Internet of Things and Sensor Networks

The articles in this special section focus on the relationship between sensor networks and the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT constitutes one of the fastest growing market segments in today’s economy as it continues to accommodate an increasing variety of our daily situations. This trend goes far beyond integrating sensors, actuators, and wearable gadgets into the IoT fabric to further incorporate more intelligent IoT devices such as connected cars, drones, and factory robots. Over the next decade, we may also see our everyday furniture, food containers, and even paper documents accessing the Internet. Hence, we are only beginning to witness the true explosive growth of the IoT, with tens of billions of total connections expected within the coming years, aggregated over diverse radio communication architectures and protocols. Alongside this transformation, the present Series aims to highlight the unprecedented variety of important IoT applications and services.