- What if you never waited at another red light
ever again?
(techno music)
It's the one-hundredth episode of Forward Thinking.
Ninety-nine shows ago, I launched this series
with a discussion about the Internet of Things.
In case you've forgotten,
that's a term that describes a world filled with sensors
and actuators and robots and computers
that are all networked together
and able to communicate with even larger networks.
Now, in that first episode, I really focused on
how the Internet of Things could affect our
day-to-day lives in our own homes,
you know, changing them from an elegant area of class
to a swinging disco party with no effort whatsoever.
But, it turns out
the Internet of Things is much, much bigger.
Let's really think about the potential
for a world filled with devices
that can detect changing conditions and react so quickly,
it makes the blink of an eye look like an eternity.
You're driving down the street on your way to work,
and you're using your car's navigation system
to give you turn-by-turn directions
to cut down on commute time.
Your car is communicating with sensors
embedded in the environment,
telling it the presence of other cars and bicyclists,
even a pedestrian crossing the street two blocks ahead.
Your car is also in constant communication
with the city's traffic system.
All these sensors are working together
to give you a smooth commute experience,
cutting down on things that would frustrate you and
funneling you through the best route,
clearing your path of red lights and other delays.
Now, doesn't that sound nice?
I mean, this is a world that doesn't just react
to what you need right now,
it anticipates what you're gonna need five minutes from now.
It's like living a life of serendipity,
an endless run of good luck.
But it's not good luck, it's the Internet of Things,
and it's working overtime on your behalf.
But, just to be clear,
it's not all about you.
The Internet of Things is going to enter industries
like manufacturing and shipping,
making them adaptable and responsive systems
and increasing their efficiency,
and with increased efficiency comes lower costs.
It's an incredible vision of the future.
To get there, scientists, engineers, and researchers
are going to have to overcome some big challenges.
We talked about spectrum crunch on this show before.
There are only so many wireless frequencies we can use,
and you could actually hit capacity within any given area.
Now, the good news is,
most of these devices in the Internet of Things
are speaking in very small amounts of data.
But, when you have millions, or potentially even billions,
of devices talking, it adds up pretty quickly.
Then, there's the cost.
Now, the components in the Internet of Things
are still under development, like sensors.
They're pretty expensive!
And other elements within the Internet of Things
are even more so.
So, bringing costs down is
one of the largest challenges we face today.
Personally, I don't think any of these challenges
are insurmountable.
In fact, in 20-years' time, I think a lot of the things
that frustrate us today will be a distant memory.
No more traffic jams!
No more leaving the grocery store and then realizing
you forgot that one ingredient you needed to make dinner.
And 20 years from then, I don't know.
Do you think maybe good luck will just fade into obscurity?
It won't mean anything anymore,
because that's what our lives will be?
Sure hope so!
Now, it's no secret that I'm an optimist,
but I think this is a future that's worth striving toward.
And guys, happy one-hundred episodes!
What topic that we've covered already was your favorite?
Let us know in the comments below,
and hey, if you've got a suggestion for a future topic,
leave that one in there, too.
We read every single comment; I promise!
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