Figure 1.6 IoT and blockchain in manufacturing industry.
1.5.3 Food Processing Industry
Under the sphere of the food processing industry, certain advancements have been brought about with the introduction of technologies such as IoT and blockchain [12]. One major feature is the better traceability of all the commodities throughout the farm-to-plate chain. The quality of the raw material that any such industry uses is of key importance and can be kept track of by linking all aspects and platforms where the material is passed through. It helps to ensure that the raw material has been treated properly and stored under sanitary and suitable conditions according to its nature. For example, any milk-based product requires to be stored under a cool temperature at all times and any carelessness in this regard would lead to spoiled food which if in any case is served to humans may lead to condition of illness. The same is applicable to all perishable items; they require careful handling and processing. Also, when it comes to food, most people are very picky with their choices. It is important for these companies to provide accurate details about the things that have been put into any particular product. Some individuals also bear allergies and need to ensure that they do not consume anything that they are allergic to or else it may lead to severe reactions and discomfort. This adds onto why the content details provided by the manufacturer need to precise. Another important aspect that needs to be kept under consideration is the shelf life of edible commodities, once manufactured it is advised that it should be consumed within a specified period of time to ensure that it is good and healthy condition at the time of usage.
These particulars can be kept track of with the help of the technologies of IoT and blockchain. The farm where the raw material is produced and transported may accommodate intelligent equipment (that has sensors installed and connected to a cloud or network) which would upload precise details about the date and method of handling onto the cloud where all information is to be stored onto a blockchain to ensure decentralization and access to the processing units, stores as well as the consumers, hence offering transparency. Inclusion of these technologies also ensure the absence of counterfeiting of harmful ingredients into food substances, since the manufacturer is obliged to provide complete details regarding ingredients and processing used, it minimizes the possibility of such frauds. Apart from this, at processing units utilising equipment that incorporate in situ sensing allows to maximize production yielding better profit and foreseeing any machine related faults and cater to the needs to avoid abrupt machine part failure or other such disruptions to the work flow. Hence, the technologies have helped achieve better standards of food quality along with having eased the very task of production because of a better organized and well equipped industry as illustrated by Figure 1.7.
Figure 1.7 IoT and blockchain in food processing industry.
In the above figure, we can see that there are various machinery used in manufacturing of goods such as seeds and rice, we can monitor the progress of our manufacturing with the help of IoT. So, there are various machineries which are used to clean the product and then o process it and package it. So, what we can do is create an IoT of all this machinery and create a system with constant monitoring. We can also integrate AI to this system to optimize our production rate. This system is much better than existing one as it streamlines all the necessary machinery and monitors it, thereby increasing the production rate. All this data can then be uploaded to the cloud and have all the details of your manufacturing and can help in accounting of all this data.
1.5.4 Healthcare Industry
Ever since embodying technological advancements such as IoT and blockchain technology into the healthcare sector, we see scope to be able to reach unforeseen endeavors [13]. Application varies from medical record access to highly specialized patient’s health activity monitoring and performing surgeries. It is a fact that machines sometime engulf more precision that is not humanly possible. Let us consider that a patient has just been discharged from a hospital or has an underlying medical condition which requires continues monitoring over a span of time, in such cases, certain wearable sensors or any other convenient sensors may be attached to the person. This allows the person to perform his day-to-day actives keeping his health under observation continuously. These sensors then upload the data onto a cloud service. The doctor is also connected to the same cloud via his device and keeps himself updated about the condition of any patient. In case any abnormalities are observed, the doctor may call upon that particular person to perform proper examination. Storage of an individual’s health records onto a blockchain ensures the confidentiality and permanent storage of all details. Another hitch that is frequently observed in the hospitals is that of fraudulent claims and discrepancies in the billing system, the technologies can resolve this as there will be automated workflow and a single decentralized pathway for transaction and contact information hence bringing in transparency and reducing the probability of frauds or disagreement among parties. The hospitals are responsible for maintaining details of the people who have visited, the treatment administered along with the cost of the service. These need to be accurate and storing these onto a blockchain keeps it protected, this data and other medical records are extremely valuable for clinical research as they are first hand details and can help observe disease patterns or the most effective remedy for a particular disorder or to figure out the prominence of any syndrome among the target population. Another application under this sector is the drug supply chain management. Here, we use the technologies to keep track of drugs from their manufacture until they are given to patient. Its pros are that we can have accurate track of how, when, and where the medicine has been manufactured, its means of transportation, and it ensures that proper storage has been done in accordance with the nature of the drug. This also makes sure that no drug ends up being given to a person that any have any allergies or intolerance against the components of the medicine and that no medicine that has crossed its expiry date is used under any circumstances. We can also track the approximate quantity of a particular drug that is needed over a fixed time period and order them according so as to minimize wastage. Apart from the techniques that are currently being used, we are proposing a theoretical concept that has not yet being utilized, but holds future potential to provide better care to patients who are under critical conditions. Herein, we can link a ventilator and say a temperature measuring device to record the condition. We them connect the ventilator and all other related equipment through IoT, in case there happens to be an abnormality in the condition of the patient, the concerned medical staff will be notified immediately, and hence, care can be provided immediately. Hence, we see how these technological improvements have served for the betterment of this industry and have also assured better facilities to the people as seen in Figure 1.8.
As we can see in the above figure, we have created a hub or a network of all the necessary healthcare utility and connected then to each other to have a better and a more efficient monitoring system than the existing one. As we can see, we have a smart miner which is connected to carious other appliances such as a ventilator, an ambulance, and an oxygen meter to have an in depth knowledge of the patient.
1.5.5 Military
Military is an organization that is extremely important and integral to any country. Figure 1.9 shows some of its roles. Any state is marked by its border and the military holds the responsibility to guards the terrain against anyone who tries to hamper it. The complexities of military operations have considerably