Big Data and the Internet of Things

TL;DR

This paper discusses how big data analytics enhances the Internet of Things by enabling sophisticated data processing and decision-making across interconnected devices, with implications for performance improvement and social concerns.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the role of big data analytics in IoT, highlighting current impacts, future potential, and social implications.

Findings

Big data analytics significantly improves IoT device performance.

IoT ecosystem benefits from advanced data analytics techniques.

Social and ethical concerns are associated with IoT data use.

Abstract

Advances in sensing and computing capabilities are making it possible to embed increasing computing power in small devices. This has enabled the sensing devices not just to passively capture data at very high resolution but also to take sophisticated actions in response. Combined with advances in communication, this is resulting in an ecosystem of highly interconnected devices referred to as the Internet of Things - IoT. In conjunction, the advances in machine learning have allowed building models on this ever increasing amounts of data. Consequently, devices all the way from heavy assets such as aircraft engines to wearables such as health monitors can all now not only generate massive amounts of data but can draw back on aggregate analytics to "improve" their performance over time. Big data analytics has been identified as a key enabler for the IoT. In this chapter, we discuss various avenues of the IoT where big data analytics either is already making a significant impact or is on the cusp of doing so. We also discuss social implications and areas of concern.