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5 Applications Of IoT In Your Daily Lives

IoT (Internet of Things) is a network of objects or connected devices embedded with software, sensors, and other technologies that interact and share information. From fitness trackers to healthcare monitoring, from smart homes to smart cars, most of you are unaware of how applications of IoT have impacted your daily lives. Over the years, IoT has flourished, introducing advanced innovations in networking, cloud computing, big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc.

IoT enables automation, making your life easier by helping you go about your day-to-day operations faster and smarter. Here’s a brief list of some of the IoT applications commonly used in your daily lives:

Fitness Trackers

Fitness Trackers are wearable devices that use IoT technology to monitor and track users’ health and physical activity. These fitness devices use various sensors to track activities such as walking, running, and high-intensity workouts and can also be used to monitor heartbeats, sleep patterns, calorie consumption, etc. Fitness trackers have been a major part of our life as it boosts a healthy lifestyle while keeping our fitness in check.

Water Leak Detection

Water leakage is one of the common problems we see daily. An automated remote monitoring system can resolve this issue to a great extent. IoT-enabled devices can help detect water leaks around the water storage units or pools, including inaccessible areas. The device also provides remote monitoring of temperatures across refrigeration units that store sensitive or critical commodities. The device sends instant alerts and reports to smartphones connected to the device in case of leaks, temperature variations, etc.

Thingstel understands the value of conserving water and how effective remote monitoring can be. Therefore, Thingstel’s IoT solution can help avoid water losses in pool areas, water tanks, etc., and remotely monitor the refrigeration temperatures across multiple storage units. Here are some of the wonders Thingstel’s Water Leak Detection & Temperature Monitoring device can do:

Automatically detect water leaks across surfaces, including inaccessible areas
User-friendly mobile and web applications for monitoring, reporting, and instant alerts
Real-time remote monitoring of refrigeration units that contain critical and perishable inventory

Healthcare

IoT has significantly influenced the healthcare industry by enabling remote patient monitoring and helping professionals deliver exceptional care. Numerous IoT-driven devices and applications facilitate overseeing patient’s health using wearable and wireless devices that monitor – heart rate, blood glucose, oxygen levels, blood pressure, etc. Some of these devices use motion sensors to track the activities of high-risk patients and can also be used to monitor inventory, equipment, etc.

Supply Chain

IoT has proved to be a boon for the supply chain industry by helping companies to collect consumer data using various connected devices and sensors, thus improving the quality of services provided. IoT devices can track inventory, goods, and vehicles. It can also share real-time alerts based on storage conditions, etc. One of the most common applications of IoT in our daily life is delivering apps that use the technology to keep track of the movements of delivery agents from source to destination.

Smart Waste Management

Waste management is one of the most common global concerns. Garbage collection and processing is a huge challenge, and most procedures are ineffective. However, IoT waste management systems can play a pivotal role in smoothening the process. IoT technology uses multiple sensors and embedded systems for monitoring, data collection and storage, reporting and instant alerts, etc.

Pioneer in IoT technology, Thingstel’s Weighing Scale for Waste Management device is one of the innovations which has helped well-established companies with effective waste management. This is how Thingstel’s IoT solutions proved to be a game-changer:

Automated and accurate data entry and correlation process eliminated the process of manual entries
Meticulous data storage for future access and management
Seamless data transfer and integration with existing systems
Real-time reporting, monitoring, and accessibility

These applications are just the tip of the iceberg. IoT has evolved and advanced exceptionally by introducing numerous applications in our daily life to make our lives easier, simpler, and smarter. Thingstel’s IoT is your impeccable partner in digital transformation for comfortable and simplified living.

Have You Switched to IoT for Inventory Management Yet? If Not, It’s Time for an Upgrade!

The IoT or the “Internet of things” creates a network of connected devices that exchange information over the internet. From ordinary household tasks to industrial automation, IoT has proven beneficial every step of the way. Inventory management faces multiple challenges daily, from data inaccuracy to inefficient processes and time-consuming operations. However, IoT for inventory management can simplify these concerns in a jiffy! Maybe it is time to advance with smart technologies and switch to IoT by automating your inventory management process.

