Impact of COVID-19 on IoT Adoption in Healthcare, Smart Homes, Smart Buildings, Smart Cities, Transportation and Industrial IoT

COVID-19 has disrupted normal life and has enforced a substantial change in the policies, priorities and activities of individuals, organisations and governments. These changes are proving to be a catalyst for technology and innovation. In this paper, we discuss the pandemic's impact on the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in various broad sectors namely healthcare, smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, transportation and industrial IoT. Our analysis and forecasting of this impact on IoT adoption is based on interviews with many industry experts, a thorough research literature review and a careful examination of reports from leading consulting firms. For each of these sectors, we also provide the details of recent initiatives taken in the wake of COVID-19. We also highlight challenges that need to be addressed and important research directions that will facilitate accelerated IoT adoption.