Technology continues to change the work. The dawn of the year 2000 was the start of a new era, as far as the applications of the technology were concerned.
It started with the bubble of the dot.com phase that led to the evolution of the Internet. This is followed by the proliferation of social networks and multiple websites.
Now, we are talking about the application of advanced technology in the form of the Internet of Things (IoT). We are talking about a new system of connecting most of our devices to the Internet.
The Internet is smart. The Internet is reliable. The Internet is for everyone and everything!
In this article, you will find out more about the top 10 Internet of Things (IoT) devices that are not only becoming more popular in 2021 but are also making disruptions in important economies.
What is IoT?
So, what is this IoT that everyone in the tech world is talking about? Internet of Things or IoT for short refers to a system of interrelated computing devices that are physical.
IoT is also a network of objects, digital machines, people, or animals. Those are generally classified as and called Things.
This network of objects is embedded with sensors and Unique Identifiers (UIDs) that are connected to connect and exchange data from those Things.
The transmission of data is usually done from those devices or things to the network. Therefore, human intervention is not always needed.
What is IoT Devices?
Simply put, IoT Devices are the pieces of machines, hardware, gadgets, sensors, and appliances that are connected to the Internet. The connection is done in a way that the IoT Devices can transfer over the network/Internet without requiring additional programming.
The Top 10 IoT Devices to Watch Out for in 2021
Although there are several IoT Devices, not all of them function the same way. Likewise, some IoT devices have been able to gain more traction in recent months than the others have.
Thus, we present to you, the top 10 IoT Devices that will feature the most in the technological sector in 2021:
1. IoT Healthcare Devices
Picture a world where patients can now receive instant information on their health status, even if they are many miles away from the nearest hospital or clinic.
Is it possible? Yes, it is!
Wearable healthcare devices make it possible. The role played by the Internet of Things (IoT) in this regard cannot be underestimated.
Now, these IoT healthcare devices can collect data from the Internet where they are connected. This way, patients and those at the risk of certain health conditions will be able to have more control over their health.
Thus, IoT healthcare devices are one of the IoT devices to look out for in 2021. For emphasis, let us talk about a couple of these IoT healthcare devices and the inputs they are making to make the healthcare system better.
Monitoring Medical Adherence
Is it possible for a device to monitor whether a patient has taken his or her medication or not? Yes, it is because certain IoT devices have been developed to look into this.
You would agree that illnesses can be treated faster if the patients took their medications religiously. However, that is not always the case because some patients tend to either forget or decide not to take their medications.
However, some healthcare IoT devices have been manufactured to tackle this. These devices can go as high as determining whether the patient has taken the medication.
The determination is usually by monitoring the swallowing of the capsules or tablets, saliva swallows and even drinking water after swallowing the capsules.
The medical adherence IoT devices are designed in different ways with the most common being wearable smart necklaces.
IoT Healthcare Devices for Glucose Tracking
Blood sugar or glucose levels can now be tracked with ease with dedicated IoT devices used for tracking glucose.
These glucose tracking IoT devices are sometimes designed with automated insulin delivery systems and glucose monitoring systems that can be used to check the amount of glucose in the body.
Examples of these IoT glucose trackers are:
- Eversense
- Dexcom
2. Industrial IoT Devices
There is no doubt that the industrial sector is one of the economic sectors that benefit the most from the application of the Internet of Things.
You must have heard about Industry 4.0. It simply refers to the next industrial revolution where Internet-enabled devices will be mostly used to automate tasks in our industries.
Of course, the manufacturing or production of most products is done in industries. So, you can imagine the innovations that would be in place as soon as more IoT devices are deployed for use in our industries.
Likewise, some industrial IoT devices are tipped to be used the most in 2021. These are some of them:
Kiva Technology
At the core of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the innovations made by the tech giant and global e-commerce disruptor, Amazon.
Kiva Technology is one of the huge investments made by Amazon to aid warehouse reinvention.
Kiva Technology was acquired by the company (Amazon) in 2012 and it is used for locating the shelves of products.
The technology is manned by robots, which is the reason why Amazon was able to cut down on its operating costs by 20% as of 2014.
Self-Driving Tractors
The manufacturing sector may be receiving most of the attention, but it is not the only industry that is being disrupted by the Internet of Things (IoT).
The agricultural sector is also disrupted by IoT and John Deere is one of the companies that is leading the new era of agriculture.
The company had in 2015, rolled out self-driving tractors that now make it easier for farmers to go about their businesses.
That is not all. The company also deployed telematics technology, which can be used for discovering potential mechanical issues in the tractors. This way, the predictive feature of the technology can pick out the issues for immediate fixing.
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can also be applied in the following areas of industrial production:
- Monitoring of equipment damages
- Automation of the inventory monitoring for the maintenance of efficient workflow.
