Connected Devices

How IoT supports Electric Vehicle Charging and Keeps EVs Running
admin
January 3, 2023
IoT

How IoT supports Electric Vehicle Charging and Keeps EVs Running

The evolution in the vehicle industry is remarkable. The increasing vehicle demand is not just consuming natural crude oil but also giving pollution as its by-product. The increasing temperature of the earth is significantly impacting the lives of humans as well as animals. This menace is not just limited to living organisms but also disturbs the climate and ecology. 

With the emerging need to control the increasing pollution and make a drive more comfortable and safe, the addition of electronic vehicles is applaudable. Today, Electronic vehicles that are EVs have taken an ambitious place in many car manufacturing companies, proudly joined by Tesla, which is launching all-electric models. Electronic Vehicles are the need of the hour. 

With this remarkable evolution and acceptance by the crowd, there is an inevitable demand to have a solution to keep these cars charged outside of a home. 

Besides supplying the electricity to charge an electronic vehicle, electric vehicle charging stations provide a wealth of information to owners, operators, and drivers. The credit for these things goes to the Internet of Things and cellular connectivity.

Electric cars parking and charging lot.
Electric cars parking and charging lot

The futuristic IoT Charging Stations: Charging EVs

An Electronic Vehicle charging station is connected to IoT and offers numerous benefits to the operator and consumer. If we take up the consumer’s perspective, there is a lot of information and knowledge one needs to acquire, like the location of the charging stations installed on the way. How much time will it take to get the EV charged fully? How much will it cost? These are sets of questions that EV charging stations can answer. And often, these stations have facilities to pay directly from a mobile app because of IoT, making things convenient for EV owners. 

And if we take the operator’s side, IoT enables operators to achieve critical information about each EV charging station without physically visiting the station. It informs the operator about how often it is being used to alert for the upcoming maintenance required or failure of the machine. All of this information can improve efficiency, which, ultimately, helps in improving ROI. It helps in scheduling preventative maintenance or decreasing on-site time with the devices.

However, we are still living in the initial days of EVs, and we anticipate improvement in adoption and innovation with the government’s recent push to spend on climate change initiatives. 

Inflation Reduction Act: Funding in Climate Change

The Inflation Reduction Act has become a topic for discussion this summer. This broad proposition was created to encounter inflation, bargain prescription drug prices, and extend the developed Affordable Care Act program for three years. It invests in manufacturing, domestic energy production, and lowering carbon emissions.

The Energy Security and Climate Change Investments in the Inflation Reduction Act aimed to control energy usage, and positioned the U.S. on the route to minimize carbon emissions approx 40 percent by the end of 2030. This bill targeting the reduction in carbon emissions holds many vital aspects, including reducing energy costs for citizens, increasing energy security, attracting more investment for decarbonizing all sectors of the economy, funding disadvantaged or remote communities, and supporting resilient rural communities.

Inflation Reduction Act: Helping EV Growth

Compared to vehicles that run on natural gas or diesel/petrol, Electronic vehicle causes less environmental impact. It has been proven to be a better option that not just solves the traveling issue but also helps in saving the environment.

Everyone in the industry, either its manufacturers who build EVs or the consumers who enjoy the drive, can leverage the benefit. The benefit offered by Electronic Vehicle also includes:

  • Up to$10 a billion investment tax credit to develop clean technology manufacturing facilities, including those companies that manufacture electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels.
  • Almost $2 billion in assistance to retool existing auto manufacturing structures to manufacture clean vehicles.
  • Up to $20 billion in loans to construct new clean vehicle manufacturing buildings across the country.
  • Govt is providing tax credits and assistance for clean fuels and commercial vehicles to decrease emissions from all parts of the transportation sector.
  • Almost $1 billion for promoting clean heavy-duty vehicles.

The Inevitable Demand for Connectivity

The development of IoT and its endless potential has changed the outlook of the entire world. From smart towns to smart streets, smart hospitals to smart homes, smart tv to smart bottles, IoT has leveled up the world and improved efficiency. The addition of IoT in almost all sectors, including electronic vehicles, has changed the working process while improving user experience.

The collaboration of IoT with Electronic Vehicles also marks that IoT holds the potential to save the environment and ecology; we just need to work more on this technology and exploit it to its full potential. In the coming year, we can expect more innovative solutions that will improve the service quality and also promise to stay environmentally friendly.

However, the introduction of electronic vehicles and the addition of IoT will indeed require more investment and evolvement. There are some challenges that need to be addressed. The extensive spending on clean vehicles will also drive the need for more connected charging stations across the country to support consumers, operators, and commercial vehicles. Electric vehicle charging stations driven by IoT will shortly become essential and significant support for all EVs.

Nevertheless, EVs will be the lifeline of the future transportation system, and IoT, along with other technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Cloud, will become its spinal cord. 

