As far as the imagination can reach!
According to forecasts, the connected objects market should experience impressive growth. In France, this could represent 500 million euros by 2016. By 2020, each of us could own an average of 15 connected objects.
50 billion sensors by 2020!
Impressive as it is, this forecast must be kept in perspective, as connected objects will mostly be found in industry, transport or logistics applications. Not all will be in the hands of the general public.
Niama Esqualli, Head of Partnerships at Orange Smart Home solutions for the general public, is not getting carried away: “Compare this with domestic appliances. Our grandmothers could never have imagined there would be so much equipment in our homes, and not just in the kitchen but in the bathroom too, for well-being applications! Envisioning the future is no easy task, and a quantity that seems impossible today might seem reasonable tomorrow.”
Remember how the movie ‘Minority Report’ seemed incredibly futuristic? Yet all the technologies that the Director imagined are now on the market!
Still, we should not imagine our everyday life being overrun by a host of new objects. Connected objects will dematerialize, and add a layer of intelligence to our physical world.
Many uses are yet to be dreamt up or invented! One thing is certain, the user will always remain in control, and will always be the ultimate decision-maker. “Objects will be there to help the user, and simplify their life. But the ultimate decision will always be down to the user!” , Niama Esqalli emphasizes.
A connected day in the life of tomorrow’s user:
- Every morning on entering their bathroom, they will be weighed automatically, while a sensor under their skin takes real-time readings of their heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. If the data collected are abnormally high or low, they will be sent straight to the user’s family doctor, so they can offer an appointment.
- On leaving their home, if it is unoccupied, the temperature will automatically drop by 2 or 3 degrees to reduce energy consumption and the shutters will be closed if the user wishes.
- On arriving at the office, they won’t have to waste time searching for a forgotten password for some service that has not been used for several weeks. Just like fingerprints, their heart rate is unique and can be used as a password, sent via their connected bracelet.
- Arriving home in the evening, their connected car will tell them the nearest available parking spaces, thanks to sensors embedded in the ground. No more lengthy hunting for a space, using up fuel and nervous energy!
- When it is time to get dinner ready, the fridge will never be empty again. Whenever it is opened, it will have scanned the products taken out and automatically added them to the shopping list, and will send this to the supermarket. Connected to the bathroom scales, the fridge will also be able to suggest menus to help the user restore their body weight curve.
