When it comes to IoT, we mainly think of home automation systems. But IoT has great use in other fields too like agriculture, mining, manufacturing, public health and sanitation, traffic control, waste management, energy dissemination and security. IoT truly pervades each and every sphere of life we can imagine.

1. 6 MOBILE UI/UX MISTAKES TO AVOID
- By Shanal Aggarwal (Head - Global Sales, TechAhead)

2. INTRODUCTION
Internet of Things (IoT) has created major disruption in the
market since its conception in 2015. It promises to create more.
According to a recent Gartner survey, the number of IoT users
globally is expected to rise from 13.4 billion in 2015 to 38.5
billion in 2025, a staggering rise of 300% which says a lot about
the reach and popularity of IoT.
When it comes to IoT, we mainly think of home automation
systems. But IoT has great use in other fields too like agriculture,
mining, manufacturing, public health and sanitation, traffic
control, waste management, energy dissemination and security.
IoT truly pervades each and every sphere of life we can imagine.
©2017 TechAhead

3. NOW AND NEXT….
Let us take a look at the existing IoT apps in different sectors and
some innovative app ideas for the coming time.
• Home Automation Apps
Home automation is the most widely explored and understood
application of IoT. As per GilPress, “More than two-thirds consumers
plan to buy connected technology for their homes by 2019.”
We all know about Nest’s smart thermostat, lights and carbon
monoxide detection sensors- wonderful innovations to optimize
water and electricity usage in a house; detect carbon level in the air;
personalize temperature and light setting in a room and reduce
utility bills. The next phase of IoT enabled home apps will see
ground-breaking innovations.
©2017 TechAhead

4. HOME AUTOMATION APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Smart lights, taps, detectors will become smarter. They will not
only switch off when not in use, they will also store data about
users’ habits, personalize water temperature and mood setting,
analyze water and power wastage, create energy-efficient usage
strategies. IoT home devices will not only make homes energy-
efficient but help in tackling global issues like pollution, over-
consumption and energy deficit.
IoT-enabled heating, ventilation and HVAC systems will ensure
users comfort and enhance style too. Blinds which flip vertically if
it is too sunny and open wide when too dark inside are one of the
innovative app ideas for the future. Automatic adjustment in
temperature according to weather is another one.

5. HOME AUTOMATION APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Connected security devices like CCTV and alarm systems are already
in vogue. Coming time will see introduction of biometric to gain
entry into a building; automatic locks and remote access-based
security systems. Users will be able to get data about anyone trying to
break into the house when they were away; notify the police in case of
break in; ensure all doors and windows are locked even if they left in
a hurry; open the main door when they are about to reach the house.
Homes will become wholesome entertainment hubs. Music systems
will store users’ personal choices and create the right mood for
gatherings. Automatic notification will be sent on the app when your
favorite movie is telecasted and television will ring an alarm at the
right time too. The possibilities for IoT-enabled home automation
apps are endless for consumers and developers alike.

6. HEALTH AND FITNESS APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Health and Fitness Apps
2015 saw the market flooded with health and fitness apps by
Google and fitbit. Wearables like Smart bands and watches kept a
watch on the wearer’s vital parameters like temperature, sugar level
and blood pressure. These will become more responsive and rich in
next few years. According to MobiHealthNews,”4 million patients
globally will remotely monitor their health by 2020.” Sensor-
embedded wearables will notify the wearer before their vital stats
dip below permissible levels. For chronically-ill patients, sensor-
embedded devices lodged in clothing will give timely reminders to
take medication. There will also be development of sensors capable
of identifying symptoms of autism and hyperactivity in children at
an early age enabling correct diagnosis and timely treatment.

7. HEALTH AND FITNESS APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Another emergent IoT-based trend being observed in health and
fitness field is the gamification of fitness activities on the apps. A
good example of one such app is MatchUp .io’s Move2Win which
transforms routine exercise regimes into an interactive game
format. It keeps users engaged by offering advice on their fitness
routines, creates competitive scenarios between users and propels
them to the next level of routine, all in a game-like structure
which users enjoy immensely. All these innovations are creating
ripples in health and fitness industry and excitement among
health enthusiasts.

8. INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL USE APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Industrial and Agricultural use apps
A lesser-known application of IoT is in the industrial and
agricultural fields where it has managed to reduce operation costs
and improve productivity and will continue to do so in coming
times. In manufacturing units and factories, intelligent sensors will
be embedded in machines to identify imminent break downs before
they occur so that preventive action can be taken and loss of
productivity can be minimized. This will be especially useful in
cases where machine failure or malfunction poses a threat to the
workers health. An example can be seen in the mining industry,
where IoT-enabled sensors similar to Nest thermostat are put
inside mine shafts to monitor conditions inside the shaft and
safeguard miners’ wee being.

9. INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL USE APPS
©2017 TechAhead
It is predicted that about 5.4 million such IoT devices will be used
in oil extraction sites by 2020 to provide environmental metrics
about extraction sites.
In agriculture, about 75 million IoT devices will be used to identify
soil acidity level, soil temperature and other variable parameters in
soil such as manure, seeds, fertilizers to improve crop yield.
Sensors embedded in soil will detect loss of fertility in a patch of
soil, diagnose reasons for it and even provide instructions to
farmers to prepare required manure mix for the soil. All
instructions will be imparted in farmer’s native language for easy
comprehension and better results. Unlike present times, IoT apps
will become more affordable and accessible to all segments of
society.

10. ENERGY DISSEMINATION APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Energy Dissemination Apps
IoT apps in coming times will facilitate better dissemination of
energy from all sources to reduce wastage of energy and realize
sustainable living. Smart electricity meters will generate
electricity bill for a household, notify when there is overuse of
power, inform relevant authority when there is a prolonged power
cut due to some fault, monitor voltage fluctuations and manage
the energy flow. Smart electric grids can monitor and manage
power supply to individual households to ensure uniform
distribution of power and avoid power outages.

11. ENERGY DISSEMINATION APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Intelligent sensors in water sources like septic tanks and wells will
be able to control delivery of water, automatic cut off of motor to
pump water, auto switch on when water supply starts, detect
impurities in water, monitor water supply and send automatic
notification to concerned authority in case of shortage of water
into a system. IoT enabled sensors and controls in water supply
channel can create smart water solutions and resolve water related
issues rapidly. IoT will make energy ecosystem efficient and
improve quality of life in the long run.

12. ENERGY DISSEMINATION APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Intelligent sensors in water sources like septic tanks and wells will
be able to control delivery of water, automatic cut off of motor to
pump water, auto switch on when water supply starts, detect
impurities in water, monitor water supply and send automatic
notification to concerned authority in case of shortage of water
into a system. IoT enabled sensors and controls in water supply
channel can create smart water solutions and resolve water related
issues rapidly. IoT will make energy ecosystem efficient and
improve quality of life in the long run.

13. TRAFFIC MONITORING AND VEHICLE-EMBEDDED APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Traffic Monitoring and Vehicle-embedded Apps
With exploding population and traffic on roads, managing traffic is
quite a challenge but IoT has solutions for that too. Smart traffic
lights and street lights which auto switch on and off when they
detect traffic will reduce traffic jams. Self-driven cars are another
disruptive revolution. Cars with intelligent sensors will be able to
drive themselves with minimal human intervention. Rather than
stop at red lights, self-driving cars would schedule a slot through
an intersection in real-time, speeding up or slowing down to
ensure they’re in the right place at the right time – and not
smashing into another car. According to Gartner, about
250,000,000 connected cars will be on the road by 2020.

