Top 5 trends picking up in IoT

Introduction
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The internet of things IoT is one of the most prominent tech trends to have emerged in recent years. Today, more businesses like IoT app development companies are taking advantage of the benefits of IoT than ever before. In simple terms, it refers to the fact that while the word internet initially referred to the wide-scale networking of computers, today devices of every size & shape, from cars to kitchen appliances to industrial machinery, are connected & sharing information digitally on a global scale. As with every aspect of our lives, the global coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly affected the way this trend is developing & impacting our lives. In a world where contact between humans is, for now, more limited, contact between devices, tools & toys can help us remain connected.


Healthcare investment in IoT to Skyrocket
From telemedicine to automated home help for the elderly & disabled, smart wearables, sensors & connected devices will continue to change the way healthcare is delivered. It will also be used to minimize unnecessary contact in situations, where the risk of viral contamination is particularly high, for example, care homes & infectious disease wards within hospitals.
This trend will undoubtedly continue upwards during 2021 now that infrastructure & patient awareness of the advantage is in place. Strong growth has also been seen in the market for devices that will allow the elderly to remain independent in their own homes for longer. This will include tools utilizing AI to detect falls to changes to regular daily routines that could alert relatives or healthcare providers that intervention could be required.


IoT means more productive WFH
Work-from-home (WFH) is the latest normal for many of us in the information economy in current times due to safety concerns encompassing massive numbers of people gathering in offices and city centers. With AI-powered personal assistants like Alexa now placed in many of our homes, we can expect more devices designed to aid us in operating our day while working remotely. This will involve more intelligent computerized scheduling and calendar tools, better quality, interactive video conferencing, and virtual meeting technology. Microsoft’s Virtual Stage platform, for example, uses its Azure Kinect sensors to enable immersive, AI-powered presentations that will keep us better engaged.
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IoT in Retail sector
As we noticed in the initial times of the COVID crisis, several non-essential stores were tentatively shut down with insignificant disturbance to our lives – thanks to online retail evolution. However, stores supplying essentials like food and medicine must remain open to serve the basic needs of local populations.
Overhead the following year, we can foresee a new direction for innovative models such as Amazon’s fully automated supermarkets that cut down on the need for non-vital human interaction as we stock our homes with food and other essentials.

Automation through IoT-enabled devices will also continue to grow in the extensive fulfillment centers that dispatch inventory to stores. Contact-free payment systems will also grow frequently prevailing as we progress further towards the “cashless society” that has been foretold to arrive for some time soon, inducing its own hurdles.

Other developments in retail will entail the use of RFID tags to track the movement of customers around stores. As earlier, this will be used to make choices over stock deployment and foodstuff by registering how and when patrons interact with displays and products on the racks.


IoT in smart cities
According to PwC, Smart city development is poised for growth over the next seven years. By 2025, the market for this technology will reach $2.5 trillion. Smart cities are second in line for 5G implementation after industrial IoT. This will allow for a stable network with enough bandwidth capacity. The connectivity diversity for smart city solutions is among the top issues for technology. Data is the most intriguing element. Smart city data is mostly public and can be collected much more quickly than data required for smart home systems.

Therefore, an opportunity is there for onboard AI in combination with IoT to prove successful. For example, the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai utilized AI for crowd management at metro stations.
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IoT at the edge
The adoption of edge computing will become more significant for the Internet of Things devices to conquer the cloud computing drawbacks such as latency issues and low bandwidth faced in the real-time data processing. Edge computing is an accurate data processing and cost-efficient method for IoT devices. Companies should make decisions based on IoT information speedier than ever before to appreciate the true device’s value on the network. With the union of 5G networks, an increase in IoT and IoT devices, and a striking increase in the data amount we are collecting, edge computing can be turned up as significant as ever in this year.

2021 promises to be another year of trouble and uncertainty around the globe and IoT technology will undoubtedly deliver practical solutions to various complexities and challenges faced by people working tenuously.