The Need for M2M Applications – an Example
January 5th, 2010 admin
Creating a machine-to-machine infrastructure is a broad process. The chief components needed are sensors (could be wired, but usually wireless), an established network to relay the signals, and a computer with Internet access.
As a real-life example, let’s take a look at the important issue of water purification for public consumption. City officials are responsible for providing the community with drinkable water. To conduct their job satisfactorily they are required to monitoring of the water supply, the actual process of water treatment, and subsequently the resulting drinkable water.
As a first step of implementing an M2M solution, city engineers and crew would place sensors in the right positions. This means that the sensors need to be in an area for detecting contaminants in the natural water supply of a river or a lake as well as the main intakes. The sensors would further be placed in all the areas that cover the water purification process. Lastly, they would be placed in the outflow supply pipes leading to the homes and businesses where they are eventually to be used.
The benefit of such sensors is in their ability to send real-time data, commonly by wireless communications, which city engineers can monitor using proprietary software. The software will be able to show if such hazards as an oil spill has infiltrated the water supply or a certain change in a lake’s water due to runoff in a particular time of the year. The result would be to automatically alert the proper authorities for cleaning the spill and at the same time change the intake location so only non-contaminated water is treated.
This alert system would be beneficial for the city since only when a problem is detected, the authorities would be notified, therefore removing the need to regularly test the water by humans, which is a costly and time consuming endeavour.