- Automated and remote equipment monitoring
- Supply-chain optimization
- Faster changes and improvements in the industrial business model
- Predictive maintenance
3. AWS IoT Devices
Amazon is not only a company that deals in the online distribution of goods and services. The brand also focuses on the development of Internet of Things (IoT) devices via the dedicated Amazon Web Services (AWS).
AWS IoT refers to the provision of cloud services by Amazon. These cloud services are used to connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices to both Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud services and other devices.
Besides, AWS brings together both Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence together so that the two can be combined to create scalable solutions to cloud computing and IoT offerings.
Now, several AWS IoT devices are delegated for use in different sectors. They include:
FreeRTOS
FreeRTOS is one of the IoT devices manufactured and deployed by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
FreeRTOS is an Operating System (OS) specifically designed for use in Microcontrollers (MCUs). The impact of this IoT is that it makes it simpler for low-power and small edge devices to be programmed, deployed, secured, and connected to cloud services. The FreeRTOS AWS IoT also makes it easier to manage the operations of the microcontrollers from the same interface.
AWS IoT Device Management
It is one thing to develop and deploy an Internet of Things (IoT) device. It is another thing to manage the device effectively so it continues to function optimally.
That is the concept behind AWS IoT Device Management. It is an IoT device that allows you to securely onboard, monitor, organize and remotely take control of the other IoT devices that are connected to it.
AWS Partner Device Catalog
Amazon Web Services IoTs do not work alone. There may be a need for the developers or users to connect to other IoT devices for maximum productivity.
This informs the reason behind the development of the AWS Partner Device Catalog. It is a dedicated IoT used for finding both hardware and devices that can work well with Amazon Web Service (AWS).
Once that is confirmed, developers will then be able to use the AWS Partner Device Catalog to explore and build the IoT devices of their choice.
AWS IoT Core
Internet of Things (IoT) devices need to connect easily on the Internet. That is what the AWS IoT Core does.
It is a managed cloud service that paves the way for connected/IoT devices to securely and easily interact with both IoT devices and cloud applications.
4. IoT Home Devices
Ever heard of Smart Homes? Have you wondered what it means for homes to be smart? It simply means that those homes are equipped with some of the best IoT devices that can be used to raise the IQ or functionality of the home.
Today, there are several IoT devices for our homes. These range from Wi-Fi locks to security cameras and down to smart lighting.
The idea is to make the home connected in a way that most of the devices or appliances in the home can work well with the use of the Internet.
You can now automate your house with some of the best smart home devices.
The examples below are some of the top IoT devices that would be used in most homes around the world in 2021:
Nest Protect
Nest Protect is a smart smoke detector that helps you to stay safe around your house. You may not always be lucky to be within reach when a fire breaks out in your home.
However, Nest Protect does a great job of detecting carbon monoxide and smoke. The device would then turn on the spoken alerts and the lights around that area
This way, you will be able to have a visual cue of the direction of the smoke/carbon monoxide so you can get out of the house on time.
Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker
Home IoT devices are much more than just smart door locks and smart bulbs. Instead, smart coffee makers are also a part of the deal.
The Hamilton Beach Smart Coffee Maker is an example of how smart the home can be. This coffee maker can brew as much as 12 cups of coffee at once.
All you need is to issue a voice command and everything will be set!
5. Edge Devices IoT
Edge Devices are pieces of hardware or equipment that are used to transmit data from the local network to the cloud. This way, it will be easier to connect your Local Area Network (LAN) to a Wide Area Network (WAN) or an external network.
An edge device also serves the purpose of providing an entry point into a service provider or enterprise core networks.
Generally, Edge Devices serve as the intermediary or smart gateway for languages/protocols used by both local devices and cloud computation. That way, it will be easy for secure information transmission to be done for both.
On the one hand, local networks are NFC, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Wi-Fi. On the other hand, cloud network uses specific protocols, such as HTTP, AMQP, CoAp, and MQTT.
From the above, it is clear that both the local and cloud networks have different protocols for data transmission. Therefore, there is a need for common ground or interface for the data from the local networks to be transmitted to the cloud networks. It is this interface that is called Edge Devices or gateways.
Some examples of Edge Devices are:
- Multiplexers
- Routers
- Integrated Access Devices (IADs)
- Routing Devices
6. IoT Wearable Devices
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are not limited to just physical devices usable in industries and homes.
You can also wear IoT. This is because of the Wearable IoT Technology that makes it possible for people to wear electronic devices that function both as mere devices and trackers.
Wearable Technology refers to electronic devices that are developed with tracking and analytical features. This ensures that the IoT Wearable Devices analyze the wearers (individuals wearing) them, as well as transmit the information/data obtained from the individuals.
The relevance of Wearable Devices is that the devices can accurately track and relay relevant personal data, such as the exercise and medical data of the person(s) putting on the device.
This would, in turn, be used to help the individual to upgrade the lifestyle.
Here are some examples of Wearable (IoT) devices you can come across in 2021:
- Gaming Wearable, such as Haptic vests, Virtual Reality (VR) Headsets
- Smart clothing that monitors your temperature, movement, pulse, nutrition, respiration rate, sleep, and heart rate.
