IoT Taking Over
IoT has not only opened new opportunities for businesses around the world but also enabled individuals to make their life easier. From smart toothbrushes to tables, IoT has changed the functionality of life and connected us to the expanding realm of technology. The global Internet of Things market is forecast to grow at a rate of 19.92 percent by 2021 [1].
The CES show in 2017, displayed how IoT devices could create a smart home. Some of the devices they presented were a smart fridge, garden sprinklers, bed, and oven. My personal favorite was the HiMirror, a smart beauty mirror. This mirror intrigued me as it was able to assess a user’s skin conditions. For instance, if a user standing in front of a mirror had dark circles, wrinkles or spots, the mirror was able to analyze this and suggest personalized skin care routines for that user – to reduce these conditions. In addition, the mirror had a feature that enabled users to take into account different lightings and do their make up accordingly, while keeping in mind their skin conditions. Multiple users, with the help of the increased memory capacity of the mirror, could be recommended different types of treatments – to improve their blemishes [2].
Just like the smart mirror, another device that would help individuals monitor their health care and aid mothers is – smart pads for women and smart diapers for babies. Smart pads are able to detect Urinary Tract Infections and inform women about their hygiene as well as the precautions they should take to prevent UTI. Similarly, for babies, a Smart Diaper using wireless sensors is able to inform mothers when the diaper is wet. Interestingly, the disposal sensor is cheap and women will be able to tell when their child’s diaper is wet, with the help of an alert on their smartphone, without unclothing their child [3].
Moving on to IoT in enterprise, Lantronix is a company that provides other companies with IoT solutions by creating embedded Wifi, IoT gateways like SGX 5150, and other foundations. Recently, Lantronix has collaborated with Microsoft Azure to increase connectivity and lessen the time of production. To be specific, Lantronix is increasing the speed of and highly simplify integration of rugged edge IoT connectivity solutions into IoT applications at Microsoft [4]. Likewise, Losant, an IoT platform, is a middleware solution that aids companies to create their own IoT systems.
To conclude, IoT has certainly had an impact on our lives: be it homes or enterprise. With its growth reaching its peak in the next few years, I am eager to see what it has for the world to witness.
References:
[1] – https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2017/12/10/2017-roundup-of-internet-of-things-forecasts/#7a523771480e
[2] – https://www.crn.com/slide-shows/internet-of-things/300083379/20-crazy-connected-iot-products-at-ces-2017.htm/pgno/0/6
[3] – https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/smart-diaper-wireless-sensor-alert-baby_n_4768837.html
[4] – https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/lantronix-collaborates-with-microsoft-to-accelerate-internet-of-things-solutions-20180801-00676
One comment on “IoT Taking Over”
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IoT is taking over is a great title for this post. We heard the notion that IoT is a “technology gone wild”. While I personally believe that the benefits of IoT are tremendous, many are more skeptical. For a lot of smart home devices, the benefits have to outweigh investment costs and installation as well as maintenance effort. Otherwise, connected fridges could be seen as a prime example of “just because we can, we connect it”. In that case, it will be the early adopters who buy it but not the main street market.