An article by Ferry Emveep. Emveep is a company delivering custom software solutions and dedicated developer teams for startups and businesses.
The Internet of Nano Things is one of the most talked-about topics in today’s tech world. However, there are many challenges facing IoNT. The author speculates that several challenges can be solved with Blockchain-based on author sources.
This article will discuss the differences between the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) and how Blockchain addresses the challenges of IoNT.
What is the Internet of Nano Things (IoNT)?
The Internet of Nano Things, or IoNT, has roots in IoT and nanotechnology, according to StatNano, which defines it as “an interconnected system of very small devices that transfer data over a network.”
It’s important to note that the next computing revolution will be entirely outside the traditional desktop environment. Between 2021 and 2027, it is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18.2% globally.
What are the differences between IoNT and IoT?
The internet of nano-things is similar to the Internet of Things. The devices connected within it are miniaturized and small enough to be classified as nanoscale, which ranges from .1 to 100 nanometers (a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). According to Nano.gov, a sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick, one inch contains 25.4 million nanometers, and DNA has a diameter of 2.5 nanometers.
Most current technologies, such as environmental sensors in cars and homes, or accelerometers and gyroscopes in smartphones that help people use navigation or location services, are examples of tiny devices that can be miniaturized to fit within small volumes. Almost all modern automation is based on nanoscale devices that can communicate to provide more intelligent technical options. These technological integrations will drive innovation in every industry imaginable, from automotive to healthcare and in everyday household goods.
The Internet of Nano-Things is a network of nano-sized objects. Electronics are not only advanced in terms of design and manufacturing, but they are also highly well-packaged to prevent unwanted interference. Because of the electromagnetic methods used to allow these devices to communicate wirelessly, interference is complicated to manage.
Nanotechnologies incorporated into an Internet of Things system are highly specific to the application. An intelligent factory, for example, will use IoNT devices to track temperature, humidity, gaseous fumes, water quality, and possibly carbon emissions from systems’ exhaust. Connected vehicles equipped with similar miniaturized sensors, for example, could predict proximity, environmental conditions, and location data to help ensure the safety and accuracy of vehicle-assistance systems.
On the other hand, it is an innovative city application of interconnected nanodevices. The integrated technologies could be responsible for monitoring toxic gas or particulate concentrations, with devices planted at various locations throughout the city to monitor pollution levels to maintain the health and safety of the residents.
Why Have IoNT?
The internet of nano things makes it possible to connect multiple nanodevices over a network. This, when combined with other related technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and machine learning, can open up a world of possibilities.
It’s similar to how smartphones can do almost anything and add layers of functionality, new features, and increased comfort. Anything that IoT can do now can be supercharged with IoNT. We can get exceptionally finely granulated data from systems of nano-sized machines using IoNT.
These can point to new insights that would have been impossible to obtain earlier, and they can truly help us achieve a brighter future. IoNT systems allow data to be gathered from notoriously tricky areas to reach.
Challenges Faced by the Internet of Nano Things
Privacy and security
Concerns about privacy and security must be addressed as nanodevices collect large amounts of confidential data. Users of the Internet of Nano Things infrastructure need to know who has access to their information and how it will be used. Additionally, the collected data must be kept secure using encryption and cutting-edge cybersecurity protocols. Cybercriminals can illegally access this confidential data if it is left unprotected. Users may want to know who could be held responsible for a cybersecurity attack and what available mitigation strategies. As a result, before mass production and use of IoNT devices, IoNT developers must consider these issues.
Compatibility
In the development of medical nanosensors, compatibility is a significant challenge. Developers must ensure that these nanosensors have no adverse effects on a patient’s body and that they can communicate with wearable devices without interruption. Designers and developers may need to find and research a wide range of materials compatible with the human body for this purpose. On the other hand, finding such materials will necessitate extensive testing, making the entire process time-consuming and error-prone.
IoNT technology is still in its infancy, but researchers are confident that it will overcome its current challenges soon. The Internet of Nano Things will soon be used in conjunction with other cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality to create more compact and functional devices than traditional devices. Business leaders will develop applications that improve employee productivity, improve customer experience, and increase revenue by combining such modern technologies.
Imagine Blockchain and IoT working together
The Internet of Nano Things (IoNT) is growing exponentially, with applications such as Smart Homes and Cities, e-Health, distributed intelligence, and so on, but it faces security and privacy challenges. The Internet of Things devices is linked in a decentralized manner. As a result, using standard existing security techniques in IoT node communication is extremely difficult.
The Blockchain (BC) is a technology that ensures the security of IoNT device transactions. It creates a decentralized, distributed and publicly accessible shared ledger for storing the data of blocks processed and verified in an IoT network. The data in the public ledger is managed automatically using a peer-to-peer topology.
The BC is a technology that allows IoNT nodes to send transactions in a block. The blocks are connected, and each device retains its previous device address. The blockchain and IoNT work together in the IoT and Cloud integration framework. The BC will revolutionize IoNT communication in the future. The following are the objectives of BC and IoNT integration:
1. Decentralized framework: This approach is similar in IoNT and BC. It is removed the centralized system and provides the facility of a decentralized system. It improves the failure probability and performance of the overall system.
2. Security: In the BC, the transactions among nodes are secured. It is a very novel approach for secure communication. BC allows IoNT devices to communicate with each other securely.
3. Identification: In IoNT, all the connected devices are uniquely identified with a unique ID. Every block in BC is also uniquely identified. So, BC is a trusted technology that provides uniquely identified data stored in a public ledger.
4. Reliability: IoNT nodes in BC can authenticate the information passed in the network. The data is reliable because it is verified by the miners before entering BC. Only verified blocks can enter the BC.
5. Autonomous: In BC, all IoNT nodes can communicate with any node in the network without the centralized system.
6. Scalability: In BC, the IoNT devices will communicate in a high-available, distributed intelligence network that connects with destination devices in real-time and exchanges information.
Summary
The challenges experienced by the internet of nano things can be resolved already by integrating IoNT and blockchain with the IoT network. This will be something interesting in the future. Several studies on IoT and Blockchain are being worked on, and some have been published. But if you have a development project using IoT, you can contact us here.
