It's worth noting back to the road we have taken towards the advancements of Internet of Things (IoT) era. Has the future that we imagined in the past become a reality? Some sci-fi films from decades ago almost precisely predicted a future that included technologies like video call, digital images and even breakthrough drones technology. The future we envisioned decades ago has become a reality. It also begs the question, in which ways will the future that we dream of today become a reality in the decades to come?
We as human as a nature will always continue working to advance the technologies that will make the world a simpler, and much more convenient place to live. Many believe that in the IoT era, all things will get "smarter" and all things will be interconnected and automated, with a focus on making things more helpful for human beings. It's been analyzed four keywords that sum up our approach to IoT era: human-centric, openness, connectivity and security.
A human-centric IoT means automated cash registers at supermarkets suppose to increase efficiency and cut down on customers’ wait times. It means families in which both parents work enjoying more free time together while a robot vacuum does the cleaning housework. These are technologies that are based on necessity. IoT is something that can enrich our lives.
Another great example of the implementation of IoT in real life can be seen in one of project of decentralized smart energy management platform. They leverage the power of IoT to help human save more energy through smart management of electricity usage with the help of IoT technology. This is one of the effort in building smart home infrastructure to solve human one of the most crucial human problem. Energy.
In the IoT era, the importance of security cannot be overemphasized. We face critical challenges in protecting our personal information. We will have to establish technical solutions while also reinforcing policies that will ensure security and privacy.
The number of connected devices will continue to grow. The market forecasts the number of connected things will reach several billions by 2020. What will connectivity in the IoT era look like?
When various objects in the home become connected, the number of connected devices will grow faster than we can imagine. This will also result in a change in network traffic patterns. While smartphone traffic use is governed by the number of users, which is manageable, IoT traffic is the result of various devices sending and receiving back and forth. There is no limit to how much traffic could grow. It will also be difficult for us to predict patterns in IoT data, because we expect that natural disasters such as wildfires will cause spikes in IoT data, unlike smartphone traffic, which is predictable by the time and location.
The IoT era will also cause drastic changes in cellular technology. The current 4G system is optimized for smartphone connectivity, however 5G will reflect the demands of the IoT era and the dynamic traffic patterns that go along with it. I expect that in the IoT era, all things will be connected at all times, whether fixed or mobile through seamless connection via Wi-fi, NFC and ZigBee indoors and cellular networks outdoors. In the IoT era mobile network itself and mobile service providers will play an even more crucial role.
With consideration for the safety of citizens and common good, there are dozens of IoT services that can be provided publicly by the government. Examples include a service that provides open-air pollution levels by measuring the amount of micro dust in the air in each community. There is also a service that helps users stay safe while hiking, by analyzing the history of wildfires and the current dryness of the air to predict the likelihood of another wildfire.
Another concept is the Smart Building, which will make offices go completely wireless by applying advanced cellular technologies such as 5G/LTE-U in the building. Smart Buildings will see all devices connected to one another for increased efficiency and convenience.
In 2020, the Olympics will be held in Tokyo. I think that the Olympics will mark a significant milestone where IoT services that we can only imagine today will be realized. Just as we’ve seen in sci-fi movies of decades ago, many of the things we could only imagine back then are now part of the present. We are, in a sense, living in the future we envisioned in the past. What we imagine today in 2015 will become a reality someday as well.
The Next Big Thing, the IoT era, is well on its way. It will create new possibilities and values for us all. It is up to us to unlock them. Let’s create the future together.
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Written by nadhifikbarw