5 reasons why IoT is a pragmatic solution for inventory management:

IoT enables remote monitoring
Manual monitoring and documentation can be a time-consuming process and more often than not, leads to errors. IoT enables automated documentation that can save you a lot of time and money.
Automated data management
Data accuracy or loss of data would no longer be a threat. Store accurate and large amounts of data without a hitch. Easily access or track the data anytime, anywhere.
Real-time reporting and alerts
Make better decisions with real-time visibility to inventory and get instant notification of the location, movement, quantity, and status of the stocks in the inventory.
Manage logistics efficiently
With the help of proximity sensors, it is easy to keep track of movements and end-to-end traceability of assets, especially when it comes to supply chain and logistics.
Augmented data analytics
Data collected through IoT-enabled devices are accurate and up to date. This, in turn, helps in predictive maintenance, accumulating valuable insights, and enhancing future operations.

Thingstel’s IoT solutions have already spread their roots in inventory management and have proven to be a great asset to its esteemed customers. Here’s a brief outlook on how Thingstel’s IoT solution has helped simplify the inventory management process:

1. Automation of SKU level Inventory Management for Packaging Machines

One of the most crucial challenges manufacturing companies face is at the SKU level. There is a need for efficient monitoring of the inventory products manufactured across multiple machines.

This is where Thingstel’s IoT solutions came in handy. From upgrading the factory machines to IoT-enabled smart connected equipment and setting up proximity sensors, Thingstel ensures the best and latest technology for maximum efficiency. The result of incorporating Thingstel’s IoT-enabled automation for SKU level inventory management is:

Front-end visualization of live production data
Real-time updates on production inventory
No more manual documentation and reporting
Accurate, precise, and real-time data collection and augmented data storage
User-friendly access to data and analytics

2. Commercial Refrigeration Temperature Monitoring for School Inventory

Managing the inventory could be an arduous task, especially when it contains perishable items stored in refrigeration units. One of the challenges faced in this scenario is monitoring the inventory remotely. Manual monitoring is laborious and may include outdated information that could lead to inventory loss and damage.

Thingstel’s temperature monitoring helped curb this issue effortlessly by upgrading to IoT for inventory management and automating the process. With sensors and state-of-the-art web and mobile applications, Thingstel’s IoT solutions proved profitable with the below-mentioned outcome:

Real-time remote monitoring of refrigeration units
Accurate data collection, documentation, and storage
Instant alerts via SMS and E-mails
User-friendly web and mobile application for ease of use
Exceptional data security and privacy
Compliance reports

Thingstel continues to soar with its innovative and cutting-edge IoT solutions that simplify various challenges faced in day-to-day operations. Switch to IoT for inventory management today and step into an error-free, effortless, and automated process that could reduce losses, increase ROI and boost efficiency.

Have you upgraded your inventory management to IoT enabled smart and automated process yet?

IoT Trends of 2022

A lot of businesses have benefited from the efficiency that IoT brings. IoT has made a lot of operations across industries extremely easy to access, process, and revert. In 2022, the world still reeling from the effects of the global pandemic can gain a lot from IoT. If we look at IoT trends of 2022, it might mainly be used with security concerns as businesses are benefiting largely from being able to monitor remotely.

Let’s look at some of the trends in the IoT industry that might dominate in the post-pandemic world of 2022 –

IoT in Businesses → A lot of small businesses have realized that IoT can help them immensely in terms of driving their efficiency exponentially and in an economical way. Small or large, businesses will always benefit from data-driven insights, by making a lot of manufacturing operations and equipment maintenance extremely simple and accessible remotely. During the pandemic, a lot of businesses faced the challenge of training remotely, one of the solutions to that problem can be that IoT can be put into use in the form of AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) tools to make remote training simpler.

