IoT Applications in Residential, Healthcare and Policing

The internet of things is rapidly changing our homes and how healthcare is provided. The ability to inexpensively track people's movements is making things possible in the areas of locating individuals in care, and in policing.

Home automation

Home automation has the potential to touch the life of everyone.

The internet of things brings the ability to home lighting, heating, home security systems and more to the cloud.

Healthcare

There is a great potential in "telemedicine". With many countries seeing their populations ageing and experience chronic diseases, there is a drive to use technology to extend the amount of care that can be provided.

Cellular technology can be used in the great majority of residential locations, so wearables are often GSM-enabled. The costs of connectivity are fast decreasing. 

By acquiring patient data into the cloud, healthcare providers, carers, governments and insurance companies are able to provide more accurately targeted and immediate care, and at reduced cost.

Wearables for fitness and tracking

We are already seeing a huge range of smart wristbands. According to a survey by NPD Group’s recent Connected Intelligent Consumers and Wearables report, one in ten US adults now owns a fitness tracker.

Wearable devices can let users monitor their physical activity and fitness, and by this data going to the cloud there are endless possibilities, ranging from social interaction to location tracking of people.

Small tracking devices can also be attached to pets and to children, and when used with mapping and geo-fences the technology can be used to locate a missing individual, or raise an alarm when they leave (or enter) a designated area.

Policing

Policing is changing rapidly because of the capabilities of IoT. Video surveillance is becoming more easy to do, and when such data is pulled into the cloud there is great potential for immediate processing and decision making.

Many countries use ankle-bracelets to allow offenders to spend time in the community, though with their locations carefully controlled. Location tracking is easily achieved using cellular IoT, and when combined with geo-fences and other rules-based decision making, it allows enforcement officers to make accurate decisions.