How Internet of Things will change our cities and mobility

Connected City

Today we’re going to give you some interesting ways IoT will change our lives in the near future. According to Gartner statistics, by 2020 about 26 billion devices will be connected to the Internet and thething.iO is here to help companies quickly introduce the internet-connected devices into our everyday lives. Be ready to see a vast change in areas such our cities and transportation.

Your city

As stated by the European Comission, the term “Smart City” is a place where the traditional networks and service are made more efficient with the use of digital and telecommunication technologies, for the benefit of its inhabitants and businesses.

For Example:

• Lightning: Imagine a streetlight that could vary its intensity based on a number of factors. One could be driving down the street in dense fog and the light would be able to increase its intensity, potentially saving drivers from possible accidents. Lights could also have motion sensors that can tell when a car is approaching and be able to turn on thus saving a huge amount of electricity by solely being illuminated while needed. In cities such as Glasgow and Amsterdam projects such as these are already underway
• Traffic Congestion: One of the biggest causes of traffic in downtown areas are people that are looking for available parking. By using automatic sensors like the ones Street-line have developed, drivers can know in real-time where to find open spots within their vicinity

• Safety: In Los Angeles, the sound from traffic cameras allows the city to listen for car accident and speeding cars, which in turn lets the city officials send emergency services to locations in split seconds.

• Air Pollution Controller: Everyone knows that air pollution has become a topic that cannot be ignored any longer. Companies are working on devices that allow cities to monitor all air quality specifications such as air quality, temperature, humidity, and amount of visible light, all in real time.
• Traffic Signs: Do you want to go to a concert but don’t have the directions readily available? Pointsign is developing signs that will be able to be changed only for the night or a weekend in order to help travelers easily find their destination.

Your car

If we were to look back at the first cars constructed, it wouldn’t take much to be able to tell that they were serious gas-guzzlers. In the near future though cars will become fully electric and even can be controlled by your smartphone. The smartphone will be able to give you tips to consume less power, and also a number of multi-function and Internet connected capabilities such as the product produced by Automatic. Vehicle diagnostics will no longer require a mechanic, one can simply look down at their phone and find the problem themselves

With the recent attention being placed on greenhouse gasses, more and more people have taken to bicycles as a form of transportation.

• Wheel: The Company Copenhagen Wheel allows you to transform your bicycle into a wireless smart electric hybrid. This wheel can help the rider by synching with their motion and propelling them making the power of each pedal 3x-10x faster than the original. These are solely possible with the introduction of IoT technology.
• Bike Locker: No one likes leaving their bikes chained up to a fence or a measly bike rack, but with Bitlock, introduction of bike lockers, one can store their bike in a safe and secure location all by using a mobile app that is readily available on a smartphone.

All these awesome things that are trying to be connected to the Internet are exactly what thething.iO does. So stay tuned for the next “How Internet of Things will change…” post and the newest news of thethings.iO!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and be sure to check out our #IoTFriday blog!