IoT for Resilience → When it comes to work culture, a lot of shifts happened during the pandemic, especially in the corporate world. A lot of changes with respect to the location and accessibility of work occurred. A major portion of the workforce had to work from home which meant that connectivity and staff monitoring had to be amped to ensure maximum efficiency. IoT trends of 2022 might tilt majorly towards identifying staff and skill shortages and also helping businesses be prepared for changes and adapt quickly.

Smart stores → A lot of stores, regardless of their size, are employing simple IoT devices. This will help them manage inventories as the devices can send an alert as and when products are running low. IoT can also be used to track customer movement, collect feedback and also monitor their behavior which will give clear-cut insights into how the store and product placements can be improved.

IoT in healthcare → Healthcare can be one of the largest sectors to benefit from IoT. A lot of data can be collected without crowding or needing too many doctors and nurses to monitor – which can be a major beneficial factor in the post-pandemic world of healthcare and dominate the IoT trends of 2022. In addition to this, multiple devices like heart-rate monitors, oxygen pumps, defibrillators can be interconnected and the data can be used efficiently.

IoT and Edge computing → This technology can be one of the major game-changers in 2022, as it promotes the analysis of data close to the place where it is collected so the systems can be optimized to maximum capacity. IoT’s smart devices can help achieve this when combined with sensors that only collect data as opposed to monitoring and processing it.

Read about the 5 biggest trends of last year here.

If you want to leverage IoT trends of 2022 and integrate IoT-enabled analytics into your daily company processes, Thingstel’s next-generation might be the answer you are looking for. Thingstel’s next-generation devices, visualization platforms, and customizable analytics modules come with increased intelligence, reliability, and improved accuracy specifications. Our technologies can empower and strengthen your business, providing you with a wide array of solutions ranging from predictive maintenance to remote monitoring to real-time analytics and data visualization. Reach out to us in case you have any questions or simply want to know more!

Monitoring and predictive maintenance in controlled environments

There are several (often surprising to many) ways IoT can be put to use fruitfully in different activities and industries we are part of. For example, agriculture, farming, and other environment-based activities might seem like the furthest industry that can benefit from all the wonders IoT can do. This can usually stem from the fact that nature and technology seem to be largely portrayed as polar opposites that do not benefit from each other. Nothing can be further from the truth than this misconception as a new world that seamlessly integrates both nature and technology is the future that will help humans as a species thrive in the long run.

Thingstel believes in making the functioning of industries and living in general, extremely simplified. Why do tasks that might take too much time, energy, and logistical coordination manually, when the same task can be made easy for access and usability by Thingstel’s IoT solutions molded to fit depending on the industry? Thingstel has the perfect solution that supports remote monitoring and predictive maintenance for these industries. Thingstel’s Controlled Environment Solution has technologies that will help the industry in the long run and save them a lot of money – remote monitoring for CEA with water sensors for pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Temperature, Flow rate, and greenhouse sensors for Temperature, Humidity, Light, Pressure, and Dust. When it comes to predictive maintenance, Thingstel can enable a predictive angle to the setup and equipment that can help avoid damages and constantly help in improving quality.

Since in these industries (like agriculture, storage, livestock, etc), there are a lot of critical parameters to monitor that might prove to be hard manually, predictive maintenance technology from Thingstel can be a complete game-changer.

How different Thingstel’s IoT solutions can help you –

Security concerns in controlled environments (sensors, cameras)
Decreasing awareness time to a large extent
Decreasing response time significantly
Decreasing a significant amount of time and effort that is required for any task to be completed
Reducing logistical complications
Efficiency and easy maintenance of machines

5 things to prepare before deployment of an IoT solution.

5 things to prepare before deployment of an IoT solution.

Organizations take pride in being Hyperconnected enterprises, a globally accessible enterprise or “industry 4.0” compliant or the trending of them all “IoT enabled”; but what does it take to actually become IoT enabled and be industry 4.0? Fret not we have you covered:

ERP :

An ERP will enable the dissemination and presenting data collected at various tasks and processes in a user-specific and usable format.

Combining the IoT solution with an ERP also can help perform detailed analysis and predictive maintenance of the factory floor.

