LoRaWAN is a popular IoT technology which allows for communications over a wide area while requiring minimum power. It is one of the most promising technologies of the future and is at the forefront of every upcoming IoT innovation. Most IoT deployments mainly rely on smart sensors to continuously gather data and transmit it to cloud networks.LoRaWAN Probe allows these sensors to maintain continuous communications with the LoRa framework and hence it makes the IoT deployment successful. In this article, we will take a detailed look into the LoRaWAN probe and how you can use it for your advantage.
Working of a LoRaWAN Probe
- The first requirement for a LoRa deployment is to identify the type of data that we need to measure.
- Then we select the appropriate sensors accordingly. For instance, if we are to measure temperature then we are going to choose a temperature sensor. Similarly, if we are to measure then we will select a humidity sensor.
- So, once we have selected the sensors, the next step is to place them at the site of interest. The site of interest is the location where we want to measure the respective data.
- Once the sensors are placed, the next step is to connect them with a LoRaWAN probe.
- After the LoRaWAN probe is connected to the sensors, then this complete setup is known as a LoRa node.
- The sensors measure the respective data (i.e. temperature or humidity). Then the sensor sends the recorded measurements to the nearest LoRaWAN gateway by establishing communication via the LoRaWAN Probe.
- The LoRaWAN gateway then compiles the data from all the nearby LoRa nodes and then sends it to the cloud network.
- So, further compilation and processing is done through sophisticated cloud servers. Once the data is processed and analyzed it is made accessible through the cloud.
- Hence, you can access this information through a smart device having a decent and reliable internet connection.
- This way a LoRaWAN probe makes it possible to transmit large amounts of data without consuming too much power. Hence, it is perfect for wide-area deployments.
Benefits of LoRaWAN probe
1.Reliability
Communications via a LoRaWAN probe are very reliable as they don’t get corrupted over the long-range. This is because it is capable of sending large batches of data without altering the byte sequence. On top of that, LoRaWAN has a very reliable framework which is far superior to any other framework (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.)
2.Security
Communications via the LoRaWAN probe to the LoRaWAN gateway are very secure because it is a highly exclusive linkage. On top of that, LoRaWAN communications are encrypted with the strongest encryption standards out there. It is trusted by both IoT experts and network administrators alike. Its security makes it impossible for someone to interfere with data transmission through LoRaWAN gateway. An added benefit of this is that signals transmitted through LoRaWAN incur minimum noise.
3.Ease of Access
The developers of LoRaWAN take to provide that LoRaWAN transmissions work on openly accessible frequencies and free bandwidths. This means that when you choose a LoRaWAN probe to set up your IoT network then you will not have to pay any extra fees or premiums of any sort. This accessibility allows an IoT developer to have unique creative freedom and therefore he or she can freely deploy their IoT concepts. This also means that your customers will feel convenient to use your deployed IoT platform.
4.A growing ecosystem
More and more IoT developers, service providers, network administrators, software engineers, hardware manufacturers, communications experts, and IT gurus are switching towards LoRaWAN. More and more entities are adopting LoRa as the prime framework for their IoT deployments. Hence, the community supporting LoRa grows every day and this supporting ecosystem is seeing rapid and consistent growth. This means that if you want to survive in the IoT industry then it is empirical for your survival that you adopt LoRa as your main communication framework. Lora is going to become the IoT standard in the future and everyone from the IoT industry should make the smart decision of switching to LoRa at their earliest convenience.
Applications of LoRaWAN Probe
1.Smart Agriculture
Agricultural and animal farms are prime examples of wide-area coverage. Large ranches and farms are very difficult to manually inspect. Therefore, there is a need for automated monitoring which provides appropriate data for which trigger relevant actions. IoT can greatly help in this scenario and we can use the power of the LoRaWAN framework to harness the full potential of smart sensors. We can use the LoRaWAN probe for monitoring the health of farm animals and livestock. We can also use it for monitoring soil irrigation which is a major cause for a potential decrease in farm performance. However, we can also use the LoRaWAN probe for monitoring the moisture in the soil. So, we can also use it to measure nutrient content in the soil. Hence, we can use it for ensuring smarter, healthier, and more productive farms.
2.Smart Cities
Running a city is not an easy task and sustaining it is even more difficult. This is because a city comprises of various operations such as traffic controlling, garbage collection, transportation, ensuring communication and connectivity, allocation of energy, healthcare services, street lighting, household metering, weather monitoring, flood forecasting, waste management, water management, etc. All of these operations involve a lot of manual labor. However, cities will function more smartly if these processes shift towards automation. IoT ensures that everything is connected to everything and that every operation is optimized. For instance, we can use a LoRaWAN probe to detect when traffic on one side of the street is overwhelmingly large. Therefore, we can manage it by smartly aligning the timing of the traffic signals with the accumulating traffic. Hence, we can better manage the traffic during the rush hours.
