The Smart World Perceptions
Vidya Ramakrishnan, Head - Marketing Content & Thought Leadership, Aspire System, 0
Today, the market is full of smarts – smartwatch, smartphone, smart home, smart money, smart limbs, smart TV and the endless. Anything you want has a smart version and humans have taken to the smarter version of things with such zeal that the not so smart versions of these products are building quite a complex. It is so uncool to own anything that is not smart that product that does not have a smart tag attached is slowly disappearing into oblivion.
Currently, the word smart has become a synonym to instant gratification. The millennials and the generations after with their fast paced life are seeking out new means to instant gratification and smart technology has the power to provide them with that, thereby, making them the greatest brand ambassadors and consumers of smart devices. However, what does make these products smart? Is it Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning or Connectivity? Well, the smart answer would be, it is a well-measured mixture of all three.
So, now that we have understood what smart technology is, let’s classify them. According to Medium.com they are of 3 types and although, their definitions overlap with each other, they are quite different technologies and provide their own personal lucrative functions. Such as:
• The smart devices - which have an intuitive user interface and are fast and efficient. It is not connected to any network and works independently.
• The connected devices are remotely connected and monitored using a mobile or a computer using Bluetooth, WiFi, or LTE.
• IoT (Internet of Things) devices are software based products powered by application, analytics and internet. These products can learn from their surroundings and adapt accordingly and are easily scalable, upgradable and completely automated.
Smart Technology that Scored
Now that we have the definition and classification out of the way we can get into some smart technology products that have revolutionized human life for the better. We already know about the basic smarts, like the smart phones, smart watches, smart refrigerators and smart vehicles that we come in contact with every day but, here are some products which are quite interesting in their use to mankind.
• Smart Pill – This ingestible capsule can help deliver drugs directly to the gastrointestinal tract. They can also measure pressure, pH and temperature on their way to their targeted drug delivery site.
• Smart Bionic Limb – the bionic prostheses are smart limbs that can be mind-controlled and is completely integrated with body tissues. Once integrated, it can be programmed to detect minute traces of activity associated with the muscles and nerves. These signals are then transmitted to the skin, which then passes the information to the microprocessors that actually controls the movement of these prosthetic limbs.
• Smart Antenna – the smart antenna is the antithesis of our conventional wireless communication system as it provides diversity and involves the transmission and
reception of signals via transmitter. These multiple radio frequency is received by a receiver and is found to be quick with minimal errors.
• Smart Clothes – smart clothes are modern high-tech clothing meshed with circuitry, sensors or additional hardware that can be connected to your mobile app with the help of a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Sensoria, has created a smart sock that can measure the pressure points on your feet. Under Armor, has created a line of sleepwear that releases IR light to enhance the quality of your sleep. The list of smart clothes available in the market today is endless and is manufactured to serve specific purposes.
• Smart Homes – A smart home is one that is enriched with smart products that are connected using the internet making the remote monitoring and management of systems and applications possible. These devices are aimed to enhance security, energy efficiency and convenience. On an average, 27% US consumers have a mini-mum of three smart home devices.
Other products include
• Smart pet feeder by Petnet,
• Smart toothbrush by Kolibree,
• Smart Lock by August,
• Smart bulb by Phillips.
The list is endless and the market is flooded with smart products that are aimed to make life simpler and comfortable.
The Pros
• Easier access to information about self and surrounding anytime anywhere. Smart devices can help monitor our health conditions, our fitness levels and also act as an early indicator to any anamolies that we may pick up along the way in a few years’ time.
• Smart technology has contributed heavily to the modern healthcare and medical space with smart watches, smart pills and many innovative solutions. This has greatly enhanced the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals to their patients. Wearables contribute to providing valuable health information to the providers helping them make correct diagnosis, which in turn helps them provide the best course of treatment.
• Smart technology has made healthcare accessible to even the most remote locations of the world with decent internet connectivity. With applications like telehealth and telemedicine, healthcare has become more accessible and cost-effective.
• Certain smart applications are found to improve memory, attention and focus. Above and beyond these advantages, smart technology has enhanced productivity of a number of mundane and time-consuming tasks thereby, improving human productivity, minimizing errors while achieving cost and resource optimization.
The Cons
Some of the common and well-known disadvantages of smart technology are:
• Complex infrastructure
• Intricate maintenance
• Security threats
• Dangers of distraction
• Internet reliance
• Private data leaks
Disadvantages are common for any technology but in reality the advantages far out weight the disadvantages and smart technology has made various aspects of life way easier, healthier, accessible and cost-effective.
Perspectives
SMART is self-monitoring, analyzing and reporting technology. The abbreviation itself is a promise to evolution and innovation. Although, smart technology is still in its infancy it has greatly influenced our everyday living. For example, Amazon Echo’s sale shot up a whopping 142.5% in just its second month of launch. The exponential growth of smart technology can be attributed to its immense ease of use and mass acceptance from the millennials. The future is smart.
• Smart Clothes – smart clothes are modern high-tech clothing meshed with circuitry, sensors or additional hardware that can be connected to your mobile app with the help of a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Sensoria, has created a smart sock that can measure the pressure points on your feet. Under Armor, has created a line of sleepwear that releases IR light to enhance the quality of your sleep. The list of smart clothes available in the market today is endless and is manufactured to serve specific purposes.
• Smart Homes – A smart home is one that is enriched with smart products that are connected using the internet making the remote monitoring and management of systems and applications possible. These devices are aimed to enhance security, energy efficiency and convenience. On an average, 27% US consumers have a mini-mum of three smart home devices.
Other products include
• Smart pet feeder by Petnet,
• Smart toothbrush by Kolibree,
• Smart Lock by August,
• Smart bulb by Phillips.
The list is endless and the market is flooded with smart products that are aimed to make life simpler and comfortable.
The Pros
• Easier access to information about self and surrounding anytime anywhere. Smart devices can help monitor our health conditions, our fitness levels and also act as an early indicator to any anamolies that we may pick up along the way in a few years’ time.
• Smart technology has contributed heavily to the modern healthcare and medical space with smart watches, smart pills and many innovative solutions. This has greatly enhanced the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals to their patients. Wearables contribute to providing valuable health information to the providers helping them make correct diagnosis, which in turn helps them provide the best course of treatment.
• Smart technology has made healthcare accessible to even the most remote locations of the world with decent internet connectivity. With applications like telehealth and telemedicine, healthcare has become more accessible and cost-effective.
• Certain smart applications are found to improve memory, attention and focus. Above and beyond these advantages, smart technology has enhanced productivity of a number of mundane and time-consuming tasks thereby, improving human productivity, minimizing errors while achieving cost and resource optimization.
The Cons
Some of the common and well-known disadvantages of smart technology are:
• Complex infrastructure
• Intricate maintenance
• Security threats
• Dangers of distraction
• Internet reliance
• Private data leaks
Disadvantages are common for any technology but in reality the advantages far out weight the disadvantages and smart technology has made various aspects of life way easier, healthier, accessible and cost-effective.
Perspectives
SMART is self-monitoring, analyzing and reporting technology. The abbreviation itself is a promise to evolution and innovation. Although, smart technology is still in its infancy it has greatly influenced our everyday living. For example, Amazon Echo’s sale shot up a whopping 142.5% in just its second month of launch. The exponential growth of smart technology can be attributed to its immense ease of use and mass acceptance from the millennials. The future is smart.