The Evolution of the IoT

The notion of a network including intelligent devices was first explored in 1982, when a modified Coca-Cola vending machine at Carnegie Mellon University emerged as the pioneering Internet-connected appliance. This device has the capability to relay information on its inventory and the temperature of recently stocked beverages. Kevin Ashton, a British technology pioneer born in 1968, is credited with coining the phrase “IoT” to denote a networked system that interconnects the Internet with the physical world via pervasive sensors (A. Jegede, G. Shanding, G. Thomas, and A. Fadele, “A Prototype of An Automated Farm Monitoring System,” vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1–22, 202). Internet-enabled devices and computers have been integrated into a wide range of objects, including automobiles, pacemakers, electronic door locks, and home heating controls. These devices are equipped with wireless communication capabilities, allowing them to establish connections with each other. As a result, they create a network known as the IoT.