In our previous articles we told you about the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Each of its technologies has its own uses and advantages and disadvantages compared to the others.
We defined:
• Artificial Intelligence: (AI for Artificial Intelligence in English) as all sciences, theories and techniques implemented to produce machines that can simulate human intelligence and thus imitate the cognitive abilities of a human being.
• The Internet of Things (IoT for Internet of Things in English): as the term that denotes objects that are connected to the Internet and that can communicate with people but also among themselves. It makes it possible to connect billions of objects and billions of people.
And if we combined these single-use technologies? What would we get?
Apart from that, AI and Internet of Things are technologies that improve our daily lives. But their combination can create important innovations and give objects the ability to make decisions and act without any human intervention.
The combination of these two technologies is known as “Artificial Intelligence of Objects (or AIoT in English for Artificial Intelligence of Things)”.
AIoT combines the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure of the Internet of Things (IoT) to make the operation of connected objects more efficient, more sophisticated in managing and analyzing data, and improving human-computer interaction.
Obviously, as the number of devices increases, so will the data volumes. This is where Artificial Intelligence comes in as it is the most important part of understanding this data.
In this article we use the English abbreviations AI to indicate Artificial Intelligence, IoT for the Internet of Things and AIoT to indicate the Artificial Intelligence of Things.
How does this combination work?
The Internet of Things is about physical objects connected to the Internet (smartphones, light bulbs, thermostats, washing machines, robots, watches, vehicles, etc.). These objects have sensors that allow them to receive and transmit data.
For the IoT, these are applications that are more based on collecting data in the physical world and on the raw return of this data. Connected objects remain in the realm of data monitoring because they are stored and returned as they are.
Artificial Intelligence, for its part, needs this data to convert it into valuable information for effective decision-making. For example, AI makes it possible to quickly analyze data from connected objects to make accurate predictions in a certain area and obtain advanced functionalities. But also to propose actions to avoid risky situations or to optimize ecosystems.
These two technologies are ultimately interdependent to have a stake. AI brings its Machine-Learning capabilities to connected objects and IoT brings connectivity and data exchange to AI to automate processes. This makes devices more communicative, smarter and able to process more information and make more important decisions. AI can make connected objects smarter.
In other words, the Internet of Things enables data collection and facilitates communication between objects and the world. And when we combine it with Artificial Intelligence, it’s like adding a brain that gives meaning to the whole system.
Machines can then make better decisions that lead to proactive intervention, intelligent automation, and better performance and efficiency. All without human intervention.
Practical examples of the AIoT
The combination of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence makes AIoT a powerful and important tool for many applications. Let’s take a look at a few:
• Smart store
A camera system connected to a computer can use facial recognition to identify customers as they walk through the store door.
Thus, it collects information about customers such as their gender or their tastes in terms of products and analyzes the data to predict their behavior.
This report provides information to help make decisions about store operations, marketing, or optimal product placement. It will also improve cybersecurity, data processing and telecommunications.
• Surveillance by drones
In a “smart” city, there are several practical applications for AIoT. For example, traffic surveillance by drones. This real-time monitoring can help ease traffic flow and thus reduce congestion.
When drones are deployed to survey a large area, they can transmit traffic data and then AI can analyze the data. This makes it possible, without human intervention, to make decisions about the best way to reduce congestion and adjust speed limits and the timing of traffic lights.
• Autonomous Vehicle Management
AIoT is now being used to monitor fleet vehicles, track vehicle maintenance and identify hazardous driving behaviour.
AIoT devices, such as GPS and other sensors in combination with an AI system, allow companies to better manage their fleet.
AIoT is also used in autonomous vehicles, such as autopilot systems, which use radars, sonars, GPS and cameras to collect data about driving conditions such as Tesla or Mercedes.
An AI then takes over for decision-making about the collected data, enabling monitoring over time.
• Autonomous delivery robots
Like the use of AIoT, with autonomous vehicles, autonomous delivery robots or even drones are other examples of AIoT.
Equipped with sensors, which collect information about the environment they pass through and make immediate decisions about how to react thanks to their on-board artificial intelligence platform, these machines can follow their path and adapt if necessary or (in case of force majeure) react very quickly.
Conclusion
In short: AI and the IoT are perfectly complementary. Their combination (The Artificial Intelligence of Objects) makes it possible to optimize decisions and productivity.
However, this technology is still in its infancy and needs to be perfected as it is essential to distinguish between what is possible now and what is far from done.
The AIoT will have to be continuously developed as new forms of connectivity (such as 5G and WiFi) and professions will emerge.
The integration of AI into connected objects allows them to understand their environment and think (almost) like a human being.
Médiatrice Nkurunziza
