You Probably Don't Need Machine Learning for Your First IoT Project

This is something I'd tell anyone starting an IoT project.

Don't immediately reach for machine learning.

Let's say you have a temperature sensor.

Your requirement is:

Tell me when the temperature goes above 80°C.

You don't need a neural network for that.

if temperature > 80:
alert()

Done.

But suppose the situation is more complicated.

Maybe 80°C is perfectly normal when the machine is under heavy load.

Maybe 70°C is actually unusual when it's idle.

Now you have a more interesting problem.

You might need historical data and context.

That's where statistical methods or machine learning can start becoming useful.

I think a good rule is:

Start with the simplest solution that works.

If a simple threshold solves the problem, use the threshold.

Save the ML model for when you actually need it.