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How the IoT is Affecting Mobile Development

by Limor Wainstein•

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most talked about contemporary technology trends. Research organization Statista projects that the global IoT market size will reach over $400 billion by 2020.

The IoT is a rather simple concept with profoundly useful applications. The basic idea behind IoT is to embed everyday items, such as coffee machines, washing machines, cars, fridges, medical diagnostic devices, and alarm clocks with hardware, software, and Internet connectivity so that such devices can communicate and exchange data. The result is unparalleled levels of efficiency and practicality in many areas, ranging from simple household matters to optimized healthcare and manufacturing.

IoT and Mobile Development

IoT has had a huge impact in altering the course of mobile development.

New Business Models

Entire business models such as Uber thrive on combining IoT and mobile apps. Uber drivers have their cars fitted with IoT sensors, while customers are required to download an application on their smartphones to use the service.

Thanks to the integration of IoT and mobile apps and the location data they provide, Uber can track its huge fleet of cars and its large customer base simultaneously, enabling the company to easily match customers who need a ride with the nearest available driver via simple app interface.

More Focus on Security

Security has always been important for mobile development. However, in an IoT landscape, application security takes on even greater importance with so many entry points for cybercriminals to attack. In 2015, for example, hackers exploited a flaw in Samsung smart fridges which led to them gaining access to users’ Gmail login credentials.

Mobile app developers, therefore, face increased pressure to build their apps and smart devices with watertight security.

IoT Core Architecture

Developers will shift their focus from application functions to the function of things. When considering how to develop for the IoT, more developers will need to become familiar with the five-tiered approach to IoT architecture and create IoT solutions using that model.

The tiers are:

  • Device: the physical component that collects data, such as a sensor, machine, or camera.
  • Gateway: a gateway collects and homogenizes streams of disparate data forms sent out by smart devices
  • Data: A location for the collection and management of data from gateways. Could be a database on a cloud server.
  • Analytics: Analytics are used to convert data into information in an automated way.
  • Application: The application could reside on the device itself, such as a wearable smartwatch, or on the smartphone of the end user which takes information from the analytics tier and presents it via a UI.

Android & IoT

The most obvious association between Android and IoT was the release by Google of Android Things OS. Google’s Wayne Piekarski said that the motivation behind releasing Android Things was that Google wants to ensure, any Android developer can quickly build a smart device using Android APIs and Google services while staying highly secure with updates direct from Google.

Android is the leading mobile device operating system, with an impressive 87.7 percent of the market share at the last count in Q2 2017. With such popularity among technology consumers, it’s easy to see why Android makes for an easy and natural transition for developers looking to create smart devices.

Android developers looking to stay ahead of the game will need to incorporate the ability to communicate with IoT devices in their future applications. Apps need to be created that act as central hubs for disparate smart devices, all of which can push notifications to mobile apps, allowing users to control their smart devices from one dashboard. Android and Android Things OS together simplify the integration of IoT and mobile apps for developers.

IoT App Examples & Use Cases

  • A particularly exciting use case is in home security and facial recognition. Smart doors can be fitted with sensors and cameras, which capture movement and images of people trying to gain access to homes. The images can then be uploaded, using, for example, any of several Android image upload methods to get face photos from smart doors to a server. The server can then compare those images with previously authenticated images of the home’s owners. Alerts can be sent to smart home apps when an intruder attempts to access the home.

  • HERO is a smart medication dispenser appliance which comes paired with an application. The application notifies family members and caregivers when medicine is due and when it’s running low.

  • The Pawscout Pet Finder is a low energy Bluetooth GPS tag that allows people to keep track of their pets within a 200-foot radius. The Pawscout mobile app (Android & iOS) that comes paired with the device sends notifications to owners when their pet strays from a preset range.

Wrap Up

  • The Internet of Things is here to stay, and an increasing number of devices will become smart and interconnected over the coming years.
  • In mobile development, there will be a much greater focus on app security; more innovative new business models that tie together mobile apps and IoT will emerge, and developers will shift their focus to the functions of smart devices rather than underlying apps.
  • Developers need to understand the five-tiered architectural approach when developing IoT solutions.
  • Developers can combine techniques, such as Android image upload, with IoT devices to create streamlined use cases for consumers, including home security systems.

I'm a technical writer and editor with over 10 years' experience writing technical articles and documentation for various audiences, including technical on-site content, software documentation, and dev guides. I specialize in big data analytics, computer/network security, middleware, software development and APIs. And I love coffee!

I've published my work on major publications such as DZone or Wordtracker, and I'm also a volunteer writer for some universities, where I write about data science, big data, data warehousing, and related topics. Here are some of my recent articles:

Soft Computing vs. Hard Computing (UoPeople)
An Overview of Amazon Redshift (DZone)
Managing Telehealth’s Big Data with Data Warehousing (Arizona University)
Facial Features, Illnesses, and Computer Vision (Pompeu Fabra University)
Tools for a Deeper Understanding of User Data (Wordtracker)

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