14. TRAFFIC MONITORING AND VEHICLE-EMBEDDED APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Radio taxis like Uber and Ola are already using cloud technology
to connect users and drivers remotely and geo-location to navigate
to destinations. Ride sharing is being encouraged which will again
reduce traffic and gas emission into the atmosphere and also save
fuel consumption. In the future, cars will be able to park
themselves without the aid of parking attendants owing to smart
parking lots where sensors are placed next to each parking slot to
compute available spaces and provide directions to access it.
Location-based technology combined with IoT will enable smart
routing to suggest least congested driving routes and alternative
routes to reach a destination in case faced with unexpected
roadblocks on the way.

15. TRAFFIC MONITORING AND VEHICLE-EMBEDDED APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Auto adjustment of tyre pressure and auto detection of faults in
engines and car mechanism will prevent sudden breakdowns. IoT
enabled sensors will do self-diagnosis of problems, call for an
ambulance or police in case of accident and preserve life. Volvo’s
remote diagnostic platform for containers to monitor performance
is a step in this direction.

16. WASTE MANAGEMENT APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Waste Management Apps
With world population growing at an alarming rate, waste disposal and
management is a crisis that almost every nation is facing. In the future, IoT
has a sound solution to this problem as well. The ultrasonic level sensor is
one type of sensor that IoT companies have put to good use. Initially
designed to measure slurries and liquids, a number of businesses and
municipalities are applying the sensor to measure solid waste as well.
Ultrasonic level sensors work by emitting acoustic waves and then listening
for an echo. Upon reaching a level surface, the waves will reflect back to the
sensor with a measurement reading – similar to the process of
echolocation. SmartBin and OnePlus systems are two ground breaking IoT
apps in this field. They have sensors planted in bins to check waste level and
type. They notify authorities if non-permissible items are detected in the
waste. They are connected to trash pickup trucks which are notified when
trash is full and they can plan their collection route accordingly.

17. PUBLIC HEALTH APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Public Health Apps
By 2025, most hospitals will incorporate IoT-enabled network to
connect doctors, patients and health care providers remotely so
that less time will be spent in administration tasks at the hospital
and more time is devoted to treatment of patients. Ingestible
sensors administered to chronically-ill patients will pick up real-
times data from body, feed it into medical records at their
hospital, do quick analysis of data and provide appropriate course
of action to patient and providers.

18. PUBLIC HEALTH APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Doctors assisting patients remotely will become the trend and has
been dubbed mHealth by IoT gurus. With the Internet of Things
merging with our daily routine, even something as common as a
refrigerator becomes helpful in alerting a doctor to what a patient
has been doing to their body. Why keep a dietary journal, when
your refrigerator will report to your doctor for you about what you
have been eating? The technology to monitor such factors of a
patient’s overall health is already here. Algorithms operating on
this type of data can even comb through the information and
report honestly about how healthy a patient's lifestyle actually
happens to be.

19. PUBLIC HEALTH APPS
©2017 TechAhead
Whether you want to review your own medical records or have a
conversation with your doctor remotely, IoT apps make these
connections possible. Mobile apps can educate patients as to the
latest scientific breakthroughs and understanding of various
health conditions and also help patients track their own
symptoms, which leads to a stronger diagnosis by doctors.

20. SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE APPS
©2017 TechAhead
• Security and Surveillance Apps
Most of us are aware of smart cameras, alarm systems and
surveillance systems found in almost every modern building
nowadays. They capture routine and regular movements within and
near a premise where they are mounted, store the data and create
data analytics from the information to establish a pattern. As they
detect any unrecognizable suspected movement, they raise alarm,
notify a neighbor or residents through apps in their mobile and even
call the emergency service or police for prompt action. Now imagine
if unmanned IoT enabled aerial drones are added to this equation.
They can be used as a supplement to the police force, assist in
patrolling, prevent crimes and help in catching [perpetrators of crime.
This is what IOT can do for security and surveillance of people.

21. MOVING AHEAD
IoT Apps will not be mere hardware; they will be bundled with
follow-up services that the user will have to purchase to optimize
the device use. For facilitating this, BigData will have to be
shared between various sectors and industries to enable
collaboration. The future of IOT is brighter than ever!
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©2017 TechAhead

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