Define Embedded System
Embedded systems have come a long way since their inception. For anyone passionate about embedded systems, this is a very exciting period. There’s a lot of innovation and development happening at a rapid pace in various sectors like
● Internet of Things: A technology revolution that began just a few years ago. It’s gradually sneaking into our lives and will soon be a reality. What it does is connects anything to the internet and also allows it to be configured remotely from anywhere. Devices that work in this mode can vary from common household devices to any high-end industrial product. Businesses have realized the importance of IoT and there are consultancy firms specialized in applying IoT to an organization.
● Smart cities: Improving a city’s infrastructure by applying the tech of IoT and connected things. Smart cities use IoT devices such as connected sensors, lights, and meters to collect and analyze data. The cities then use this data to improve infrastructure, public utilities and services, and more.
● Telemetry: Involves gathering data from various sensors from various regions, clustering them, and routing them to a control station at a different location. Telemetry actually predates the Internet of Things by many years and it’s all done by radio. But the spread of low-power wireless devices that could form themselves into mesh networks made it so accessible. The data from sensors will be sent to a cloud network for computation purposes.
● Automotive: Autonomous vehicles are one area where massive research is happening. They are designed to drive on their own by understanding their surroundings and acting accordingly. Implemented with technologies like GPS, advanced computer vision, LIDAR, etc these vehicles can identify the correct paths and lanes in a city and navigate without colliding obstacles and follow proper traffic rules. Similarly, smart transport systems like the hyperloop are also in the research pipeline.
● Machine Vision: The device gets sight and sees things. For e.g. autonomous cars employ machine vision. Current rapid technology development in CMOS image sensors has brought machine vision accessible to all.
● Machine learning/Deep learning: Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science that focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. Massive research is happening in this space. Efforts are happening to bring this to edge computing devices. The job opportunities in this sector are huge. One has to be adept at different technologies to have a mastery of the subject. The entry barriers in this field are quite high, due to the high level of expertise and experience required.
● Robotics: involves the conception, design, manufacture, and operation of robots. The objective is to create intelligent machines that can assist humans in a variety of ways. They are also used for navigating terrains that are rough and difficult to access. A lot of companies are trying to work on personal robots for homes, delivery robots, surgical robots, etc. So this is one area where some interdisciplinary skills might also be needed.
● Healthcare: smart healthcare systems might be one of the most important applications of future embedded systems. It can revolutionize the way medication is done right now. Doctors can provide remote medication to people living in rural areas.
● Consumer electronic products: Consumers today, expect their devices and appliances to be smarter and interconnected besides functional efficiencies. From kitchen appliances to home entertainment systems and utilities, consumer electronics are transforming into smart electronics.
With growth and advancements in the field of electronics, wireless communications, networking, cognitive computing, and robotics, devices around us communicate in ways we have never seen before. Those times are not very distant when every object around us will have a small processor/sensor embedded within itself, invisible to us but still communicating with all other devices around us, making our lives more connected and accessible than ever before. Looking at the numerous possible applications it has and the awesome projects that are being planned it is safe to say that embedded systems will be one of the most sought-after fields of study and hence would require a lot of talented minds. And it is also important to note that as an embedded systems engineer, one would be dealing with some of the most advanced and complicated technologies. So, choosing this field as a career option now would be a smart option for people who have always been interested in electronics and electrical engineering.
