IoT Applications
The Internet of Things (IoT) connects physical sensors and actuators to networks and software, so we can monitor and control the real world remotely and automatically. This section maps the common application domains and the patterns behind them. For hands-on basics, see the IoT course.
The IoT pattern​
Almost every IoT system follows the same chain — recognize it and any application becomes familiar:
Sense → Connect → Process → Act / Visualize
| Stage | What it does | Typical tech |
|---|---|---|
| Sense | Read the physical world | Sensors + MCU / edge device (ESP32, STM32) |
| Connect | Move data to the platform | Wi-Fi, BLE, LoRa/LoRaWAN, NB-IoT/LTE-M, cellular, Zigbee |
| Process | Filter, store, analyze | Edge processing + cloud platform (e.g. CoreIOT/ThingsBoard) |
| Act / Visualize | Close the loop or inform people | Actuators, alerts, dashboards, maps (GIS) |
→ The hardware that makes this possible is covered in Building a Product.
Cross-cutting capabilities​
These appear across every domain below:
Data collection & mapping (GIS)​
- Geotag each reading and plot sensors on a map; build heatmaps and track moving assets.
- Combine many nodes into a single live picture of an area (site, farm, city).
Automatic control​
- Closed-loop: sensor → rule/AI decision → actuator (e.g. soil-moisture → irrigation valve).
- Remote control & scheduling, with safety interlocks and manual override.
Edge AI​
- On-device inference (anomaly detection, vision, sound classification) cuts bandwidth and latency — see AI / Edge AI.
Application domains​
| Domain | Examples |
|---|---|
| Environmental Monitoring | Construction sites, workplaces, agriculture, aquaculture, wildlife |
| Smart Infrastructure & Logistics | Street lighting, warehouses, buildings/cities |
| IoT Solutions | End-to-end solution blueprints (shrimp ponds, building energy, data center, env. station) |
Same pattern, different sensors
Most IoT projects differ only in which sensors and which connectivity they use — the sense→connect→process→act backbone stays the same. Master it once and you can build any of these.