Internet connectivity:

As much we would love to tell you IoT is the best big thing and it’s the magic wand of productivity the truth is the first letter of IoT is important i.e. Internet, before deploying an IoT solution ensure either there is an active wifi/LAN network or the location where an IoT gateway is placed has a strong GPRS/4G signal availability.

Newer standards might exist which can claim long-range such as LoRaWAN or sigmafox but to export and leverage data, an internet connection is a necessity.

The environment of operation:

Let us break down what we mean by the environment of operation: any physical space where the IoT devices or the machine/s are supposed to operate is the environment of operation.

Defining where the IoT solution will be deployed and environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, pressure cleanliness will determine how effective the IoT solution will be for your organization. Also determining the physical distance that is to be covered by the IoT solution can enable for quicker solution match and deployment.

Power source:

An IoT solution can be battery-powered or rely on power from a wall socket, either way deciding which solution suits your end goal can go a long way in the deployment of an IoT solution, as for example, any indoor deployment should ideally be mains powered while an outdoor unit will have to be battery-powered, reliability of the power source will largely determine the effectiveness of the network and as a consequence the effective ROI of the network for the enterprise.

Defining the expected outcome from the solution:

An IoT solution isn’t a silver bullet that will suddenly convert a non-compliant and unready enterprise to a futuristic organization hence clearly determining what is your expected goal can make deployment and further function of the network easier.

Bonus tip:

You can contact thingstel here for one of our teammates to help you audit your organization for IoT solution deployment.

To summarise use this checklist when you consider deploying an IoT solution:

Defining expected outcome
Power source
Internet connectivity
Environment of operation
ERP

Thingstel IOT SOLUTION ticks off on all the above list and further has a multi-device notification system, analytics, multiple sensors, and industrial gateways for IoT deployment of any environment and scale.

We are going to conclude this article in our classic style of a one-liner:

“Thingstel puts the T & I in IoT”

Thingstel IoT is the bazooka you bring to a gunfight.

The food processing industry, in general, has always been a laggard in terms of technology adoption due to the complexity of production lines and inconspicuous investments; but with the advent of a globalized supply chain and improved maritime logistics, customer patience for quality raw materials and finished goods has drastically reduced.

Thanks to the internet and the data revolution of the first 2 decades of the millennium, every customer today demands multiple data points tracking and instant notification systems, for different stakeholders. This moment of awakening is knocking on the food processing industry’s doors also. Thankfully we have you covered here with Thingstel’s IoT modular architecture.

With Thingstel’s IoT solution, Food processing companies can reduce costs, increase customer satisfaction and more importantly drive sales and revenues exponentially.

Let us visualize what is possible with Thingstel’s IoT solution

Consider a global coffee retail chain wants to inculcate six Sigma-based solutions, then data points about the “journey” of the processed beans are critical.
IoT solutions such as Thingstel’s IoT architecture coupled with its notification systems and data visualizations, implementation becomes an easy task rather than a complex hurdle.

Furthermore, just the thought of predicting exactly when a coffee shop might require coffee beans and delivering it on the dot while traversing through hundreds of variables and events is the stuff of magic tales.

So, Thingstel IoT is the bazooka you bring to a gunfight!

7 Things You Can Do With The Thingstel Platform

7 THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THE THINGSTEL PLATFORM

With the advent of new technologies and increasing consumerism, it’s become vital for factories to be connected and available 24/7 with reports and visualizations.
Industry 4.0 has become a buzzword today but what does it really mean industry 4.0 refers to the connection of machines to each other and the ability to automate them and have them perform actions without human intervention, imagining your mega factory or gigs factory working autonomously without any human intervention is something of dreams for the 20th-century engineer but 21st century presents itself with the capabilities of the internet and AI that makes this a reality.
IoT solution by Thingstel is just one of the examples of how industries and factories can perform real-time visualization and have the ability to monitor and predict machine breakdowns and monitor power usage and output and predict product output and plan logistics and procurement. Due to this an uptime of 24/7 with sustained throughput is made possible for a factory.
This kind of high throughput and reliable supply chain is what makes industries and companies industry 4.0 compliant, the possibility of connecting, monitoring, visualizing, predicting, preventing and perfecting a factory floor is enthralling and we are excited to present our solution architecture.

