DEV Community

Cover image for Why Embedded Systems is Essential For Daily Life?
KellyGreene
KellyGreene

Posted on • Updated on

Why Embedded Systems is Essential For Daily Life?

Many diverse goods, devices, and intelligent processes, including artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, are built around embedded systems. As embedded systems applications proliferate in today's industries and sectors, embedded hardware embedded systems and software are essential to the operation of vehicles, household appliances, interactive kiosks, medical equipment, and other everyday items we use. You can learn how this technology is affecting every aspect of modern life by reading the embedded system samples and explanations we've included in this post.

What is Embedded Systems?

Image description
An embedded system is a computer system that is part of a larger electrical or mechanical system with a certain specified function. They have influence over numerous everyday objects. They are compact, use little electricity, and are inexpensive per unit.

Embedded systems of the modern era frequently use microcontrollers. A microcontroller is a tiny computer on a single IC that has programmable input and output peripherals, memory, and a CPU core. Due to the dedicated nature of embedded systems, they can be tuned to decrease product size and cost while increasing performance and dependability.

Why Embedded Systems is Essential For Daily Life?

Most products that require embedded system technology would be far too expensive to run on general-purpose computers like PCs, which is the main reason why an embedded system is needed. We also need embedded systems since general-purpose solutions may not be able to meet certain functional or performance requirements, like those related to size, dependability, or real-time performance.

The digital revolution, which began decades ago, has advanced to the point that we can no longer live regular, everyday lives without it. It is safe to assume that each of us already owns at least one piece of technology that uses a CPU, whether it be a phone, a television, an automatic washer, or an MP3 player.

The digital revolution has been propelled by the enormous increase in computing power in tiny packages. The digital revolution has had an impact on many areas of the economy, and the engineering field has seen remarkable advancements in all engineering disciplines.

Embedded Systems Examples

Image description
The Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices both have various components that use embedded systems. Embedded systems, which are incredibly adaptive and versatile, are present in all modern smart gadgets. There are very few aspects of contemporary life that do not incorporate this technology. Here are a few instances of real-world embedded systems applications:

1. Central heating systems

Through the use of central heating systems, heat is distributed throughout a building's various rooms after being transformed from chemical to thermal energy in a furnace room. These systems must have thermostat controls to change the temperature, which an embedded system makes possible. Embedded systems examples for central heating can be found in different buildings that need temperature control for comfort and the management of temperature-sensitive items.

2. GPS systems

A navigation system called GPS synchronizes data about location, velocity, and time using receivers and satellites. An embedded system that is included in the receiver or equipment that receives the data makes it easier to use a GPS. People may readily locate their current places and destinations thanks to the incorporated GPS gadgets. As a result, they are quickly gaining ground and taking over as the most used navigational aid for cars.

3. Fitness trackers

Wearable fitness trackers can measure your sleep, exercise, and other activities while keeping an eye on your health. These gadgets collect information about your heart rate, number of steps, and body temperature using embedded systems. This information is then transmitted to servers through WAN technologies like GPRS or LTE.

4. Medical devices

Embedded systems have long been a part of medical equipment used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Embedded systems are used in a new generation of medical gadgets that can assist treat patients who require ongoing monitoring and care at home. These systems have sensors built in to collect health-related data from patients, such as heart rate, readings from implants, or pulse rate. The collected data is sent to the cloud, where a doctor can wirelessly review the patient's information on their device. Pacemakers, defibrillators, and ultrasound scanners are examples of medical gadgets that have been widely employed for effectively diagnosing and treating patients.

5. Automotive systems

To improve vehicle safety, embedded technologies for the automotive industry are developed and deployed. The number of traffic fatalities has dramatically decreased in recent years thanks to safety features in cars. Because embedded systems are necessary, the automotive industry goes above and beyond to fortify cars with cutting-edge technology systems and sensors.

Adaptive speed control, airbags, pedestrian detection, car breakdown warning, merging assistance, and other active safety systems are some prominent examples. These are some characteristics that are expected to reduce the risk of accidents and increase demand for embedded systems around the world.

Conclusion

The significance of embedded systems in daily life is frequently contested. These tiny computers have a big impact on how we commute, enjoy our free time, do business, and carry out numerous other daily duties since they are incorporated into various systems to carry out specialized picture and data processing functions.

Are you still unsure of where to find embedded systems? Your workplace is full of embedded devices, including POS systems, elevators, routers, and printers. This is true irrespective of where you're working. They are, to put it briefly, present in every aspect of modern society, from cars and EV charging stations to vending machines, digital signage, lottery ticket machines, and high-tech medical devices.

Oldest comments (0)