Internet of Things
The smart home is a concept long featured in science fiction, from television shows like Eureka, Tony Stark’s AI system JARVIS.
The invention of the microprocessor in 1971 kicked off the period of human history that we would now call the Information Revolution. It is undeniable that computers and the internet have fundamentally changed the world we live in. We can send messages around the globe in seconds, and millions gather in online spaces from social media platforms like Facebook to popular video games such as World of Warcraft. The smartphones in our pockets are millions of times more powerful than the guidance computers used for the Apollo 11 mission, we use them to order an Uber or a pizza and send pictures of cute animals to friends and relatives. We may not always see it or feel it, but information technology continues to alter and change our world.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is already permeating our everyday lives, and many people have not even noticed. What is IoT? It is your Fitbit, your Amazon Alexa smart-speaker, your Ring door security camera, and maybe one-day it will even be inside of you. An RFID chip implanted in your forearm to unlock your homes front door, start your car, or make payments from your credit card at the gas station. A blood glucose monitor imbedded in a diabetic’s bicep could alert them with a notification on their phone when their blood sugar is too low or high. Doctors could track your heart rate and other important markers throughout the days, weeks, and months between visits. Brain implants may one-day be commonplace for controlling devices with nothing more than your mind, you will not type out an email, you will think it into existence and send it with a blink.
There are several areas where IoT will improve current systems, and others where it will completely revolutionize entire industries. Renewable energy, traffic control, agriculture, and retail shopping are just four industries that are likely to be improved if not outright revolutionized by IoT. The most common and visible applications today are in consumer products like wearables (Fitbit, Apple Watch), and smart home devices (Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Ring security cameras).
While I think it will be fantastic when medical professionals can gather a continuous stream of data from their patients in their day-to-day lives, and smart sensors can report the environment in a greenhouse to the control mechanisms that will provide the most optimal environment for the highest yield; I am more interested in what my house can do. The smart home is a concept long featured in science fiction, from television shows like Eureka, Tony Stark’s AI system JARVIS, all the way back to The Jetsons, smart homes are a fascinating concept that has long captured my imagination.
I use voice commands in my home to find out the weather and control the lighting but there is so much more to do. My automatic pet feeder could be replaced by a model that sends my phone notifications and streams a webcam feed of my hungry feline. I can beef up home security with camera’s that connect to WiFi, recording the movement they detect to a cloud storage location. I could enhance that security with smart infrared LED lightbulbs set on a schedule to illuminate the night for cameras but not people. I could use NEST thermostats to control the temperature in my home…from Hawaii.
The possibilities are dizzying and the most interesting applications of IoT devices are likely yet to come. While there are privacy concerns abound, the convenience and utility of this technology cannot be understated. Not to mention it’s incredibly COOL.
- Peter Belies, Director of Managed Services