Internet of Things


Become part of the connected world – with IoT at THM!

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become more than just a trend – it is the future of the digital world. Today, billions of smart devices are connected via networks. IoT technologies have become indispensable in areas such as Industry 4.0, power technology/smart grids, smart cities, eHealth, and the automotive industry.

But how do these things actually become “smart”? This requires...

1. an IoT device
An IoT device is usually an energy-efficient microcontroller that can collect, process, and exchange data via sensors, actuators, and a network connection. It is capable of performing functions autonomously or in interaction with other systems, thereby linking physical and digital processes.

2. suitable network interfaces
The connection to the internet is realized via various technologies – depending on the application, the requirements for data rate, latency, availability, and energy consumption vary greatly:

  • WiFi (WLAN) – high data rate, limited range, ideal for home automation
  • ZigBee / Thread / Bluetooth LE – energy-saving short-range wireless technologies for sensors and actors
  • LoRa / LoRaWAN – very energy-efficient, long range, ideal for smart city applications
  • Mobile communications (2G/3G/4G/5G, NB-IoT, LTE-M) – for mobile devices or large-scale networks with Internet access
  • Ethernet – stable, wired connection, often used in industry

3. efficient and secure communication protocols
The “language” used by devices to communicate over the network must take into account limited resources such as computing power, memory, and energy requirements. Typical protocols used in IoT include

  • MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) – lightweight, ideal for sensor networks
  • HTTP/HTTPS (REST APIs) – standardized, good for cloud connectivity, but comparatively heavyweight
  • CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) – Similar to HTTP but with less overhead and lower latency via UDP instead of TCP
  • TLS/SSL, DTLS – for encrypted and secure data transmission
  • OTA (Over-The-Air Updates) – for remote maintenance and device update capability

4. scalable cloud platforms for storing and processing data
Depending on the requirements for latency, availability, scalability, or data rates, data is stored and processed...

  • locally on the sensor (SoC, edge device)
  • on the nearby gateway (edge gateway)
  • in the local network (fog computing)
  • on a central cloud platform (cloud computing)

In addition, the applications and services must be scalable and highly available. To meet these requirements, the use of container technologies such as Docker/Kubernetes in conjunction with virtualization concepts is indispensable.


Hands-on instead of dry theory: Shape your future during your studies

In the bachelor's program “Electrical Engineering and Information Technology,” specializing in ICT, we teach everything an IoT expert needs to know today in modern laboratories and practical courses:

IoT Laboratory (Internet of Things and Wireless Access Technologies – IOF and IoT-Project – IOT)
Experiment with our IoT cloud platform and develop your own projects during an internship or as part of your project work or thesis.

Cisco CCNA Laboratory (IP networks and protocols – IPN)
Learn how to set up IPv4/IPv6 networks, configure routers and switches, and design secure networks. Topics such as routing, VLANs, DHCP, NAT, tunneling, and network security will prepare you for the real world.


Your opportunity: Be part of shaping the IoT!

Whether in the IoT seminar, during project week, or as part of the Blended Intensive Program (BIP) we not only provide you with the necessary know-how, but also the freedom to implement your own ideas and even gain experience at one of our partner universities abroad in Spain, Portugal, or Poland. For more information on Erasmus-funded short-term stays, visit BIP-IoT.

Design the connected world of tomorrow with us!