Read More
How IoT Boosts the Micro Mobility Market
admin
December 8, 2022
IoT

How IoT Boosts the Micro Mobility Market?

The Internet of Things is no new thing in the tech market. Just look around, and you’ll find that most of the gadgets and comfort offering solutions are connected to IoT. One of the most popular and known solutions is your virtual assistant,” Alexa.” The way that device handles other internet-connected devices in our homes is incalculable. But limiting the character and usefulness to just these things would be unfair. IoT is also immensely used in logistics, manufacturing, industrial automation, and many others. Not just this, IoT is also being used in the micro-mobility sector.

Any idea about micro-mobility?

The word micro-mobility directs to lightweight transportation for individuals. It shields different transportation options that weigh less than 500kg (1200 lbs). 

Some examples are electric scooters, bicycles, e-bikes, segways, electric skateboards, etc. Micro-mobility is very different from vehicles that are used for long distances. It focuses on short distances and generally for less than five miles. There are considerable advantages to the micro-mobility market, which is the reason behind the huge investment made by tech giants. In 2020 investment in the micro-mobility market was $800 million. This scenario rocketed after the lockdown restrictions were removed. The micro-mobility brands drew around $2.9 billion in 2021.

Advantages of the Micro-mobility Market: 

Let us know three specific benefits of the micro-mobility market that support these high investments:

1: Convenience

One of the most popular and justified benefits is convenience. Transportation options can help customers reach their destination early and with comfort.

2: No Parking Issues:

Parking is one of the major issues in big cities, but micro-mobility can solve this problem. You will never again face parking issues by using micro-mobility transportation choices like segways and hoverboards.

3: Cost-Effective:

As micro-mobility involves ride-sharing, it will automatically become cost-effective; you can rent without requiring any license for hoverboards or e-bikes.

Challenges Faced by the Micro Mobility Sector

The idea of micro-mobility appears appealing, but some challenges hinder the growth of businesses. However, there is zero to be upset about as long as IoT exists, as it has the potential to advance the micro-mobility market.

Data Sharing:

Suppose your own a firm that has 100 ebikes throughout the city. People take your ebikes but pay less attention to the charging levels, and why would they? They are your service bikes, and it’s your responsibility to take care of them. Well, not just this, there are many other issues like ending the ride midway, navigation issues, leaving the vehicle anywhere, and overriding the ebike that can cause damage and revenue loss.

Therefore, there is a need for a solution to collect all the necessary data about the vehicle from time to time. With IoT-connected devices like highly sensitive sensors, one can quickly get all the data related to the vehicle for analysis and make informative decisions. Moreover, adding IoT sensors will also make it manageable for you to transfer data with the traffic authorities to watch vehicle activity in a good way.

Riding Behavior:

It is pretty noticeable to see people riding aggressively on the road. This can be inspired because of different reasons like road rage or time-saving. However, no reason justifies the purpose as it can distract or put other’s life at risk. With IoT sensors installed on the vehicles, businesses can check the vehicle status and warn the rider by sending messages.

For instance, if a person is riding at high speed or cutting the lane often, sensors can record the data and share it with the related authorities for further action. This can protect vehicles from damage and save companies from getting banned due to abnormal riding behavior.

Safety:

Whether a car or a scooter, safety remains the top priority for micro-mobility service provider companies. It is essential to integrate features that protect the riders. These added features are not just limited to safety but also allow businesses to meet government requirements to secure their business.

Theft and Vandalism:

A micro-mobility company’s worst loss is when a vehicle is damaged or lost. Therefore, it is necessary to install proper security measures to prevent this from happening, and yes, IoT can help with this. By implanting a few IoT sensors, companies can stop stealing ebikes. Additionally, these sensors can also be connected to other systems to initiate warning messages.

If it is a genuine user, they can use their phone to get an OTP and use the ebike. Further, the vehicle can have environment-mapping sensors to prevent vandalism.

Scaling Service:

IoT can help in business scaling, but the critical challenge with IoT is that one needs to modify the complete system to upscale instead of a single one. The most feasible option is to get the most suitable IoT service providers. A single service provider will promise smooth and seamless scaling as the operator would have knowledge of your business operations.

Compliance:

Compliance with government standards and norms can hinder growth as they may change and be difficult to follow. However, if state-of-the-art IoT solutions back you, they can become more accessible. IoT sensors can be employed to keep riders stay within speed limits. It can guarantee that vehicle is parked at the right spot. In fact, smart sensors can also guide the riders to the nearest charging station. These criteria also guarantee that riders do the right thing and that government norms are obeyed.

