20 IoT Devices Connecting the World

Got a smartphone? How about an Apple Watch? Maybe even a Nest thermostat at home? If you have any one of these devices, it puts you into the connected category of owning an Internet of Things (IoT) device.

To keep it simple, an IoT device transmits data. It’s transformative for consumers but also used in transportation, logistics, energy, retail, waste and water management, IT infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles, according to a report by Statista.com.

It’s a fast-growing, global industry — there were 11.3 billion IoT devcies last year and in 2030 experts project that number to increase three-fold to 29.4 billion, the report said. One of the most common IoT devices, smartphones, will account for 17 billion of those devices in 2030.

What Are IoT Devices? 

IoT devices are nonstandard computing devices that connect wirelessly to the Internet or a local network hub, TechTarget reports. These remotely controlled devices have the ability to transmit and recieve data from other devices. Some everyday examples might be a car, doorbell or a even a refrigerator.

These IoT devices can be hardware, sensors, gadgets, machines, or appliances that communicate over networks or the Internet through applications and their programming, according to a glossary by processor design company Arm. These smart devices turn ordinary objects into tools that can provide information, states a Cert NZ report.

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How Do IoT Devices Work? 

Many IoT devices gather information via their sensors and then use software to analyze it and determine what decisions to make based on the data.

These devices usually connect to a central server to get more information, according to Cert NZ. They also compare and transmit data to public websites and services to collect data, as well as connect to a messaging server that can email, text or call.

IoT devices can also connect to other IoT devices via the same wireless network to instruct them on what to do, Cert NZ said in its report. 

Although IoT devices can make tasks easier, more convenient or expand the capabilities of the task, these devices can also pose a security and safety threat too if they are hacked or compromised. 

Here are 20 examples of IoT devices.

20 Top IoT Device Examples

Consumer

Autonomous Vehicles

IoT Device: Cruise AV

Manufacturer: Cruise LLC

IoT devices don’t have to be small. They can be as large as a car — an autonomous car that is. Cruise’s autonomous vehicles use sensors to see hundreds of feet ahead and a 360-view as the vehicle moves down streets and roads. These sensors communicate to the steering and braking mechanisms that guide the car, reports Cruise. 

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Fitness Mirrors

IoT Device: Fiture

Manufacturer: Fiture Holding

Mirror, mirror on the wall, how am I doing with my workout? Fiture’s mirror detects poor workout form and provides you with instant feedback, according to Fiture. It also shares insights to push yourself further.

Smart Lamp

IoT Device: Philips Hue

Manufacturer: Signify

The Philips Hue Bridge and a Bluetooth-controlled system allow you to unlock all the features in the Philips Hue IoT system, such as controlling your smart lights, syncing your lights with the games, music or movies, the company said. 

Smart Locks

IoT Device: TSA Fingerprint Travel Lock

Manufacturer: BenjiLock

Tap your fingerprint on this device and it unlocks your travel lock. This fingerprint padlock stores up to five fingerprints for multiple users, comes with a fully rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery and can also be unlocked by using a pin code, BenjiLock said.

Smartphones

IoT Device: Galaxy Z Fold4 

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

This smartphone can make calls and has the functionality of a computer with an oversized smartphone screen, which is convenient for Google Meet video conferencing to co-watching videos on YouTube. And if you misplace your Buds2 Pro earbuds, your SmartThings Find can locate them fast and easily, Samsung said in its product post.

Smart Refrigerators

IoT Device: Bespoke Four-Door Family Hub Refrigerator

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

This refrigerator dishes out more than food. It can control your TV, thermostat and Samsung home appliances, as well as allow you to share photos and stream music, reports CBS. The refrigerator also allows you to peek inside it from any connected device and search for recipes based on what food you have on hand.

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Smart Speakers

IoT Device: Echo Dot

Manufacturer: Amazon

This orb is a voice-controlled smart speaker with the help of Amazon Alexa support. It can control smart plugs and thermostats, and it connects with Alexa devices outside and inside your home, Android Police reports. It also takes advantage of Alexa’s voice assistant to answer questions and perform tasks.

