It seems that the term Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) has been there in the literature for the last 20 years or so, and when many researchers thought it will disappear when the term Internet of Things (IoT) was coined, they seemed wrong about it and now more and more papers are talking about the two terms in the same papers, so where does the WSN domain ends and where does the IoT begins in the entire big picture?
WSN is an enabling technology for the IoT. WSN is a network compromising of sensor nodes deployed to measure the environment. IoT on the hand may consist of both sensors and actuators. WSN is not necessarily connected to the Internet while IoT is always connected to the Internet. I will suggest reading a book by Adam Dunkels "Interconnecting Smart Objects with IP".
In general, if you connect the internet to a WSN device it becomes an IoT device.
Thanks so much for all the useful and insightful answers.
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Just like what Mustafa Sadiq Aljumaily said, WSN exist at a lower level than IoT. WS network is a technology that is often used within an IoT system. In short, WSN consists of ONLY sensors and does not need a 100% internet connectivity. IoT on the other hand consist of both sensors, actuators and requires a 100% internet connectivity.
Thanks for the great and useful answer Gibril Njai
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IoT (Internet of Things) and WSN (Wireless Sensor Network) are related but distinct technologies.
IoT refers to the interconnected network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other objects that are equipped with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to collect and exchange data. IoT devices can be connected to the internet or to other networks, and can communicate with each other and with central servers or cloud-based systems.
WSN, on the other hand, refers specifically to a network of wireless sensors that are used to monitor and collect data from their environment. These sensors are typically small, low-power devices that are deployed in large numbers to monitor a wide area or specific phenomenon. WSNs are often used for applications such as environmental monitoring, industrial process control, and military surveillance.
While IoT and WSN technologies can be used together, WSNs are a specific type of IoT device, focused on data collection and monitoring.
Thanks so much for the amazing and useful answer Fouad Essahlaoui
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