IoT and Micro-mobility

IoT can support the upheaving micro-mobility market, but the only condition is that this will demand colossal investment. Once an investment is made, all other systems are managed, and only timely maintenance and upgrade is left. Investment in IoT for the micro-mobility sector promises a better future and benefits, and various tech giants like Uber and many others are forwarding toward it. This shows that micro-mobility holds a great scope in the coming years. It not just brings transportation at ease but also promises its contribution towards the environment by reducing the dependency on crude oils. The integration of micro-mobility with IoT makes it safe and futuristic.

Read More
Which solution is best for your Connected Device- Edge or Cloud Computing_
admin
September 5, 2022
Cloud Computing, Edge Computing, IoT

Which Solution is Best for Your Connected Device – Edge or Cloud Computing?

If you have adopted IoT and are developing an IoT-connected device, you may wish to do some valuable computation to resolve the important issues that have been hindering growth. You might be desiring to install sensors in remote locations, create a device that can do data analytics to watch a renewable energy source, or develop health-related devices that can detect the early signs of diseases.

While creating the IoT-enabled device or IoT solution, at some point, you might get into a dilemma where you have to choose between edge or cloud computation. But what would be best for your device? Where should your device do the valuable computations in the cloud or at the edge?

Selecting between computing on edge or cloud can be an impacting decision, like it can influence a device’s efficiency or cost. Therefore, everyone does great research and thinks twice to avoid the cost of making the wrong decision and then the money spent correcting it.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud- It is a collection of servers accessed over the internet. Some renowned cloud providers are Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud. 

These servers offer on-demand computing resources for data processing and storage purposes. You can easily say that cloud is a centralized platform for storing your files and programs, and you can easily connect any device to the cloud to access the data. Some of the cloud-based services are Dropbox or Google Drive etc. 

Cloud computing is the process of doing computation in the cloud. These computations include data analysis and visualization, machine learning, and computer vision.

What is Edge Computing?

Edge is described as the “edge” of the network that includes devices at entry or exit points of the cloud, but it is not a part of the cloud. For instance, a server in a data center is part of the cloud; however, smartphones and routers that connect to that server are part of the edge. 

Edge computing can be defined as the process of performing computations on edge. In this, the processing is completed closer or at the location where data is collected or acted. 

One example of an edge computing process is object detection attached to an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle processes the data from its sensors and utilizes the result to avoid obstacles. In this process, the data is processed locally rather than sent to the cloud.

What are the points to be considered?

Before opting between edge and cloud computing, a few key questions must be considered.

Quality of Your Device’s Network

Conducting computation on the cloud can be beneficial if you have high bandwidth, low latency, and a sturdy connection to the internet, as you’ll have to send your data back and forth between cloud servers and your devices. If you have to use your device, for example, in an office or home with a steady internet connection, this back and forth can be done seamlessly. In most cases, if computation is conducted on edge, it won’t be affected by the bad or lost internet connection in a distant place. The processing can continue as it is not performed in the cloud. You would never want your vehicle’s objection detection to be failed while driving on the road. It is one of the reasons why autonomous vehicles perform computations like object detection on edge.

How Swift and How Often Does Your Data Need to be Processed?

Edge computing can be best suited in cases where customers demand response times from devices prompt than waiting for it in a decent network connection, such as monitoring components of the device.

The latency of the travel time between the cloud and the device can be minimized or eliminated. It means data can be processed immediately. It implies that if data processing is quick, one can achieve real-time responses from the devices. Cloud computation is also useful when device use is unsteady. For example, smart home devices running computation in the cloud allows sharing of the same computing resources between multiple customers. This decrease costs by restraining the need to provide the device with upgraded hardware to run the data processing.

What Part of Your Data is Crucial to You?

Computing on edge is helpful if you are only concerned about the result of your data after it has been processed. One can only send only important things for long-term storage in the cloud, which may cut down the expense of data storage and processing in the cloud. Suppose you are developing a traffic surveillance device that needs to inform about the congestion situation on the road. You could pre-process the videos on edge- instead of running hours of raw video in the cloud-one can send images or clips of the traffic only when it is present.

Do you know Your Devices’ Power and Size Limitations?

If you think your device will be limited in size and power, provided it has a strong network connection, sending the computing work to be done on the cloud will permit your device to remain small and low-power. For example, Amazon Alexa and Google Home capture the audio and send it to the cloud for processing, letting complex computations run on the audio as it can not run on the small computers inside the device themselves.

Data Processing Model Your Intellectual Property?

If you are creating a device for costumer and the methods you are adopting to process data are part of Intellectual Property, you must rethink the plan to protect it. Placing your IP on your device without a proper security plan can make your device vulnerable to hacks. If you are unaware of resources to secure your IP on edge, it is best to opt for the cloud, which already has security measures.

Final Reasons for Choosing Between Edge and Cloud Computing

Hence, we can conclude that one must consider a few things when choosing between computing on edge or the cloud. In complex issues, you might find the combination of both very beneficial by leaving some parts of processing on the cloud and rest on the edge.