7 things you could do with our solutions:

Predict and plan your raw material requirement by getting live updates about materials being consumed for current tasks.
Monitor 100s of machines from any device across geographies hence you could acquire a factory in lower capital-intensive geography and run it from locations where client acquaintance and acquisitions are easy.
Predict and prevent machine breakdowns this reducing production line inconsistency.
Reduce energy bills by planning and predicting surges and decline of production and couple it pricing differences of power from the grid to optimize costs.
Provide accurate delivery timelines to clients, internal teams and stakeholders due to an optimized and reliable production line that is remotely monitored.
Additionally, you get UI optimized dashboards and a multi-device notification system that aid in visualizing critical information about the production line and it can be designed based on different stakeholder requirements! A use case is, a head operator can receive machine level updates about the machine performance and health of the machines while the procurement team receives real-time data about material consumption and the leadership team receives the overall cost of goods sold on a real-time basis. This is a game-changer in itself but there is one other benefit, reduction of meetings just to exchange information about production at various levels which makes room for more task orientation
Scaling will no more be a technical or black box for decision making, raw and interpreted data of past performance and predictive analytics will answer the questions of “how did we do in the past ” to “how soon can I replicate success in the future?”
Bonus: your ERP will finally be able to do the planning part accurately with the last leg of analog production also being inducted into the digital realm.

“Production lines are like watches; Analog ones are for nostalgia only.”

Thingstel’s next-generation sensors, visualization platforms, and customizable analytics modules come with increased intelligence, reliability, and improved accuracy specifications. Our technologies can empower and strengthen your business, providing you with a wide array of solutions ranging from predictive maintenance to remote monitoring to real-time analytics and data visualization. Reach out to us in case you have any questions or simply want to know more!

IoT for Cleaner Air

IoT for Cleaner Air

Indoor air pollution is the degradation of indoor air quality by harmful chemicals and other materials; it can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution. This is because contained areas enable potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces. This makes it an important area of concern for most developing countries as it is directly related to mortality and morbidity.

Humans spend 80–90% of their routine time indoors, so indoor air quality leaves a direct impact on their overall health and work efficiency. IoT (Internet of Things) is an inexpensive solution that can help right now to efficiently monitor indoor environments and ensure that they have a healthy supply of clean air.

How can IoT help in monitoring air quality?

IoT’s attraction lies in its overarching approach to air pollution, helping to understand the core problem and identifying ways to amend it. It also has financial benefits – cleaner air means less budget spent on pollution-related health issues for example – and is far less expensive than the traditional fixed air quality monitoring devices. Technological advances have resulted in small, low-cost, IoT-enabled sensors that can be installed anywhere from furniture to public transport, providing a clear picture of air quality levels in real-time allowing for faster decision-making. This data can be analyzed to identify causes and fluctuations in air pollution. It can be made available via apps on your mobile phone giving you alerts on air quality anywhere at any time, inside your home or your office.

Below are 5 vital reasons why monitoring indoor air quality becomes crucial for maintaining a healthy environment in closed spaces:

Indoor air pollution – One of the main sources of indoor air pollution are VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, xylene, toluene etc. These are the gases that are emitted into the air from artificial products or processes such as aerosol sprays, disinfectants, moth repellents, paints, wood preservatives, automotive products and stored fuels. These are chemical gases that have a lower odour and hence need high-quality sensing devices to detect their levels.

IoT solution: TVOC (Total volatile organic compound) sensors are IoT sensors that can be used to measure the total concentration of multiple VOCs present in the air. They are less expensive and help maintain a healthy environment at home for the kids.

