6 ways the Internet of Things is improving our lives

6 ways the Internet of Things is improving our lives

It's a small world. It's also an increasingly hot, crowded and contentious one.

The combined effect of climate change and society’s impact on the earth is intensifying struggles over natural resources while also threatening our infrastructure, food systems and quality of life.
It’s increasingly clear that today’s environmental conditions are not sustainable. Over the past few decades, we have made huge progress fighting disease, poverty and illiteracy. Now we must apply that same ingenuity to the problem of global warming and other consequences of human activity.
Confronting these challenges requires political will, as well as a new approach to business--one that puts human welfare on an equal footing with profits. It also calls for innovative technology. We are already starting to see how the Internet of Things (IoT)—which connects everyday objects to the Internet—can help us transform our world for the better.
Along with advanced data analytics, IoT-enabled devices and sensors are helping us reduce air pollution in some of our world’s biggest cities, improve agriculture and our food supply, and even detect and contain deadly viruses.

Image: Statista
1. Smarter cities
More than half of the world's population now lives in cities—up from just 34% in the 1960s. By mid-century that figure could reach 66% according to the United Nations. Cities are major contributors to climate change, and some are already feeling its impact through rising sea levels and increasingly severe weather events.
But cities are also great incubators for IoT-based systems that make urban life more attractive, such as fast, convenient transportation systems, safe street lighting and energy-efficient buildings.
In Barcelona, a citywide WiFi and information network linked to sensors, software and a data analytics platform has enabled the city to provide smart water technology, automated street lighting, remote-controlled irrigation for parks and fountains, “on-demand” waste pickups, digital bus routes and smart parking meters. These IoT-enabled urban services have dramatically reduced traffic jams and pollution, as well as water, light and energy usage.
Many other cities are also putting the Internet of Things to work. Chicago is testing a city-wide network of sensors called the “Array of Things”. The sensors serve as a sort of fitness tracker for the city, collecting data on air quality, climate, traffic and other metrics. The information is sent to an open data portal where user groups can consume it for a range of applications.
Las Vegas is using the Internet of Things to improve traffic flow, while in South Korea, the entire smart city of Songdo is built around the Internet of Things. Songdo’s networks are designed to ensure its buildings, transportation system and infrastructure are as efficient as possible.