The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to the millions of mobile devices worldwide now connected to the Internet, all of which collect and share information. With the advent of very cheap chips and the proliferation of wireless networks, it is possible to change anything, from something as small as a tablet to as big as an airplane, into part of the IoT. Connecting all these different devices and adding sensors to them adds a level of digital intelligence to potentially mute devices, enabling them to communicate with real-time data without involving anyone. The Internet of Things makes the fabric of the world around us smarter and more responsive, combining digital and physical unity.

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The best thing can be converted into an IoT device if it can be connected to the Internet for control or data communication, A smart thermostat in your office or a connected street light. An IoT device can be as sensitive as a child’s toy or as sensitive as a truck without a driver. Some large objects themselves can be filled with many small IoT objects, such as a jet engine now full of thousands of sensors that collect and transmit data back to make sure it works properly. To a greater extent, intelligent city projects fill all regions with nerves to help us understand and control the environment.

The term IoT is widely used for devices that were not expected to have an internet connection, and could connect to a network without human action. For this reason, the PC is generally not considered an IoT device and is not a smartphone – although the latter is full of sensors. A smartwatch or dash band or other wearable item may be counted as an IoT device, however.

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The idea of ​​adding sensors and intelligence to the basics was discussed throughout the 1980s and 1990s (and apparently with some ancient ancestors), but with the exception of some early works – including an online marketing machine – progress was slow because technology was not yet perfect. The chips were very large and powerful and there was no way for things to connect properly.

Processors that were cheap and economical enough to be all but discarded were needed before it finally cost to connect billions of devices. The adoption of RFID tags – low-power chips with wireless connectivity – resolved some of the issue, as well as the increasing availability of broadband internet and mobile and wireless networks. IPv6 adoption – which, among other things, should provide enough IP addresses for all the devices the world (or indeed this galaxy) would ever need – was a necessary step for IoT to measure.

Kevin Ashton coined the term ‘Internet of Things’ in 1999, although it took at least another decade for technology to achieve this idea.