Indoor air pollutants – Children, in particular, are vulnerable to pollutants due to their young airways. Moreover, they have a higher susceptibility to some environmental pollutants than adults as they breathe higher oxygen volumes relative to their body weights while their tissues and organs actively grow. Tightly sealed buildings, use of synthetic building materials, personal care products and housekeeping supplies have increased exposure to pollutants such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, both of which can be fatal when exposed beyond a certain level.

IoT solution: CO and NO2 sensors can keep track of these pollutants.

Insufficient ventilation – The term ventilation refers to the supply of outdoor air in a building. When there is not enough ventilation, levels of carbon dioxide in the air increase which negatively affects health. Elevated CO2 levels lead to chronic illnesses, reduced cognitive abilities and sleepiness.

IoT solution: CO2 sensors can monitor the surrounding air easily and efficiently.

The density of people – When humans stay together in a closed space, air quality problems occurs due to increased CO2 concentration and an increase in temperature and humidity in that space. This can have adverse effects on health.

IoT solution: Humidity and temperature sensors can be used to measure the temperature and the ratio of moisture in the air.

Infrequently cleaned surfaces – Common surfaces may start to accumulate viable and nonviable particles brought in from outdoors. These can include dead skin cells, dust, bacteria and other germs. Floating dust or germs are called ‘particulate matter’ and can be quite infectious.

IoT solution: PM 1.0 or 2.5 sensors can be used for detecting particle matter with a diameter between 2.5 and 10 µm, respectively.

IoT devices and sensors can be therefore customized to automatically trigger alerts when indoor air quality parameters exceed the optimum conditions. They can collect, store & transfer the relevant data over wireless networks without the need for human intervention.

How does uHoo help monitor & achieve optimum air quality?

uHoo is an advanced all-in-one air quality monitoring solution with in-built sensors, data acquisition and transmission of data through wireless communication channels like WiFi & Cellular networks. The sensors use IoT to track nine different air quality factors – temperature, humidity, air pressure, ozone, TVOC (airborne chemicals) CO2, CO, NO2, and PM 2.5 (dust). More importantly, it also tracks the virus index, letting you know what level of air quality is needed to be maintained to avoid the risk of coronavirus surviving and spreading in the air. It can also connect and work with other smart home devices seamlessly and integrated, making it the most comprehensive indoor air sensor in the market.

The resulting benefits of uHoo for an end-user include:

getting better sleep,
knowing exactly what products and chemicals to avoid and prevent dust buildup before allergies and infections occur.
maximizing focus, well-being and productivity in a comfortable, healthy environment.

uHoo is a solution for anyone wanting to manage and optimize the air quality of indoor space by analyzing and presenting real-time air quality data. Using in-built dashboards, visualizations, and threshold analysis can help you understand the current situation as well as long-term trends so that you can make informed decisions for the health and productivity of your family at home or your staff at the workplace. Reach out to us at Thingstel in case you have any questions or simply want to know more.

IoT in Instant Food Packaging

IoT (Internet of Things), cloud, big data and consumer-based technologies are transforming how companies drive more value and revenue opportunities. No market, industry or segment is immune to this effect, so much that even the instant food packaging space is evolving to become more intelligent, aware and interactive. This evolution is known as ‘smart packaging,’ and early local adapters to this include companies like Tetra Pak and Cothas Coffee.

The firm Moor Insights & Strategy defines smart packaging as a conversation between IoT, people, and brands that enhances a consumer’s experience with products. Traditional packaging for food products have played a limited role up until now but with the emergence of various IoT technologies, the opportunity for products and packaging to play a larger role has expanded. For example, a smart product that is assigned an IoT ID can change how a consumer engages with it on a daily basis. Once digitally activated, these smart products can then start communicating with the consumers.

How can IoT be leveraged by the instant food space?

The instant food industry is highly dependent on food safety, freshness, longevity and shelf life. Intelligent packaging can leverage IoT and big data to establish a dynamic connection with sensors on packaging such as RFID (Radio-frequency identification), NFC (near-field communication), Bluetooth and smart labels. Companies can use these technologies for predictive maintenance and to track and trace packages connected to a network, thereby helping them to make educated decisions on the fly. There have been numerous advances in food safety thanks to a combination of sensor information, supply chain, and big data analytics to track instant food from source to store and keep a check on its quality.

