This is the next step in evolution for IoT
Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are two technologies that are already changing the world. Even though you may be unaware of how these technologies work, you most likely use them on a daily basis. When AI and the IoT are used together as the AIoT, they have the capacity to revolutionize the business world and day-to-day life.
What Is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things is possible because of broadband internet. Because the internet is so widely available and cheap, it is now easy to connect to it from anywhere. More devices are created with Wi-Fi capabilities because internet connections are so widespread.
Thanks to the prevalence of Wi-Fi and internet-enabled devices, companies are taking connectivity a step further by connecting the internet to wearable devices, headphones, coffee makers and washing machines. Smart doorbells like Ring allow you to video chat with deliverymen from the opposite side of the world. By 2022, researchers estimate that there will be 29 billion connected devices. These devices make up the Internet of Things, which is a network of interconnected things and people.
What Is the AIoT?
The artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) is the next stage in this concept. When you add AI to this interconnected network of things, your devices are suddenly able to gather data and make decisions in a way that no longer requires your input. Your coffee pot can decide to start making coffee because your alarm is about to go off. Meanwhile, your front door may sense that you have left the house and send a signal to your heater to shut off.
All of these smart devices can help to increase the efficiency of your personal and professional lives. The AIoT allows you to boost your business performance through system optimization and data analytics. AI is able to take all of the data produced by your activities to make smarter, better decisions.
How Can the AIoT Be Used?
There are a variety of ways the AIoT can be used by your business to achieve better performance and productivity. These ideas are already in the process of being created, but they are not the only options you can use. Most likely, there are hundreds or thousands of applications that have not been thought of yet.
Delivery Robots
While Google’s Waymo is working on making a self-driving car, autonomous delivery robots are another invention that will use the AIoT. Robots will be able to use sensors to gather data about the environment they are moving in. Like self-driving cars, these robots will be able to use AI to respond intelligently to changes in the conditions around them.
Intelligent Office Buildings
With the AIoT, people can enjoy having office buildings that know the temperature and lighting they want. Companies can set up environmental sensors that gather data about the environment and user preferences. Other sensors can be used to tell when employees have arrived, so employees will not need to clock in. Plus, facial recognition technology will make it possible to police who come and goes in the building without needing a security guard at every access point.
Artificial Intelligence and Retail
Retail stores will also be updated to include artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. These shops can use facial recognition to tell which customers are coming into the store. Then, AI can use the customer’s data to predict their shopping behavior and what they want from the store. It can also use data to determine overall demographics so that the store can market products that appeal to its actual customer base.
This concept is not just theoretical. Amazon Go already offers a similar experience. Smart cameras and AI allow Amazon Go to determine what items each customer is putting into their cart. Then, AI automatically charges customers when they leave the store with their purchased items.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles will completely revolutionize multiple industries. Uber, Lyft and traditional taxis will no longer require a human driver. AI will lower fuel costs through more efficient driving. Tesla already uses GPS, sonar and cameras to offer autopilot features.
Other than self-driving cars, AI and the Internet of Things make fleet management safer and more efficient. Companies like UPS are able to use GPS to track employees’ locations and create smarter routes. The AIoT also makes it possible to spot unsafe drivers and improve fleet maintenance.
Managing Drone Traffic
Drones could potentially make home deliveries cheaper and faster than they are now. Currently, the only problem is managing all of the various flight paths. At an airport, an air traffic controller manages flight paths so that planes do not collide with each other. For drones, the AIoT could work to monitor drones, make adjustments to the flow of traffic and manage flight paths.
Drones can also reduce traffic congestion. They can fly above vehicles to track congestion and make adjustments to the flow of traffic. After monitoring traffic patterns, drones can make changes to the speed limit. They can also help ambulances navigate the fastest route to emergency situations.
In 1999, Kevin Ashton created the concept of the Internet of Things. At the time, the IoT was purely theoretical. In the last two decades, technology has become cheap enough and prevalent enough for Ashton’s theoretical concept to become a reality. With the help of AI, the AIoT will achieve exciting, new developments in the next few years.
