Book Image

Android Things Projects

By : Francesco Azzola
Book Image

Android Things Projects

By: Francesco Azzola

Overview of this book

Android Things makes developing connected embedded devices easy by providing the same Android development tools, best-in-class Android framework, and Google APIs that make developers successful on mobile. With this book, you will be able to take advantage of the new Android framework APIs to securely build projects using low-level components such as sensors, resistors, capacitors, and display controllers. This book will teach you all you need to know about working with Android Things through practical projects based on home automation, robotics, IoT, and so on. We’ll teach you to make the most of the Android Things and build enticing projects such as a smart greenhouse that controls the climate and environment automatically. You’ll also create an alarm system, integrate Android Things with IoT cloud platforms, and more. By the end of this book, you will know everything about Android Things, and you’ll have built some very cool projects using the latest technology that is driving the adoption of IoT. You will also have primed your mindset so that you can use your knowledge for profitable, practical projects.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Title Page
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Preface

Internet of Things overview


Internet of Things, or briefly IoT, is one of the most promising trends in technology. According to many analysts, Internet of things can be the most disruptive technology in the upcoming decade. It will have a huge impact on our lives and it promises to modify our habits. IoT is and will be in the future a pervasive technology that will span its effects across many sectors:

  • Industry
  • Healthcare
  • Transportation
  • Manufacturing
  • Agriculture
  • Retail
  • Smart cities

All these areas will benefit from using IoT. Before diving into IoT projects, it is important to know what IoT means. There are several definitions about the Internet of things, addressing different aspects and considering different areas of application. Anyway, it is important to underline that the IoT is much more than a network of smartphones, tablets, and PCs connected to each other. Briefly, IoT is an ecosystem where objects are interconnected and, at the same time, they connect to the internet. The Internet of things includes every object that can potentially connect to the internet and exchange data and information. These objects are always connected anytime, anywhere, and they exchange data.

The concept of connected objects is not new and over the years it has been developed. The level of circuit miniaturization and the increasing power of CPU with a lower consumption makes it possible to imagine a future where there are millions of "things" that talk to each other.

The first time that the Internet of things was officially recognized was in 2005. The International Communication Union (ITU) in a report titled The Internet of things (https://www.itu.int/osg/spu/publications/internetofthings/InternetofThings_summary.pdf), gave the first definition:

"A new dimension has been added to the world of information and communication technologies (ICTs): from anytime, any place connectivity for anyone, we will now have connectivity for anything ... . Connections will multiply and create an entirely new dynamic network of networks - an Internet of Things "

In other words, the IoT is a network of smart objects (or things) that can receive and send data and we can control it remotely.