The Internet Of Things
The Internet of Things…a curious phrase, but what does it mean for us? Quite simply, it is used to explain the phenomenon that every object in existence will be equipped with sensors, or connected in some way, which would mean that everything could be catalogued and represented virtually on the world wide web. Spy equipment 24/7…blows your mind, huh!
As if this wasn’t cool enough, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently made an accidental discovery when studying what happened to used and discarded electronic devices. Their project, named ‘Backtalk’ involved developing and implementing two technologies to allow electronics to ‘self-report’ their locations worldwide after they were tossed out. While in the process of carrying out this research, Backtalk’s lab was broken into and one of the laptops which was used to record images was stolen along with other equipment. However, all was not lost, because thanks to the new tracking technologies developed for the project, the laptop was not lost for long! Because the machine was equipped for image capturing, photos of the thieves were sent back to the Backtrack researchers, and the laptop’s GPS reported its precise location so that police could track it down. The idea that the development of some spy equipment in a lab somewhere could mean that burglary is eradicated is pretty ‘out there’, even for us!
So, this whole ‘Internet of Things’ sounds like happy news to most of us law-abiding citizens but it could also bring a level of guilt to us too. If everything is traceable, it means that we’ll be more aware of the entire life cycle of our stuff. This means that when the last clothing bundle you gave to charity ultimately ends up on a landfill site in the future, it will be hard to ignore your role in polluting the world. In an ideal world it should make more people become Eco-aware and more conscious of not acquiring too much junk in the first place.
The Internet of Things will also play a vital role in making systems and the consumption of resources far more efficient, too. Putting a chip and wireless connection on lighting, heating and cooling systems, power grid devices and cars could lead to better management of resources, including energy, electricity, heating and fuel.