Applications of IoT in instant food packaging

On the manufacturing/packaging process side,

Predictive maintenance: IoT technology can help machinery exchange information and improve efficiency through automation of the instant food packaging line. Sensors can collect data from the equipment, send it over the network for analysis and provide predictive and preventative maintenance, thereby streamlining the entire process. This ensures consistent packaging, can reduce payroll, and most importantly, can save many people from experiencing packaging-related injuries.
Remote monitoring: IoT sensors and devices can monitor changes in environmental conditions and collect and transfer data over the network. Temperature sensors, humidity sensors and gas leakage sensors are some examples. Depending on the monitoring factor, these systems can be placed outside or inside the packaging or on the assembly line. They can remotely monitor these factors and send alerts for intervention in case the quality characteristics of the food stand to be compromised in case of sudden fluctuations.

On the packaging side,

Tampering sensors: An important characteristic of instant food packaging is to identify whether the product has been previously tampered with. Via connected IoT sensors embedded directly in the packaging, customers can scan the labels with their phones, which instantly signals if the product is ‘open’ or ‘closed’. This is a great example of deepening a customer’s product experience while ensuring the originality of the product’s seal.
Tracking logs: IoT-enabled tracking devices and sensors embedded in the packaging can track and trace the journey of the instant food product, sending the data to the handler and to the end consumer, allowing them to maintain a log of the different locations and entities it has changed hands.
Temperature sensors: Some instant food products are easily perishable and require being stored at specific temperatures. Temperature sensors can be embedded into the packaging whereby a consumer can tap the product packaging with their phones to identify whether the optimum temperature has been maintained. Alternatively, these sensors can also be used during the transportation of the product to maintain its temperature and avoid spoilage.
Best before warnings: IoT can be integrated with the data labels of the products to provide a clear picture to consumers. To make consumption more transparent and avoid food waste, these data labels can communicate trigger warnings regarding the quality and safety of products via QR codes or scannable data matrices to smartphones so as to ensure that the product is consumed in due time.
Digital e-labels: Interactive packaging empowers customers to pull any information from digital e-labels which can be accessed anywhere at any time. These include all the content and information about the product. For example, scanning the digital E-Label for a flour brand can prompt customizable interactive videos and flour recipes on its app.
Reorder triggers: By providing IoT triggers on the packaging, consumers can be alerted to lowered quantity levels and instantly scan the sensor or label on the packaging to re-order that product when needed.

IoT is therefore applicable on the packaging process side to make the running of operations smoother and cost-effective, while on the consumer side, it facilitates engagement with products, among other opportunities through interactive or technology-driven packaging. Whether embedded with sensors through QR codes, virtual reality or augmented reality options, there are numerous ways for the IoT and packaging to work together.

Smart packaging of instant foods is a wide-open field with a plethora of applications aimed to refine the customer experience as well as a brand’s presence around its products. If your company hasn’t delved into the possibilities of the IoT and packaging, there’s no better time than now.

IoT in Renewable Energy

Impact of IoT on Renewable Energy

With fossil fuels rapidly depleting across the world, the energy sector has changed over the last 20 years. There is great pressure on organizations to switch to greener sources of energy and as technology continues to become more efficient and cost-effective, the adoption of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal power, and biomass energy is soaring continuously at an unprecedented rate. Given this, it will hardly be an understatement to say that IoT-integrated renewable energy solutions will be the primary source driving our future.

What Are the Challenges Faced by Renewable Energy Providers?

Renewable energy providers face difficulties in maintaining the balance between supply and demand, making grid integration a major stumbling block. Climate changes such as heatwaves or large storms can create a greater demand for energy that requires utility companies to make large emergency purchases to prevent service disruptions. These purchases drive up costs for both the customers and the companies. Renewable energy sources interrupt power grid stability due to intermittent power generation, making it difficult for these sources to compete with fossil fuels for energy reliability.

