Recently, TrackerSense CEO Richard Jennings partnered with Mohsen Mohseninia, Aeris VP of Market Development, Europe, to illustrate five unusual use cases that demonstrated the scope of asset tracking through the Internet of Things (IoT). From ice cream to organs, IoT connectivity has been deployed to identify supply chain pain points, improve workflow efficiency, and protect the integrity of sensitive cargo.
As unusual as these use cases are, however, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to thinking out of the box with IoT. In the spirit of TrackerSenses work, here are five of the strangest IoT use cases that are in development around the globe.
Smart Dog Nanny
IoT innovation has been put to work to create Furbo, a dog nanny device that lets owners interact with their pup remotely. Sensors on the Furbo are set to listen for dog barks and trigger alerts in real time if it thinks there may be trouble. An HD camera and two-way communication allows owners to see what their dog is doing and speak with them regardless of location. The most exciting part? Furbo can hold up to 100 treats and will launch one on command for real-time, good boy feedback.
Wearables for Marketing
As companies take advantage of IoT opportunities, some are developing new and interesting ways to integrate brand marketing into everyday life. According to AdAge, Digital marketing company Ballantine is working on a connected messaging t-shirt outfitted with an ultra-thin LED screen that can be controlled by the wearers smartphone. The screen can be programmed to display a variety of graphics, social media posts, and even take photographs.
Elsewhere on the body, high end flip-flop maker Hari Mari has designed an integrated chip embedded into their shoes. According to Geek.com, Hari Maris connected flip-flops use near-field communication to gather user data and send the customer product offers. While both of these use cases may be considered novelty at the moment, they could be the vanguard of a new way for customers to interact with their favorite brands and build their own personal brand at the same time.
Stay Hydrated… or Relax with a Good Bourbon
The Hidrate Spark is designed to integrate with your preferred activity tracker and glow to remind you when its time to drink some water. It tracks users water intake and syncs with smartphones via Bluetooth, adjusting daily water goals in relation to users activity level.
When its time to forego all that healthy stuff and relax with a glass of bourbon, Jim Beam has developed what it calls the worlds first smart decanter, the JIM. The voice-activated JIM can decant a shot of the brown stuff on command and answer questions with the voice of seventh-generation Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe.
Diagnose a Dirty Diaper
At this years Consumer Electronics Show, CES 2019, South Korean baby care technology company Monit introduced a smart diaper sensor that attaches to the outside of the babys diaper. According to CNET, the Bluetooth-enabled sensor monitors the diaper and triggers an alert to the lucky parent when a mess has been made. With this technology, Monit hopes to help parents reduce the instances of diaper rash and urinary tract infections, track diaper consumption, and determine their babys sleeping and potty patterns. These data sets will reduce parenting stress and give parents more insights regarding their childs well-being.
Ending the Plight of Hotel Bedbugs
According to the National Pest Management Association, 68% of pest professionals report finding bedbugs in hotels or motels. Valpas, a startup based in Finland, has developed a bioengineered IoT system to track and eliminate these tenacious creatures. When the Valpas system detects that a bedbug has entered one of its hotels, it captures and kills the bug before it can establish itself and spread. Once the bug is dead, Valpas discreetly notifies hotel management of the incident through its IoT platform so they can clean up the dead bugs without causing a scene.
Any Use Case is Possible with Aeris
The potential applications for the Internet of Things are bound only by developers imaginations. Whatever big idea you have for IoT, Aeris has the platform to make it a reality. Aeris solutions are purpose-built for agility, flexibility, and scalability across any carrier anywhere in the world. From complicated asset tracking to robust device analytics, no application is too small and no problem is too large to tackle with Aeris IoT.
To learn more about how we can help you execute your big IoT idea, contact Aeris today.
