With the birth of the internet more than two decades ago, we knew the world was going to change. Once the internet became a much more common place, everything really did, and our lives were essentially made much easier – just look at how the Smartphone has revolutionized everything from banking and shopping to the job market.
With this came the world of smart technology, and with that, the Internet of Things (IoT) industry as more and more devices, and industries made the move into the smart tech world. You only have to look at Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s often discussed driverless cars, and even Waitrose – who are looking to use smart tech to provide better customer experiences – to see this. With this, we’ve also seen people turn to the likes of RS Components to find a variety of different tools and equipment, in order to help developers optimize power.
Power is actually a very interesting aspect when it comes to the ‘IOT’ industry. While many have cited issues with data privacy, security concerns, and even the high cost of implementation as reasons why the general public aren’t hopping aboard the ‘smart life’, behind the scenes, there are other issues.
Power Struggle
With these smart devices relying on antennas, sensors, and integrated circuits, one thing they all need is power and the supply resources for that power. But, with more and more items depending on these power sources, the consumption will no doubt become a lot higher.
With the increase in ‘IOT’ ready devices, there will no doubt become a much higher demand for power. With this, battery life becomes a key metric for success, as this is what many devices rely on for power. Let’s be honest, the company to make a truly driverless car accessible to masses won’t only change the way we live but will create one of the most powerful businesses on the planet.
So, it would seem the power struggle isn’t just between companies trying to get in there first with major advances in smart tech, but creating the sustainable power sources to help them run smoother and more efficiently than the ones their counterparts could create.
The Change
Batteries themselves have changed drastically over the years, just look at computers and smartphones. Gone are the bulky computers of old and the removable phone batteries of fifteen or twenty years ago, and in have stepped newer, more compact pieces.
Yes, it’s true that batteries are beginning to shrink, which allows for smaller form factors, battery lifetime, performance and reliability – but all of this may not be to make the consumer experience better, but to improve cost and eventual market takeover. Once these more efficient power sources can be mass produced cheaply, the product may not be that difficult to get out there.
In Summary
Therefore, we can see that while the Internet of Things industry may have a number of issues they have to face. The first being to get the consumers to jump on the bandwagon and adopt everything from smart washing machines and fridges, to letting it run their lives smoother, but also behind the scenes struggles that none of us are seeing.
While the general population has been quick to adopt many smart pieces of technology, we can’t see it being that long before our homes are all truly smart. You only have to look at how quick the world adopted the smartphone, the internet and even wearable tech such as the iWatch to see that it’s possible.
However, the main hurdle to making our lives truly smart is the company’s abilities to leverage battery life, and power, to make it longer lasting and more sustainable, which will give them a product that’s really worthwhile. Once that’s done, the people out there will be able to jump on board as the product hits the shelves at a reasonable cost.