Photonics and the Internet of Things

A recent Forbes magazine article looks at the history of IoT, with references back to 1932 of how technology would enable be the mechanical 'slave' of the future that would control our thermostat, light our pathway, and start our car. One of the first examples of an IoT application was an early 1980s smart Coke machine installed at Carnegie Mellon University whereby the Internet-connected machine could keep track of how many bottles were dispensed and their temperature; today, however, these capabilities are easily expanded to using the machine for marketing and sales purposes. That is, an Internet-connected device could yield usage information--what types of soft drinks are selling better than others; at what times of day are they selling; and what locations are preferred in a geographical area. All of this 'smart' information benefits the soft drink vendors, improving product sales.