The Internet of Things (IoT) can help you get the right data from your hardware when you need it, no matter if you are right there with the hardware or a world away.  Two new hardware examples recently dropped at the MathWorks site, so we are highlighting those examples here. We’ve added one more interesting example found out on the wild web, to make a nice three-for.

1. IoT-Based Temperature Monitoring Using ThingSpeak and Arduino Hardware – MATLAB & Simulink

Environmental monitoring is one of the standout applications of IoT technology, and where the ease of getting set up on ThingSpeak also stands out. Once you’ve got your data streaming in, you can use the more advanced features of ThingSpeak and the built in MATLAB to enhance your data collection and interpretation.  This example shows several of these features including the useful visualization widgets, integrated MATLAB code, and the use of the email alerts service to keep you aware of anomalous activity in your channel. This setup involves a BMP280 sensor connected to an Arduino® board, which serves as the hardware foundation.  This example assumes a dedicated MATLAB connection, which can allow high speed analysis and controls.  For a deployed sensor example, have a look at the many other examples in the ThingSpeak documentation, including this temperature read and write example.

2. Introduction to Engineering with Arduino – Curriculum Module

This complete curriculum module is available in the MathWorks File exchange. The module includes MATLAB live scrips demonstrating engineering principles using Arduino Hardware. Instructors can use these live scripts as demonstrations in lectures, class activities, or as interactive assignments outside class.  Everyone else can use it to level up their engineering basics. This module covers the concepts of signals, control, and technical writing. It also includes examples of the Internet of Things and physical modeling. This example not only educates on the technical aspects of hardware-software integration but also inspires innovation and experimentation within the realm of IoT.

3. Analyzing Traffic Using a 360-Degree Camera and ThingSpeak Analytics

The final example highlights the application of IoT technologies in urban planning and management, specifically in analyzing traffic patterns. The author demonstrates data collection using ThingSpeak from their edge processing system with video sensor. Then the author shows how you can do both live visualizations in the channel field plots and processing of the incoming data to produce live analysis such as a traffic comparison plot.

The intersection of hardware connectivity and software analytics shows the true potential of IoT. Happy ThingSpeaking!