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Internet of Things (IoT)

• IoT is a collection of interconnected devices that communicate without human intervention.
• Examples include autonomous cars, smart appliances, and wearable technology.

Actuators

• Actuators convert electrical signals into physical actions (movement, force, sound).
• They are also transducers, changing one physical quantity to another.
• Signals often use low-voltage commands.
• Actuators are classified by motion type (linear or rotary) and power source.

Types of Actuators

• Linear Actuators: Produce movement along a straight path.
  • Examples: Many machines and equipment require straight motion.
• Rotary Actuators: Create circular motion.
  • Example: Electric fans use rotary actuators.

Source of Energy for Actuators

• Actuators can be powered by various systems.
  • Hydraulic: Uses fluid-filled cylinders and pistons. Used in exercise equipment and transport carriers.
  • Pneumatic: Uses pressurized gases, common in devices like bus brakes and exercise machines.
  • Electric: Powered by electricity, include various types of electro-mechanical and electro-hydraulic options. Common in cars, manufacturing equipment, and robotics.
  • Thermal and Magnetic: Use shape memory alloys and magnetic fields, often used for lightweight, powerful movements.
  • Mechanical: Such as pulleys and rack and pinion systems utilizing pulling or pushing forces.
  • Super-coiled Polymer: New technology; replicate human muscle actions by expansions and contractions.

IoT Components

• Smart Devices/Sensors: Collect data from the environment. Transfer data to the next layer.
  • Examples: Temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity/moisture sensors, light intensity detectors, proximity detection devices, and RFID tags.
• Gateway: Manages bi-directional data traffic and translates protocols. Critically important for interoperability for different network protocols among connected devices and sensors. Connects components via different communication methods.
• Cloud: Stores and processes massive amounts of IoT data efficiently and in real-time.
• Analytics: Transforms raw data into useful insights for decision-making.
• User Interface: Provides a tangible, user-friendly way to interact with the IoT system. Used for monitoring and controlling.

How Devices Connect in IoT

• Various methods are available to connect devices within an IoT network.
  • LoRa, Wi-Fi, Z-wave, ZigBee, and Bluetooth.

IoT Interdependencies:

• Power requirements for devices.
• Methodologies for harvesting power.
• Optimizing power consumption at differing points.

IoT Technology Layers

• Sensing Layer: Controls the physical world with hardware such as RFID and sensors.
• Networking Layer: Enables data transfer.
• Service Layer: Provides services for users.
• Interface Layer: Provides how users interact with the system.

IoT Design Goals

• Energy: Operational power limitations.
• Latency: Time needed to propagate and process data.
• Throughput: Maximum data transfer capabilities.
• Scalability: Number of devices that the network can manage.
• Topology: How devices are interconnected.
• Security and Safety: Ensuring secure and safe data access and application operation.