way-it-was-supposed-to/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15093-taskukokoinen-iot-satelliitti-on-maailman-pienin
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/06/14/google-home-scripting/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15113-nordic-semiconductor-laajensi-yhden-taajuuden-wi-fi-sovelluksiin