- Fitness trackers are designed as wrist bands to track GPS, monitor your sleep level, step count, nutrition (including calorie intake), moving distance, and blood sugar.
- Smart Shoes
- NFC Smart Ring
- Smart Nicotine Patch devised with Nicotine Replacement Therapy for delivering nicotine into the bloodstream of the user.
7. Windows IoT Devices
Windows, the disruptive tech product from Microsoft Inc. is not taking a back seat in the heated-up drive for a world driven by IoT.
The Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is a step in the direction of providing IoT device developers with a rich device platform and world-class IoT development tools.
The Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is also pegged to the Azure IoT interface for easy scalability after the IoT devices must have been developed.
The Windows 10 Enterprise for IoT is designed to help developers who may find it difficult to scale the containerized workloads.
This way, developers will find it convenient to build IoT devices using a platform that supports devices that would not only be relevant now but also in the future.
Besides, the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise integrates both Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make data collection and analysis easier for intelligent-edge devices.
8. IoT Medical Devices
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is used to describe the fusion of the Internet and devices developed for use in the connected healthcare space.
Both patients and medical practitioners are the primary beneficiaries of this new form of IoT because the device can now monitor the status of the patients.
The role of IoMT in the medical sector includes but is not limited to the tracking of drug effectiveness, remote monitoring of the patients’ health, and sleep monitoring.
IoT devices used in the medical sector are also designed to monitor the quality of air available to the patients, reminders for a medication refill, and remote transfer of medical data.
With these IoT medical devices, patients and healthcare providers can now have more time on their hands. On the side of the patients, they can monitor their health status either at home or in the office. On the other hand, healthcare providers will be able to keep track of the patients’ health status from the hospital without necessarily inviting the patients over.
Some of the innovative IoT devices used in the healthcare system include:
- Sensor Metrix is a wireless sensor that ensures that medications and blood samples are stored under the right temperature.
- Patients on Catheterization can use UroSense to monitor both their core body temperature output, as well as the output of urine.
- QardioCore is an ECG Monitor used for providing continuous medical-grade data, such as monitoring and sending out important data, such as cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Up by Jawbone is a fitness tracker used for tracking the overall health of the wearer. Some of the tracked data are diet, calorie intake, sleeping activities, weight gain, and overall health.
- Propeller’s Breezhaler Device is a medical device equipped with a smart sensor. The connected sensor works with a mobile app and is designed to help in the easy management of COPD and Asthma.
9. Wi-Fi IoT Devices
There is an argument on whether the Internet of Things (IoT) devices are designed to function wirelessly or not.
The fact is that a majority of IoT devices are designed with wireless functionality, which means that you don’t necessarily need to be near the devices before you can use them.
That notwithstanding, there are a couple of Wi-Fi IoT devices that you can start using in 2021.
A majority of these Wi-Fi or wireless IoT devices use Wi-Fi most of the time. So, you need to have a compatible application for the IoT on your device for them to function effectively.
Some of these Wi-Fi IoT devices are:
Amazon Dash Button
This is a Wi-Fi IoT device that allows the user to order medical products, foods, drinks, and even pet items from popular brands, such as Clorox, Bounty, and Glad.
You can do all that via the Wi-Fi Internet connection.
Smart Light Switch
This is another Wi-Fi IoT device that relies on the available Wi-Fi network to give wireless access to the lights in your home.
10. Smart IoT Devices
A majority of Internet of Things (IoT) devices are smart, aren’t they? Yes, they are! But, that doesn’t mean that some are smarter in the real sense of the world.
We are referring to the likes of smartphones (Android and iOS), smartwatches, and smart locks for our doors.
These smart IoT devices are mostly electronic devices designed to connect to other devices via wireless networks and protocols, such as NFC, Bluetooth, LiFi, Zigbee, and Wi-Fi.
Besides, these smart devices can come in different forms, including:
- Boards, such as Horizontal Surface Computers
- Tabs or wearable centimeter-sized devices, such as Smart Cards and Smartphones.
- Pads or handheld decimeter-sized devices, such as laptops.
How to Choose the Best IoT Platform
You have just identified a huge market demand for a specific type of IoT and you want to develop series of IoT solutions to satisfy that market need.
Before that, you want to consider some of the important factors or things to look for in any IoT platform.
Here are some of those things to look for:
- Select a fully capable platform that offers Data aggregation, connectivity management, and application enablement.
- The platform should also offer IoT Orchestration Hub because that is one of the best ways to access the all-around IoT solutions in one place.
- It should also be an end-to-end IoT platform that ensures the excellent distribution of IoT services across several value chains.
Conclusion
The Internet of Things (IoT) is already playing an immeasurable role in the improvement of technological solutions across different sectors of the economy.
The 10 IoT devices mentioned in this article are some of the most used and will continue to feature in the IoT economy now and in the future.
