How I use metaphors to explain IoT systems
How I use metaphors to explain IoT systems
Metaphors help translate technical concepts across disciplines by creating relatability. This can help to determine if a good fit exists between a customer’s need and a tech solution.
I’ve found that the nervous system is a useful analogy to explain details of IoT networks to non-technical folks. It can be a little silly, but it’s fun and powerful, even with the C-suite.
The body as a metaphor is effective because everyone can relate to it. We all have a general understanding of our own anatomy. We may live in different places, different circumstances, with different gods and hairstyles and diets. But we all have bodies. This is also why body humor will always be a staple of standup comedy.
Body analogies can be used to explain different facets of an IoT sensor system – such as design, cost, and maintenance needs – so that a customer can gauge whether the solution is a good fit for their problem and understand the responsibilities of ownership.
How IoT networks are similar to the human nervous system:
[System design]: Sensors need to be properly positioned and calibrated to collect quality data.
Imagine if the taste receptors in your mouth were instead on your chin. And they could only sense bitterness. This setup would not only make it less efficient to eat, it would also limit the information we receive, making eating both less enjoyable and riskier. No joy from the sweet taste of ice cream – and also fewer signals alerting us to food gone bad.
IoT is the same: If a directional sensor is pointed in the wrong direction, placed in the wrong place, or incorrectly calibrated, you’re out of luck. IoT devices need to key into the data they are trying to collect, be this through proximiy, orientation, power level, etc. For complex use cases, I lead a pre-design phase with the customer to fully understand their use cases and business requirements.
2. [Network capacity and quality]: Transmission capability has a major impact on data quality.
Verizon has tried for years to educate us about the importance of a high-quality network. They’re not wrong.
In IoT, the quality of data a sensor collects is only as good as the network's ability to send that data to the appropriate upstream endpoint for processing. Any loss in data quality, such as dropped packets, will decrease the timeliness or quality of the data, perhaps even rendering it useless. Consequently, reduced data quality erodes the ability of the IoT solution to answer complex questions.
As an analogy, the importance of transmission quality for the body’s nervous system is also paramount. If a nerve is sensing something but the message isn't being sent upstream to be processed and decoded by my brain, it doesn’t allow me to understand and respond. I remember as a kid being fascinated when some part of my body would get pins and needles after awkward positioning. Because of restricted blood flow, the nerves could not transmit data upstream. It’s fun if you’re experimenting as a kid, but can have serious consequences otherwise.
3. [Cost]: Sensor network density should vary based on the resolution of data you need.
When designing IoT systems, we’re trying to achieve a Goldilocks equilibrium: not too many sensors, not too few. Juuust right. Where we need lots of data, plan for a significant investment. Where we need less, be thrifty.
On our bodies, our skin follows these same tenets. We have vastly different densities of nerve endings depending on the needs of each part of our body. To be economical, when low resolution information is needed, like on our elbows, nerve endings are distributed less densely and often do not even have access to the highest-speed nerves to send information to our brain. On the flip side, our dextrous, fine-tuned fingers are packed with sensitive nerves and connected to high-speed connections to our brains.
4. [Security] Networks can be overwhelmed, and there are significant consequences to their ability to function.
Just as too much stimuli can be overwhelming to our bodies, IoT systems can suffer from similar overloads. One malicious IoT example is a DDoS attack in which network overload overwhelms a server and causes it to go down. This type of attack can paralyze its target and leave us without access to cat videos or bank accounts.
5. [Ability to learn]: Insights can be improved with attention and practice
The practice of mindfulness meditation directs attention toward our body in a way that focuses our awareness. This can allow previously unnoticed sensations to be noticed, without additional information. Increased awareness is often a result of pain, forcing us to pay attention to more efficient or less taxing ways of moving.
In IoT networks, increased awareness of existing data can happen with the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence. By training our model using machine learning, we can increase awareness of our data – revealing trends, potential issues, or answers much faster and more efficiently than without training. Same data, better insights.
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