Why You Should Prototype Your IoT Device. The 5 Biggest Reasons

The process of going from a theoretical phase in which everything works perfectly to a finished product is often more challenging than expected. This is especially true in the world of connected devices.

The prototype is the first, crucial step to building an Internet of Things product.

An IoT prototype is used to understand the pinch points and to figure out the necessary parameters for Full stack IoT Development. It is in no way a ready-to-market product, but simply a trial version that is deployed end-to-end with sensors connected through the device, network, cloud, end-user interface, and enterprise integration. Hence, a prototype is a perfect way to visualize your product the way you want it to work and is the proof of your final product is going to look and work just like you expect it to.

For instance, an organization might be unsure of whether to take a device-centric (i.e., hardware) approach or to concentrate first on the software. There might be fundamental questions regarding communication standards (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) that are the best to adopt.

In this case, rapid prototyping could help to mimic the behavior and functionality of the IoT device while also testing different communication protocols to identify the best mode of data transfer. As a result, the organization is sure about its choice.

What does an IoT prototype consist of?

Prototyping can be done in many ways, depending on the type of IoT product. However, it usually consists of:

  • A user interface, such as a smartphone app or web frontend

In the IoT world, this part is often overlooked since people typically prefer to dive into the details of the hardware device and the best connectivity options. Do not make the same error.

The user interface is the first thing that people will see when they look at your product. And, as you already know, first impressions last.

Generally, the user interface should do two things: prove the value of the system to the user and allow users to interact with and explore the system.

  • A hardware device

A hardware device helps us reach out into the physical world. It usually includes one or more sensors that measure the important parameters, or an actuator, that affects something in that same environment.

Apart from these two elements, the hardware needs some way to communicate (commonly a wireless connection), look good, and be easy to use.

  • Backend software

The backend software is where the intelligence of the system resides.

This part of an IoT prototype is often overlooked, maybe because it is not visible to the users and customers like the user interface or hardware design. But this is where the real magic actually happens and the business logic is encoded.

It both collects data in its database and makes key decisions on actions.

  • Connectivity

The connectivity is what connects the hardware with the backend, and the backend with the user interface. Connectivity is an integral part of the final product and must be well-thought through from the start.

It is often split into two parts: the user-backend connectivity and the device-backend connectivity.

In most cases, user-backend connectivity is done using the usual Internet protocols (often with a REST API). For the device-backend connectivity, there are several tech options, such as IPv6 meshing (6lowpan, Thread) or WiFi, users’ smartphones (Bluetooth), a hub (ZigBee), and Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) technologies (LoRA, Sigfox).

And while we think it’s pretty clear what the benefits of prototyping in IoT are, we want to convince you all with the following 5 reasons.

5 reasons why you should prototype your IoT device

1. It brings clarity to design

Whether it is user interface design, hardware design, or connectivity parts. These project areas often hide numerous little issues, not to mention their overall importance to the success of your IoT project. Prototyping will give you a better overall picture of what your project is going to look like in reality.

2. It provides you with early feedback

Providing users and the development team an opportunity to interact with the system and its components is a great way to collect valuable early feedback. It’s wise to constantly iterate on prototypes and get into a positive feedback loop.

In the end, the final goal of any project is to prove its value to the end client. And IoT prototyping is the easiest and fastest way of doing so.

3. It saves you money

IoT hardware prototyping has different ways but in 99% of cases ends up saving money and time. It is now possible to almost eliminate the possibility of spending additional time and money on post-deployment device issues and repairs.

Any costly fix is a huge disadvantage for both clients and your team, not to mention the amount of $ it will cost you while the project is down.

4. It helps to protect your brand image

The information that you gather from IoT prototyping can help you reduce or fully mitigate risk in the future.

We all know that a good reputation is hard to build and is too easy to ruin. That is why it’s of paramount importance that you identify vulnerabilities or possible problems as soon as possible, and, thus, create a reliable IoT product that will strengthen your brand identity.

5. It opens a wider range of opportunities

IoT prototyping often creates applications that are faster in speed, since prototyping is the best way to experiment in a practical way and not just theory. While building an IoT device prototype you might often come up with new possible design and connectivity options, and, thus, open up a wider range of development opportunities.

 

 

Bottom line

You could be the most confident and competent IoT developer out there, however, things can and usually do go wrong.

Therefore, to avoid this, we strongly advise you to not skip prototyping IoT devices. It does not only allow you to catch any potential issues as soon as possible but also saves you from damaging both your reputation and budget down the line.

Being an IoT development company in Utah with 10+ years of experience, we provide the most suitable and secure custom solutions in the industry. And despite this fact, IoT prototyping has always been and will be an integral part of our IoT development process.

Utah Tech Labs IoT hardware & software development page.

For free consultation about IoT device prototype click here.

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WRITTEN BY

Sofia Kutko

2023-04-04

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