CHAPTER 2

IoT, IBM Watson, NODE-RED systems

2.1 Introduction to Internet of things(IoT):
 The Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical
and digital machines, objects, animals or people that are provided with unique
identifiers and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-
human or human-to-computer interaction.
 The Internet of Things is actually a pretty simple concept, it means taking all the physical
places and things in the world and connecting them to the internet.
 Confusion arises not because the concept is so narrow and tightly defined, but rather
because it’s so broad and loosely defined. It can be hard to nail down the concept in
your head when there are so many examples and possibilities in IoT.When something is
connected to the internet, that means that it can send information or receive
information, or both. This ability to send and/or receive information makes things
“smart.”
 Sensors could be temperature sensors, motion sensors, moisture sensors, air quality
sensors, light sensors, you name it. These sensors, along with a connection, allow us to
automatically collect information from the environment which, in turn, allows us to
make more intelligent decisions.
 We’re all very familiar with machines getting information and then acting. Your printer
receives a document and it prints it. Your car receives a signal from your car keys and
the doors open. The examples are endless.
 Whether it’s a simple as sending the command “turn on” or as complex as sending a 3D
model to a 3D printer, we know that we can tell machines what to do from far away.
 The real power of the Internet of Things arises when things can do both of the above.
Things that collect information and send it, but also receive information and act on it.

2.2 Characteristics of Internet of Things(IoT):

There are the following characteristics of IoT as follows. Let’s discuss it one by one.

 Connectivity –
Connectivity is an important requirement of the IoT infrastructure. Things of IoT should be
connected to the IoT infrastructure. Anyone, anywhere, anytime can connectivity should be
guaranteed at all times Without connection, nothing makes sense .
  Intelligence and Identity –
The extraction of knowledge from the generated data is very important. For example, a sensor
generates data, but that data will only be useful if it is interpreted properly. Each IoT device has
a unique identity. This identification is helpful in tracking the equipment and at times for
querying its status.

 Scalability –
The number of elements connected to the IoT zone is increasing day by day. Hence, an IoT
setup should be capable of handling the massive expansion. The data generated as an outcome
is enormous, and it should be handled appropriately.

 Dynamic and Self-Adapting (Complexity) –

IoT devices should dynamically adapt themselves to the changing contexts and scenarios.
Assume a camera meant for the surveillance. It should be adaptable to work in different
conditions and different light situations (morning, afternoon, night).

 Architecture –
IoT architecture cannot be homogeneous in nature. It should be hybrid, supporting different
manufacturers ‘ products to function in the IoT network. IoT is not owned by anyone
engineering branch. IoT is a reality when multiple domains come together.

 Safety –
There is a danger of the sensitive personal details of the users getting compromised when all
his/her devices are connected to the internet. This can cause a loss to the user. Hence, data
security is the major challenge. Besides, the equipment involved is huge. IoT networks may also
be at the risk. Therefore, equipment safety is also critical.

2.3 Applications of Internet of Things(IoT):

 Smart Homes
One of the best and the most practical applications of IoT, smart homes really take both,
convenience and home security, to the next level. Though there are different levels at which IoT
is applied for smart homes, the best is the one that blends intelligent utility systems and
entertainment together. For instance, your electricity meter with an IoT device giving you
insights into your everyday water usage, your set-top box that allows you to record shows from
remote, Automatic Illumination Systems, Advanced Locking Systems, Connected Surveillance
Systems all fit into this concept of smart homes. As IoT evolves, we can be sure that most of the
devices will become smarter, enabling enhanced home security.
  Smart City
Not just internet access to people in a city but to the devices in it as well – that’s what smart
cities are supposed to be made of. And we can proudly say that we’re going towards realizing
this dream. Efforts are being made to incorporate connected technology into infrastructural
requirements and some vital concerns like Traffic Management, Waste Management, Water
Distribution, Electricity Management, and more. All these work towards eliminating some day-
to-day challenges faced by people and bring in added convenience.
 Self-driven Cars
We’ve seen a lot about self-driven cars. Google tried it out, Tesla tested it, and even Uber came
up with a version of self-driven cars that it later shelved. Since it’s human lives on the roads
that we’re dealing with, we need to ensure the technology has all that it takes to ensure better
safety for the passenger and those on the roads.
 IoT Retail Shops
If you haven’t already seen the video of Amazon Go – the concept store from the eCommerce
giant, you should check it out right away. Perhaps this is the best use of the technology in
bridging the gap between an online store and a retail store. The retail store allows you to go
cashless by deducting money from your Amazon wallet. It also adds items to your cart in real-
time when you pick products from the shelves.
 Farming
Farming is one sector that will benefit the most from the Internet of Things. With so many
developments happening on tools farmers can use for agriculture, the future is sure promising.
Tools are being developed for Drip Irrigation, understanding crop patterns, Water Distribution,
drones for Farm Surveillance, and more. These will allow farmers to come up with a more
productive yield and take care of the concerns better.
 Industrial Internet
The Industrial Internet of Things consists of interconnected sensors, instruments, and other
devices connected with computers’ industrial applications like manufacturing, energy
management, etc. While still being unpopular in comparison to IoT wearables and other uses,
market researches like Gartner, Cisco, etc., believe the industrial internet to have the highest
overall potential

