CardioMEMs sensors are implanted using minimally invasive techniques. intelfreepress/Flickr
Last week I talked about how people are thinking too small when they think about the Internet of Things (See Part 1). When we truly consider the ramifications of connecting a vast array of data-gathering sensors, devices, and machines together, what’s important to realize is that information will be translated into action at a rate that we have never seen before. We are closing in on a world with infinitesimal reaction times, immediate responses to changing conditions, and unparalleled control in managing assets and resources.
The key is not to think small. Like I said, the Internet of Things (IoT) is not merely about creating savings within current industry models. It’s about upending old models entirely, creating new services and new products. There is no one sector where the Internet of Things is making the biggest impact; it will disrupt every industry imaginable, including agriculture, energy, security, disaster management, and healthcare, just to name a few.
For example, construction companies have begun equipping silos and trucks with sensors that can monitor inventory levels, such as the amount of concrete, and transmit it via a cloud-based platform to speed up deliveries and ensure a steady pipeline. And giants in the oil industry have started to implement mobile, sensor-to-machine technologies that combat accidents well in advance through quick analysis and immediate action. When sensors detect an issue such as a corroded pipeline or leak, M2M tech allows workers to immediately address it.
Another example of new IoT technology at work in the oil industry is a smart well. This is a well with flow control devices and downhole sensors installed, so it can be monitored and controlled from the surface, without risking the safety of workers. The smart well utilizes 4D seismic technology, which monitors gas breakout, water flow, pressure changes, and any other alterations caused by fluctuating seismic movement, making it easier to predict and control seismic impacts that can cause significant damage.
But we’re still thinking too small. Go beyond construction, beyond energy. We have sensors that can measure force, load, torque, and pressure; sensors that can sniff out gas and chemicals; sensors that can hear sound vibrations and distinguish between different acoustics; sensors that can take temperatures, detect motion, velocity, and displacement; identify position, presence, and proximity. In other words, we have the ability to gather virtually unlimited intelligence in real time.
How do you make this intelligence useful? Take a look at your own home. What parts can you make smart? Here’s a simple one. I once observed a video conferencing system that allowed a dog owner to actually talk to his dog, call it over, and feed it remotely through a smart appliance. Think bigger. A house that knows when you’re coming home because it’s connected to a sensor in your car or smartphone. A home that links smoke alarms, security systems, and infotainment consoles to your phone. A home with sensors built into the pipes that can see leaks before they occur.
Perhaps you’re noticing a trend here. One of the biggest advantages of smart technologies is the ability to predict and prevent problems from anywhere. If a car battery were smart, it would tell you exactly how many more trips you could take before it died. If you could monitor and control your assets remotely in real time, you would know the minute a problem erupted, exactly where and what it is, and you’d take advantage of major cost savings.
Wearable tech is going to disrupt health care in extreme ways too. We know that the new Apple Watch is going to have a sensor to monitor your heart rate and offer a host of apps that facilitate and encourage a healthy lifestyle. We already have sensors in our shoe to monitor how far we’ve run and how many calories we’ve burned. What’s next? There will be hospital optimization, where we have sensors that can detect bacteria on the equipment and smart scrubs that can detect viruses that may have traveled from a sick patient.
As I said earlier, this is a huge and transformational shift. It won’t stop with intelligent homes and businesses. We’re going to end up with intelligent highways and vehicles, intelligent factories and farms, intelligent utility and power grids. This is not some flight of fantasy, or one of many potential outcomes (what I call a soft trend). This is a hard trend: it’s a projection based on measurable facts, facts that cannot be changed.
I haven’t even come close to listing all the ways this technology is going to impact us. It’s going to create disruption and opportunity in every imaginable field, and it’s entirely up to you whether you’re going to be one of the disrupted or the disruptors. Because this is going to happen. It’s time to learn about it now.
Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading technology forecasters and innovation experts, and is the founder and CEO of Burrus Research. He is the author of six books including the New York Times best seller “Flash Foresight.”
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