IoT News Roundup: Where is IoT headed?
The holiday season is fast-approaching and it seems there’s always a never-ending list of tasks that need to be completed every year. Just like the holiday checklist, tech in the IoT space seems to be ever-changing and expanding. As tech leaders and innovators we understand that life is hectic and unpredictable, but to make sure you don’t miss a beat, check out this week’s line-up for news in the IoT industry. Previously, we explored “How IoT is Saving Lives” when two massive natural disasters struck the U.S. In this post, we’ll ask the question, what’s next for the world of IoT/IIoT? Take a look at some of the top stories from the past couple of weeks: Forrester predicts what’s next for IoT In this recent post from @NetworkWorld about Forrester Research’s predictions post, Fredric Paul, @TheFreditor, asks the question on many people’s minds: Where is IoT headed? Among many points Paul makes in his article, one points out how IoT is likely to become more specialized in the coming year, moving away from generic hardware and software into platforms designed for specific industries. So-called “design and operate scenarios” will let IoT developers focus on the attributes that matter most to their own industries and use cases. Smart networks must evolve for mission-critical environments From @embedded_comp, Michael Ulch explains how the IoT industry has been flooded with advances in smart home automation, self-monitoring appliances, and connected security systems. All of these facets are important for the IoT existence but Ulch asks the same question as other reporters: what is next for IoT? Ulch believes that some of the greatest potential of the IoT is in the industrial and manufacturing realm, where Industrial IoT (IIoT) has the promise to monitor systems for preventative maintenance and boost energy efficiency and workplace productivity. However, Ulch says, successfully scaling from the smart home to the smart factory will require overcoming a number of technical challenges. How manufacturers are benefitting from the IoT revolution In this @NetworkWorld article by Majid Ahmed, it’s made clear that few people stand to benefit more from the IoT revolution than today’s manufacturers. Ahmed states in his article that whether it’s harnessing the power of data and metadata to make wiser decisions, or developing new and more efficient technologies capable of saving energy cost, the IoT is fundamentally reshaping how manufacturers produce the goods we use in our everyday lives. Businesses not aware of IoT issues This article from @techradar by @maxcooter briefly starts off by referencing an article from January, 10 surprising trends in the IoT for 2017, then Cooter continues, stating that Cradlepoint survey finds lots of interest in technology deployment but lack of security awareness. Cooter points out that, from these findings, IoT-using companies should be prepared to have a thorough overhaul of its infrastructure before deploying the technology. Despite the serious concerns about security, most are not having a second thought about rolling out IoT. Will this security breach take down most companies? Time will tell. The Industrial Internet of Things is Here to Stay In this article from @cbronline (Computer Business Review), author David Stain discusses how manufacturers are welcoming in a new era of productivity by enhancing Industry 4.0. The IIoT is at the heart of this transformation. Stain explores how a company’s success is often linked to its efficiency, hence visibility, across the plant floor, and how extending into the supply chain is a necessity. To keep pace with this competitive environment and the ever-increasing customer demands, every stage of the manufacturing process is facing the digital revolution. Final Thoughts: Virtually all industries and workers are benefitting from the technological revolution brought about by the inception and ensuring growth of IoT. Every industry does need to be cautious of the security threats that IoT comes with. Knowing this, we will still continue to see the growth for IoT especially in the manufacturing and Industrial industries. Be sure to stay tuned to our blog for the latest industry news and to read more about our own insights into some of these major trends.
Hackathons Giving Birth to Innovative IoT Solutions
One of the fastest growing spaces in tech is the world of connected devices — often called the Internet of Things. In the embedded engineering and software development worlds, this technological shift is so pervasive some have taken to called it “The Internet of Everything.” While organizations and enterprises are increasingly putting the IoT at the root of many of their forward-thinking business strategies, one of the strongest engines of innovation stems from hackathons. Hackathons are essentially software or hardware challenges, where teams of developers or engineers are giving a task (i.e. build a smart city solution), with specified hardware or software (maybe a certain development board or programming environment), in a specific time period (anywhere from a few hours to a few days). In today’s top IoT news, we’ll take a look at a few stories in the industry about hackathons and how they are helping shape the IoT. Functional Fabric Hackathon Leads to eTextiles Innovation One of the fastest growing areas of the IoT revolves around smart clothing — sometimes called eTextiles. Smart clothing can range from simple solutions like integrating sewable LEDs into clothing to craft safer bicycling attire, to embedded sensors that are used to monitor environmental conditions for oil and gas workers. Recently, as noted in this article from “The University Network,” the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hosts a hackathon focusing on “Functional Fabric.” MIT has long been a hub for IoT innovation and is one of the epicenters of eTextiles. In the Functional Fabric Hackathon, teams of students faced the challenge of design clothing solutions that would aid soldiers, first responders and victims of disasters. The teams had three days to come up with their solutions and were competing for two grand prizes of up to $15,000. 22 teams competed and the winning solution came from an MIT student group called “Remote Triage.” Their solution was a sensor system that could be embedded in a soldier’s uniform, that would monitor not only vital signs, but could then report any injuries to field medics, provide location of the injured soldier, and even triage the severity of the injury with a color coding system. Hackathon Challenges Young Women to Build Smart City Solutions “She Builds Tech — Smart City Hackathon” recently challenged young women in India to build the smart city solutions of the future. As noted in this article from The Hindu, there were ultimately five winners — a solar energy harnessing paint, a water grid solution system, geo-fencing, a smart ambulance service, and a routing and scheduling system for tourists. The event lasted for two days and attracted over 300 girls from various engineering colleges. TechCrunch Disrupt Hackathon Coming in Mid-September TechCrunch Disrupt, the event that has becoming one of the world’s biggest stages for innovative new technologies, is rapidly approaching, with the San Francisco version of the event scheduled to kick off on September 12th. The hackathon will pit teams against each other in a two-day sprint to design the most impressive tech. At the end of the hackathon, teams will have just 60 seconds to impress judges for their shot at a $5000 grand prize, a slew of gifts and gadgets provided by sponsors, and all the glamour that goes along with winning one of the countries most elite hackathon competitions. To learn more about the hackathon, or to grab tickets to watch the action, check out this article from TechCrunch. — Hackathons continue to prove that innovations in the worlds of IoT, embedded engineering, and software solutions do not have to come just from the prototyping labs of Fortune 500 companies, but can emerge from groups of students and tech enthusiasts faced with big challenges and short timeframes.