Read More
How will IoT Build a Bright World with Connected Devices
admin
July 11, 2022
IoT, Technology

How will IoT Build a Bright World with Connected Devices?

Internet of Things is now no new word for the tech world. Studies show that the number of connected devices will reach more than 75 billion by 2025, implying that there will be possibly nine connected devices for every human on earth.

The pace at which IoT technology is striking every area of our lives is impressive, but how it has transformed our day-to-day work is beyond imagination.

But what is IoT?

In simple words, it is the practice of connecting different physical assets through the internet, providing control and measurement access from the remote area while saving users money and time. Today one can set the temperature of the air conditioner while on the way home, brew coffee and efficiently manage the use of lights in the home. Products like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri can interact and provide information as required.

Let us know how various industries are embracing the presence of the Internet of Things and the impact of this latest technology.

IoT in the manufacturing sector:

The impact of Industrial IoT technology is already visible in the output of the manufacturing industry, especially in measuring energy and asset efficiency throughout the production line.

IoT technology has provided an effective way to connect and modernize legacy assets. Using connective sensors, businesses can accumulate critical production data and use cloud software to turn this data into useful insights to know about the efficiency of their manufacturing process. But what kind of assets? It can be anything used within the manufacturing process, from its HVAC or CNC machines to products like refrigerators or lighting rings, etc.

IoT can assist by providing a clearer picture of the working of assets individually and collectively, chartering better ways for monitoring, automation, and predictive maintenance. For instance, Industrial IoT in action has enabled us to gain insight into energy consumption and the health condition of the asset. This technology even allows us to schedule maintenance by informing us about the future condition of the asset.

Employing and integrating IoT in the existing process reduces costly downtime, improves assets, and reduces energy costs.

IoT in the retail sector:

Retail sectors are already using IoT in different innovative ways. One of the key areas is tracking energy consumption not at one store but all the stores present in the entire region or at the national level.

The IoT system can also be used to know which stores are using high energy in lighting or heating; in-store sensors allow us to track energy usage at a more granular level.

Other than this, IoT is also used to optimize store experiences. It is now possible to know the interest area of the shoppers, where they are spending most of the time. This helps retailers improve their stores’ layout to reduce congestion, increase stay time and boost sales. We can say that IoT technology and its different uses are building the ‘high streets of the future.

IoT in the construction sector:

Internet of Things is also contributing to making the construction sector smarter. Smart buildings are one of the most loved concepts possible by IoT. Using IoT and integrated sensors to know the air quality of the site or the surrounding area, such as parks and schools, is one of the key usages.

IoT in construction areas allows construction managers to accurately assess the real-time effect of their work on air quality. IoT in construction also ensures the safety of construction workers and nearby people.

IoT in the agriculture Sector:

The increasing population shows that we will need more food production in the coming year. UN has also estimated that we will need to produce 70% more food to meet the global demand by 2050. Internet of Things will help this sector overcome the looming food shortage challenge by reducing food wastage and increasing yield.

Supervising and tracking workers, machine efficiency, crop and livestock health, and predicting weather are some of the ways through which IoT promises to boost productivity with minimum wastage. Employment of agriculture drones and smart agriculture sensors are already helping agriculture workers by providing real-time production data. Besides this, sensors to track important atmospheric aspects like light, humidity, temperature, air quality, and soil aspects like soil moisture, nutrition, etc., contribute to better yield. This has automated the tasks which involved manual and human interference. Thus, saving labor costs and time as well.

Another way through which IoT is helping agriculture farmers is by providing predictive analytics through better quality data. Using data, farmers can estimate the yield and make better storage plans to keep the produce after harvesting.

IoT in smart cities:

Well, IoT in urban areas has been very influential. People are enjoying the leverages provided by IoT like smart houses, smart street lights, or smart bottles. IoT has occupied an important place in the planning and management of cities. Many countries are using IoT for waste management, traffic control, and public transport systems.

Using IoT, it is now possible to know the number of people in transit at a particular time and opt for a better route to avoid congestion. In cities where flooding is a serious concern, IoT can be used to track the real-time water level in the river. The flood defense system starts when the water level increases and helps mitigate the risk.

We’re on the way to a smart connected world:

IoT has successfully infiltered in major sectors contributing to the economy’s growth. Today, if we look around, we’ll observe that everything is getting smart and automated. All thanks go to IoT for making life more hassle-free and productive. However, some areas are still untouched by the magic of IoT, but it is predicted that it will be covered soon in the coming years. It is estimated that global expenditure on IoT will be around $1,100 billion (€1060.02 billion) in 2023, almost double 2018 $646 billion (€622.52 billion).

This shows that IoT will continue to reform the industries making them more profit-oriented without compromising quality. Hence, we can conclude that high-quality data can help make anything prompt, cheap, and more efficient with less waste.

Read More