 Scope of IoT
As you know, IoT is evolving and is being experimented with and used in tons of different ways
than you can ever imagine. Some IoT examples can be Smart Breweries, Smart Coffee
Machines, Smart Parking Facilities, Smart Supply-chain Mechanisms, and more.

Lastly, let us have a quick glance at what the statistics say about the scope of the Internet of Things. As
per Fortune Business Insights, the global Internet of Things market was valued at US$250.72 billion in
2019 and is anticipated to reach US$1,463.19 billion by 2027, expanding at a Compound Annual Growth
Rate (CAGR) of 24.9 percent in the forecast period. Well, that pretty much speaks for itself. Beginners
who have IoT as a career choice in mind might just be in luck. They can invest in a training program like
Jigsaw Academy’s 12-week IoT Bootcamp program that offers in-person mentorship, hands-on project
experience, personalized career support, and more!

2.4 IBM WATSON SERVICES

What is the IBM Cloud platform?
 The IBM Cloud® platform combines platform as a service (PaaS) with infrastructure as a
service (IaaS) to provide an integrated experience. The platform scales and supports both
small development teams and organizations, and large enterprise businesses. Globally
deployed across data centers around the world, the solution you build on IBM Cloud®
spins up fast and performs reliably in a tested and supported environment you can trust!

 IBM Cloud provides solutions that enable higher levels of compliance, security, and
management, with proven architecture patterns and methods for rapid delivery for running
mission-critical workloads. Available in data centers worldwide, across 19 countries with
multizone regions in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, you are
enabled to deploy locally with global scalability.

 IBM Cloud offers the most open and secure public cloud for business with a next-
generation hybrid cloud platform, advanced data and AI capabilities, and deep enterprise
expertise across 20 industries. Solutions are available depending on your needs for
working in the public cloud, on-premises, or a combination:

What's built into the platform?

 As the following diagram illustrates, the IBM Cloud platform is composed of multiple
components that work together to provide a consistent and dependable cloud experience.
 A robust console that serves as the front end for creating, viewing, managing your cloud
resources.
 An identity and access management component that securely authenticates users for both
platform services and controls access to resources consistently across IBM Cloud
 A catalog that consists of hundreds of supported products.
 A search and tagging mechanism for filtering and identifying your resources
 An account and billing management system that provides exact usage for pricing plans
and secure credit card fraud protection.

IBM Cloud catalog

 Discover all that IBM Cloud has to offer. From services to software ranging from
containers, compute, security, data, AI, and more, find what you need to transform your
business.

 The available services include options for compute, storage, networking, end-to-end
developer solutions for app development, testing and deployment, security management
services, traditional and open-source databases, and cloud-native services. The lifecycle
and operations of services are the responsibility of IBM.

 You can also find a number of software products, including Cloud Paks, starter kits,
Terraform-based templates, Helm charts, and Operators. The preconfigured software
solutions help you build faster. And, with a simplified installation process, you can get
started quickly. You manage the deployment and configuration of the software on your
own compute resources.

 And, if you're looking for help in your journey to cloud, check out our professional
services. Browse your options for scheduling a consultation with technical experts
depending on your needs, such as cloud migration, creating business solutions with IBM
Garage, or developing a container security solution that works for you.

2.5 NODE-RED SERVICES

 Node-RED is a flow-based development tool for visual programming developed

originally by IBM for wiring together hardware devices, APIs and online services as part
of the Internet of Things.

 Node-RED provides a web browser-based flow editor, which can be used to create
JavaScript functions. Elements of applications can be saved or shared for re-use. The
runtime is built on Node.js. The flows created in Node-RED are stored using JSON.
Since version 0.14, MQTT nodes can make properly configured TLS connections.

 In 2016, IBM contributed Node-RED as an open-source JS Foundation project.