The Rise and Fall of IoT?
The internet of things (IoT) is a term that refers to physical products that are connected to, controlled through, or monitored with the internet. IoT devices are often called “smart”; smartphone, smartwatch, smart refrigerator, smart TV, smart thermostat, and so on. Ultimately, it is the information gained by the IoT system that provides the largest benefit. By system I mean the combination of hardware, software, algorithms, cloud services, and subscription models that allow raw data to be turned into useful information.
From a design perspective, we can think of IoT as “a new technology” that opens up new avenues for innovation. For example, consider a concert hall with 3,000 seats, where each seat is an IoT device that senses if it’s occupied and then transmits the status wirelessly to the internet, where it can be monitored by concert organizers, performers, and/or concert goers. With enough data, venue managers can use the information to decide how early to open the venue, plan when to open and close concession stands, and more. Not only does this data provide insights that can improve the concert experience, but trends in data over time can be used to understand how the concert culture evolves or is different for various concert types.
Because of the seemingly endless innovation opportunities offered by IoT, they are found in nearly all industries. Smart mirrors, smart shower, smart toothbrush, smart bikes, smart table saws, smart water bottles, smart baby toys, smart clothing, smart washing machines, smart pipes, and on and on and on.
With such a fertile landscape where nearly anything can become a smart product, it raises the interesting question: Do we need a smart ______?
For many products, the market has indeed declared that it wants them. Consider the smart thermostat for example. The first ones were released in 2011. By 2016, 24.1% of all thermostats sold worldwide were “smart” [1]. Furthermore, at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2020) – the largest tech show in the world – there were many interesting new IoT devices. Among my favorites in the tech start-up category were: a smart clock for helping children stay in bed until wake-up time, a sliding door attachment to let pets in and out of the house automatically, a braille translator tablet, and calorie-counting serving plates for buffets.
Without a doubt, the most thought-provoking IoT device at CES 2020 was the smart potato (hang on, we’ll get to its purpose shortly).
Nicolas Baldeck and his smart potato at CES 2020.
The smart potato was created by French entrepreneur Nicolas Baldeck. His device is a high bandwidth electronics module that plugs into and gets its power from the electrolytes in a potato. The module is branded “smart” because it connects to a smart phone, and can be used to communicate with the potato via Bluetooth.
Because of its obscurity and obvious troll-like nature, the smart potato got a lot of attention at CES. After listening to Nicolas’s pitch, I simply walked away with a furrowed brow – unsure of what it was all about. Later that day, however, I went back and asked him what he was trying to accomplish with the smart potato, and this is what he said:
“This is an artistic presentation. The reason I am here today is not to make fun of CES, because we’ve got great innovations like the Walkman or the DVD player, and even this year we’ve got great innovations. But we are making a lot of smart devices, and I am not sure that putting a five dollar Bluetooth chipset into any product, calling it smart, and selling it for twice the price, is technology innovation. No, this is marketing innovation! And the point here is that I am not sure that the word “smart” makes more sense in front of toothbrush or coffee machine, than it does in front of potato. Are these really smart? It’s up to you to decide.”
If you can get past resenting Nicolas for being a CES troll, you’ll see that his message is powerful. As an artist, he’s communicating that branding a product as smart may make it interesting, but it does not actually make it smart (wanted or needed).
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The rise of IoT is rooted in the ever-present pursuit of a connected life and the information that IoT devices provide users and developers. But the future fall of IoT is in the hands of the designers. Will we saturate the market with useless smart devices, that make investors millions and then end up in landfills? Or will we develop smart devices that fill a real need and improve life beyond connectivity? Perhaps the starting point is to honestly ask: Does humankind really need a smart _____? What problem does it solve, and is that problem best solved with an IoT device?
[1] Andrew Weinreich, The Future Of The Smart Home: Honeywell Vs. Nest: The Battle For The Smart Thermostat, Forbes, 11 Jan 2018, URL.
