The Road to the Internet of Things: a Survey

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT) concept has recently been presented as the next revolution and a part of the internet of the future. IoT consists of billions of uniquely identified smart objects ‘things’ with communication ability over the internet. These smart objects generate useful information for the provision of better services and improve the quality of life in different domains. However, there is a general lack of an integrated vision or a plan for selection and implementation of these smart objects. This paper presents the required tools and technologies (such as sensors, RFID, processors, actuators and communication models) that are essential in the IoT paradigm. The major objective of this review is to provide more detailed information about IoT smart objects, the building block of IoT, and conduct a comprehensive overview of IoT architecture with different scenarios. Moreover, this paper gives insight into IoT networking and the new type of low power wide area network (LPWAN) leading technologies in the licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Finally, this paper provides perspectives for future research and developments.