Smart Toys

IoT Device: Core Kit

Manufacturer: Plezmo

Plezmo’s Core Kit lets youngsters assemble modular IoT device toys made of cardboard, sensors, servo motors, and other connected tech, reports Yanko Design. One of the toys is an autonomous remote car, Plezmo said. 

Smart TVs

IoT Device: Smart Monitor M8

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics

SmartThings IoT Hub is integrated into Samsung’s Smart Monitor M8, reports Aster Cloud. The hub provides a map of the various IoT devices on your network and allows you to control them directly from the monitor, which also doubles up as a Smart TV with its InfraRed remote control.

Wearables

IoT Device: watchOS 9

Manufacturer: Apple

Apple’s Watch records workout metrics, various sleep stages, and tracks medications with apps loaded onto the watch. Plus, it can operate other devices within your smart home with this IoT on your wrist, states Apple.

Enterprise

Fingerprint Timeclocks

IoT Device: Xenio 500

Manufacturer: EasyWorkforce Software

Clocking in, clocking out. EasyWorkforce’s Xenio 500 uses an advanced fingerprint sensor to capture real-time data when employees log on and log off for work, the company reports. The IoT timeclock can also ask employees questions and share workplace tips and advice.

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Robots

IoT Device: Pepper

Manufacturer: United Robotics Group

Laser sensors, ultrasound transmitters and receivers, and obstacle detectors are among the many sensors strategically placed on Pepper to help it present life-like movements, according to a GWS Robotics report. These IoT devices collect data and help Pepper respond in a human-like way.

Smart Lighting

IoT Device: Vive Hub

Manufacturer: Lutron

Forget making a call, try using your smartphone to program your office’s IoT lighting system. Lutron’s Vive Hub communicates with wireless lighting sensors to order lights on, off, dimmed, brightened and report back energy consumption, according to the company.

Smart Security

IoT Device: Bastille Enterprise

Manufacturer: Bastille Networks

Better than having eyes in the back of your head, the Bastille Enterprise security system gathers data from company equipment using security sensors to hunt down questionable or unauthorized radio signals being emitted from within the workspace, the company said. 

Smart Thermostats

IoT Device: TC500A

Manufacturer: Honeywell

Honeywell Connect Me occupant app teams up with its smart thermostat TC500A to allow remote monitoring of commercial buildings from a mobile device. The thermostat system connects to the cloud and can also be managed locally from an app for a small commercial setup or one with multiple sites, Honeywell stated on its site.

Industrial 

Autonomous Tractors

IoT Device: Self-Driving Tractor

Manufacturer: John Deere

Agricultural tech is rolling out to the farm in a big way with the development of autonomous tractors. John Deere’s experimental self-driving tractorfeatures six pairs of stereo cameras to gauge distance and capture a 360-degree view as it plows through fields within a geofence, according to John Deere.

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Chillers Monitor

IoT Device: Smart Connected Chillers

Manufacturer: Johnson Controls

Concerned about the performance of your A/C system? Just chill — literally. Johnson Controls’ Smart Connected Chillers gathers data from your building’s equipment, analyzes it and will notify you when it’s time for an upgrade or maintenance, Johnson posted on its website. 

Glucose Monitor

IoT Device: Dexcom G6

Manufacturer: Dexcom

Dexcom’s G6 one-touch applicator inserts a small sensor just beneath your skin, which continuously measures your glucose level and sends the data wirelessly to a display device via a transmitter, according to the company’s website. This IoT healthcare device lets you read the results on your smartphone or touch the screen on the receiver.

Smart Glasses

IoT Device: Iristick.G2 Pro

Manufacturer: Iristick

Safety glasses are getting a new look with camera enhancements like an extended field of view, powerful optical zoom, barcode scanner and ability to respond to voice commands, according to the company’s listing on its Iristick.G2 Pro.

Smart Traffic Lights

IoT Device: Connected Traffic Lights

Manufacturer: Ford Motor Co.

Traffic lights may soon become IoT devices for emergency vehicles if Ford has its way. The car marker is testing connected traffic lights that would time red and green lights for emergency vehicles and explore the benefits of combining automated and connected vehicles on the same networked infrastructure, Ford said.