IoT-based technology and its applications mitigate these challenges and accelerate the acceptance of renewable energy sources through the creation of smart energy solutions.

Applications of IoT in Renewable Energy

IoT applications in the renewable energy sector involve sensors that are connected to the generation, transmission, and distribution equipment. These devices can help companies remotely control and monitor the functioning of equipment in real-time, leading to lowered operational costs and lower dependence on the already fast depleting fossil fuels.

Below are the main IoT applications in renewable energy –

Automation to increase overall production: The most popular renewable energy sources are solar energy and wind due to their reliability and abundance. The cost associated with producing energy from these sources has decreased over the years but integrating them with IoT can further reduce costs and increase reliability. Most solar energy panels use dual-axis trackers to maximize energy production. The function of these trackers is to calibrate the angle of the panels so that they receive the maximum solar radiation during the day. IoT systems can help remotely monitor and regulate these trackers to ensure their optimum function. With analytics solutions and sensors, the movement of the sun can be tracked which can then be used to automatically adjust the angle of the solar panels. Similarly, IoT sensors can also be used in wind energy to monitor various parameters that affect power generation. Automated controls such as the above enable power plants to work more efficiently, improving power output, reducing operating costs, and improving safety standards.

Smart Grids: Unreliable transmission and distribution systems pose significant bottlenecks to the growth of renewable energy. Traditional energy grids are designed to support the one-way transmission of energy from power plants, billing the customers once a month. They are not adequate to support the variable nature of electricity supply from renewable sources. To put it simply, the dependence of renewable energy on weather conditions cannot be supported by conventional energy grids. IoT has helped to create ‘smart grids’ that support the manual switching between conservative power plants and renewables to ensure an uninterrupted power supply. This is done with the help of IoT sensors which send triggers during power cuts to facilitate the switching, empowering the smart grids to not only support the mercurial nature of renewable energy but also send a non-stop energy supply to consumers.

Benefits of IoT-Based Renewable Energy Solutions
IoT can increase the adoption of renewables through power consumption monitoring and real-time alerts. Some of its benefits include:

Cost-Effectiveness: IoT provides excellent tools for monitoring power consumption from renewable energy sources. Utility companies and electricity providers can use IoT solutions to get valuable insights for making data-driven business decisions. Power distributors can analyze users’ power consumption patterns using IoT-assimilated data while providers can balance supply and demand based on the demands of consumers. This helps lower their input costs and eventually cut down on electricity wastage, saving a lot of money in the process.

Grid Management: By placing sensors at substations and along distribution lines (smart grids), energy companies can improve overall grid management by gathering real-time power consumption data. They can use this data to make decisions about voltage control, network configurations, and load switching. IoT sensors can alert operators about outages in real-time, allowing them to turn off the power and prevent possible electrocution, fires, and other hazards. This entire process can even be automated with connected systems, saving time and human resources. Power outage data can serve for load forecasting and help companies decide where to build new infrastructure or upgrade existing ones.

Residential Solutions: Citizens themselves can generate ‘green energy’ with the help of IoT devices. They can connect their solar panels, smart roofs, rainwater harvesters, and windows in one system, and manage the working of each through a desktop or mobile application. People can also install IoT sensors at their homes or offices that measure the power consumed by individual appliances. They can use this data to identify wastage to save on their energy bills.

IoT solutions are transforming the energy sector, enabling sustainable development and the adoption of renewable energy systems through connected solutions. Renewables are the future of existence, and their acceptance with the help of IoT will gradually fulfil our ever-growing electricity needs.

Read our blog on the biggest IoT trends of 2021 here.

With Thingstel, renewable energy companies can have IoT-based solutions that can facilitate grid stability and provide actionable data to reduce energy consumption and cost. We provide next-generation sensors, visualization platforms, and customizable analytics modules with increased intelligence, reliability, and improved accuracy specifications. Our technologies can empower and strengthen your business, providing you with a wide array of solutions ranging from predictive maintenance to remote monitoring to real-time analytics and data visualization. Reach out to us in case you have any questions or simply want to know more!