What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The Internet of Things, commonly abbreviated as IoT, refers to the connection of devices to the Internet. It is used for devices that wouldn’t normally be expected to have an internet connection Computers and smartphones aren’t considered IoT devices.
With smaller, more powerful chips almost all products can be an Internet of Things device. Any device that can be monitored and/or controlled from a remote location can be an internet-connected an IoT device. This includes a smartwatch or any other physical object can be transformed into an IoT device if it can be connected to the internet and controlled that way.
A smart lightbulb that can be switched on using a smartphone app is an IoT device. Kitchen appliances, a motion sensor or a smart thermostat in an office or a connected streetlight, heart monitors, a driverless truck, a jet engine can be filled with thousands of sensors to collect and transmit data. New smart cities projects use sensors to understand and control an environment.