Veena S. Chakravarthi - Internet of Things and M2M Communication Technologies: Architecture and Practical Design Approach to IoT in Industry 4.0

The advent of Industry 4.0 ushers in a new era where modern technology and connected devices are used in business and society. Manufacturing practices are becoming automatic at breakneck speed. Cities, buildings, and homes are becoming smart. Vehicles are becoming intelligent and autonomous. Thanks to Internet of Things (IoT); smart services are sprouting everywhere. The growth of IoT is further fueled by cutting-edge technologies like 5G, AI, and Big Data.

Research agencies predict that the IoT market will embrace 50 billion connected devices by 2025. The making of smart things has never been more complex and it is only going to get more sophisticated. Every device needs to be smaller, smarter, more powerful, and more energy-efficient than the existing ones. Simultaneously, we take cognizance that Generation Zs are hyper-cognitive and true digital natives. Creating self-learning connected machines by instilling intelligence to IoT excites them. They are the consumers of smart gadgets and the first generation of technopreneurs.

This is an excellent time to be working in the automation industry that is driven by IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity. Any aspiring IoT engineer, whether working in a startup or in a large corporate, needs to become well versed in the art of hardware, software, protocols, and product design. Dr. Veena Chakravarthi has taken an ab initio perspective while authoring this book. In my parlance, IoT stands for Integration of Technologies. For an IoT system, stakeholders are many. It is not easy to write a book that intertwines multiple technologies toward a meaningful value-adding service.

This book deals with the complexity involved in developing multi-domain IoT solutions. It covers necessary fundamentals in terms of theories, relevant standards, as well as design methods of IoT. It also delineates short-range wireless technologies and M2M communication protocols. This is the second book from Dr. Veena, the first one being in the area of system-on-chip (SoC). Dr. Veena has seen both the worlds of academia and industry. She understands well the need of uninitiated in a topic and knows equally the art of initiating them with step-by-step practical methods.

I am excited about the future of our industry and how far IoT can spread its wings. There is no doubt that the IoT industry is creating new markets, paving ways for innovation in making everything smart and connected. AI-infused IoT (AIoT) is at the heart of the advancements in healthcare, transportation, telecommunication, manufacturing, logistics, and other verticals. The book provides reference design materials and illustrative examples pertaining to analyzing health and monitoring environment.

This book is a thoughtful guide for any aspiring IoT engineer and product designer. People with experimental and do-it-yourself mindset will immensely benefit. I am sure that the book will aid significantly the next-generation engineers, technologists, and innovators.