How IoT and WoT are Related
It is not clear to most how IoT and WoT are related as the words internet and web are often used interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing and have extremely different applications on different scales.
The internet of things (IoT), as we have covered extensively on Inside Telecom, refers to connected devices. Simply devices linked to your phone that you can control and regulate from afar, with some degree or automation.
In a smart home, while it is possible to synchronize multiple devices together, it is made of multiple smart items that are connected to your phone, each with its own apps and different manufacturers and protocols.
This is where the distinction between IoT and Web of Things (WoT) is seen, but to see how IoT and WoT are related, let’s ask the important question first.
What is WoT?
The Web of things can be defined, at least fundamentally, as two or more linked systems of devices that can share data. It is a network of two or more groups of connected devices.
Your smart home with all its appliances attached to your home internet from a network, but each of your smart devices still uses its own applications specific to the item and the manufacturer. Your smart door and smart fridge are not really connected to each other, just connected to you.
Also, with such protocols enabled, your home could link to all the other homes in the neighborhood. A smart farm could link to the local weather forecast. Smart factories could be linked to their suppliers to predict delays, etc.
That is what distinguishes IoT from WoT, it allows simplified and standardized interoperability between different vendors which makes larger-scale connectivity much easier.
Whereas IoT refers to a system of connected devices, the web of things refers to a network of networks or a system of systems.
Interoperability between different networks opens new possibilities for joint technologies to operate across vastly different domains beyond smart factories, homes, and buildings.
Such protocols would enable large-scale connected projects to be built more reliably. Smart cities, smart ports linked to other smart ports across the ocean, and smart farms linked to weather forecasting stations for predictive irrigation. Such projects can help illustrate how IoT and WoT are related and will be applied in the near future.
Summary:
Where IoT refers to connected devices that together form an enclosed network, each of the devices is generally connected one way to the owner’s device and constitutes low-level sensors and devices. The WoT takes those systems and standardizes their operating protocols to enable interoperability, forming a system of systems.
Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the biotechnology industry. Keep an eye on the technology and IoT sections to stay informed and updated with our daily articles.