Audio Lecture Text

Information Gathering refers to the way devices can store an infinite quantity of data or information as it monitors and tracks the day-to-day activities that an individual does at home, on the street, or any public place.

IoT permits a device to obtain information or data in real time, as it is happening, allowing decisions to be made based on current conditions and the stored historical data. This is the preferred way for decision-making to occur since it is based on the devices' information gathering capabilities.

For example, IoT devices can track the number of times a light is turned on at home, the peak and low hours of that light’s activity, and even the specific individuals that turn the light on or off throughout the day and evening. With this information gathered through an extended period, the device can determine the best ways to save on energy consumption based on the data gathered.

The data collected from IoT device sensors are interpreted and stored away for future data comparisons.

This allows for historical assessments and display of aggregate information, all of which aid in the decision-making process.

For example, efficiencies of IoT Information Gathering can be used in home-based voice activated monitoring systems like Amazon's Alexa, which could track and store the most used voice commands and at what times those commands are issued in an attempt to predict and facilitate its use.

Consider what happens when data is collected from a street corner with heavy car traffic.

The IoT information gathering device will count the number of cars that traverse that specific street corner throughout the day. It can identify what are the peak and low hours of traffic. The historical data collected can be used to improve traffic patterns in the area by changing street light times in other blocks, or by extending the green traffic light during peak hours, also the pedestrian cross-walk sign could be shortened at peak hours to reduce foot traffic.

These are just a few of the options that are possible with the data collection obtained by IoT devices.