3.Smart Healthcare
As human species keeps evolving, our needs and requirements keep changing as well. This change is very prominent in our body and our biological behavior adapts as well. Therefore, we have a dire need for smart healthcare. IoT makes it possible for medical instruments to evolve with us. So, we can use LoRaWAN for making better hearing devices. We can also use it for tracking and monitoring the Dementia and Alzheimer patients. We can use it for monitoring the vital signs and nutrient concentration within a person’s body. This will help us in ensuring public health and building safer communities.
4.Smart Buildings
LoRa is able to penetrate even the densest of building materials. Hence, it is ideal for use within residential and commercial buildings. We can use LoRa for smart asset tracking and personnel monitoring. We can use it for monitoring the temperature and humidity of our homes. It is also possible to use LoRa for ensuring the safety of our homes.
We can do this by enabling smart sensors that scan a person when he or she wants to enter the home. If the ID of such a person matches that of an authorized person then he or she may enter the house. Otherwise, the smart network will immediately notify the nearby police station. Similarly, when the temperature of the building rises above the safe limit or if the presence of a fire or smoke is detected then the system will enter the alert mode. If this happens then the IoT network will notify the nearest firefighter department. On top of that, it will ensure that the emergency rescue services are on their way. Once the concerned authorities arrive at the scene, the smart system will further assist them by telling them the exact location and whereabouts of every person within the building. Hence, it will help in saving valuable lives.
5.Smart Industrial Control
Industries involve a lot of complex mechanical and chemical processes. In addition to that, many operations are underway simultaneously. With so much going on, it is therefore empirical that we ensure the monitoring and automation of all these operations and processes. Economical alternatives and financially viable solutions are often preferred in the industrial sectors because this way industrialists can ensure maximum revenue. Therefore, LoRaWAN is the best fit for smart industrial control. For instance, the mining industry involved many operations like drilling, etc. Therefore, we can use LoRaWAN probes to identify the best-suited sites for drilling which have favorable humidity and other conditions.
6.Smart Logistics and Supply Chain
The supply chain is at the very center of any business. Therefore, it is important to ensure that shipments arrive on time and we regularly maintain inventory records. So, we can use LoRaWAN for tracking the shipment of any package. This way we can track its entire delivery route until we receive it at the delivery point. This will reassure us that our package is safe at all times and is enroute. Therefore, we can ensure that logistics operations run smoothly.
Some Prominent Use Cases of LoRaWAN Probe
1.Smart soil sensors Teralytic
Greenhouse emissions and an increase in pollution make it difficult to predict the performance of any crop. Therefore, every farmer needs real-time insight into the soil conditions before plowing a certain crop.
If farmers lack this crucial information then they are unable to maximize their revenue. On top of that, they will end up harming the environment as well. Fortunately, LoRaWAN probes make it possible to provide economical sensors that have low power consumption and a long-range. Hence, they are ideal for agricultural applications.
The sensors developed by the Teralytic provide farmers with the necessary data so that they can easily pick the right fertilizers. Hence, they are able to ensure a higher crop yield. This way Teralytic empowers agricultural workers to have an economical and viable technology for preserving the environment and indulging in smart agriculture.
2.Smart Bus Schedule Signs by X-TELIA
X-TELIA successfully harnessed the power of LoRa by developing smart transportation solutions. They have come up with a smart screen that displays the departure times of incoming and outgoing buses. This smart screen runs on solar power and runs on the LoRa network. The possible bus delays are also visible in real-time and the change in schedule is immediately available. This system is the first of its kind and Canada plans to deploy it for smart tracking and scheduling.
This kind of smart transport solutions can save valuable time of the routine commuters and ensure the efficient and smooth running of transit operations. The LoRa sensors require very little power to operate and are much easier to install. These are more accurate and are indifferent to noise in crowded areas. We can combine such innovative solutions with other smart city concepts for transitioning towards a smart society.
3.Smart Locks by MI Products
They have come up with a unique door that is based on LoRa. It is an electronic door that we can integrate into any building or house. This door has enhanced security features as it doesn’t rely on a key. It has all the capabilities of LoRa which means that it is very economical and has an amazing battery life of up to three years. Authorized personnel can simply use the company app for opening and closing the door from even 30 feet away. This door also comes with fingerprint features that give additional safety.
This way the residents of any building or home can effectively control who enters or leaves their premises. This enables communities to have a safe space and monitor their own security. The wide area coverage of LoRa and its low power consumption are ideal for building smart communities and yet smarter homes.
If you are looking for building your own IoT deployments by harnessing the capabilities of the LoRaWAN probe then you are in the right place. MOKO Smart specializes in all sorts of LoRaWAN products and we can help you in developing your own LoRa based IoT solutions. Feel free to contact us if you are looking for a quote or if you have any further queries.
