Understanding the Tiers
• Tier 1: Sensors are installed into the physical environment or objects to gather data and
events.
• Tier 2: Microcontroller and Internet connectivity are responsible for sharing gathered
information by using sensors installed in the IoT implementation. It also acts on the basis
of this gathered information to alter the environment.
• Tier 3: By using the aggregation and analysis of data, service platforms are able to provide
the necessary support to help in the smooth functioning of all the sensors. Service platforms
are also able to alter the existing IoT products’ user experience by enabling the end users to
set system rules and update the sensors’ firmware.
Almost every day new technologies, solutions and choices are coming up in all the three
tiers because use cases often have variations based on industries, object sizes, price points,
power requirements, processor speeds and networking solutions. For example, a utility pro-
gram with the aim to monitor a smart meter doesn’t have the exact same connectivity needs as
a healthcare program with the aim to monitor a patient’s heart rate.
The Use of Sensors
Over many decades, sensors have been used in many industries with various applications. We
use sensors in healthcare, manufacturing, aviation, and automotive etc. Thanks to modern
manufacturing processes and advanced technologies, the sensors have become so tiny that they
can be attached to almost all the devices we use personally and professionally. The sensor tier
installed in IoT is continuously developing and expanding as internet-connected sensors. They
are getting added to new products and services.
Apart from having new sensors in smartphones and tablets, innovative companies are
launching new devices that consist of various sensors. However, don’t think that these sensors
need to be connected to the internet in order to share their gathered data. They can still rely on
old school Bluetooth sync with the user’s smartphone to ultimately send the data to the cloud.
For example; a smartwatch or a smart band does the exact same thing by recording various
parameters from the device and then sending the information to the phone for further analysis.
The Bluetooth connectivity creates a communication medium between the watch/band and
smartphones. On one hand, the band/watch can send collected data from sensors to the smart-
phone. On the other hand, the smartphone can send notification alerts to the watch/band.
These devices are not just limited to watches and bands, you will find sensors installed in
contact lenses and clothing. The Finnish brand Nokia is known recently patenting magnetic
tattoos that vibrate from incoming calls and messages. This space-age sounding technology
was possible by stamping a material into your skin. After this, the material gets paired with your
smartphone to receive vibrating alerts. Similarly, researchers at Microsoft and the University of
Washington worked together to develop IoT contact lenses that could be implanted into your
body to get real-time updates about the biochemical changes inside your body. The diabetes
patients could use these contact lenses to monitor their insulin levels.
The Use of Microcontrollers and Internet Connectivity
The second tier in IoT is perhaps the most important tier. This tier allows local storage of data,
data processing and internet connectivity. If we want to send the gathered data to the cloud
Chapter 1 AnAnswer to the NextGeneration Automated World 3
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