I had to really get aggressive with the AI llm’s before they conceded that IoT (Internet Of Things) at it’s core is the networking of sensors, objects and devices. If that surprises you – the LLM’s were intent on defining IoT by it’s outcomes and it’s application
I was studying the evolution of CCTV , and drew the conclusion that the next decade along this evolutionary path will include two features. Hyper Awareness and Predictive Analytics , along with the seamless integration with the internet of things (IoT). We are already seeing the consumer shift from standalone CCTV systems, to a HoT (Home Of Things) and BoT (Building of Things) in which video surveillance is simply a thing within the home or building.
This is the core understanding that drives our mission at Gensix – the customers move to the HoT, and BoT, and the drive to predictive and hyper aware analytics.
This isn’t just a convenience factor, of having everything on a single platform and app – no! The devices are networked to collaborate and collect data, which can be analyzed to unlock actionable insights. Insights that allow specific outcomes in the fields of management, innovation and automation.
That’s to say, we aren’t just looking to network the alarm system with the video surveillance system – so that we can see both on a single app. We are looking for alarm sensors and video cameras to collaborate, collecting data on the status of perimeter and boundary security, along with the internal security status, analyzing that data, drawing accurate conclusions from the data and then initiating security responses, turning on lights or warnings or engaging additional security measures.
The point of HoT and BoT are to achieve specific outcomes – initiate a response, improve energy efficiency, personalizing health care and more – not simply to be able to monitor or control every thing from one place.
In both HoT and BoT – we see the networking of diverse Eco-systems made up of sensors, objects and devices with the purpose of achieving specific outcomes. With AI, we are going beyond simply mimicking human actions. With our super AI-genies (The most powerful consumer AI available) we are looking at accurately predicting and responding to data better, quicker and more reliably than a human can.
It seems fitting then to establish a rule : Device A is networked with Device B and Device C to achieve Outcome D – not just the willy nelly networking of devices.
In the home and building we have many Devices primarily of the class A (Collecting and Analyzing environmental data)
Sensors: These are the eyes and ears of your security system. Motion detectors, door and window contacts, glass break sensors, thermostats, vibration sensors smoke and CO detectors, cameras, and even water leak detectors as a few examples.
We have devices of class B: (Interpreters) devices like control panels, voice assistants and NVR’s that interpret and act on the intelligence of the sensor class and send trigger signals to Class C Devices.
Class C are Actuators: Smart light switches and plugs – turn on the lights to act as deterrence, smart door locks – which automatically lock, or unlock when you return home. Actuators will trigger an action on the instruction of the interpreter.
The triggered action is intended to achieve the outcome- D
In legacy systems, interpreters were limited to triggering actuators within their own system only. And receiving data from within their own systems only. The interpreter could not co-ordinate actions with actuators outside it’s circuits. Now in HoT and BoT – interpreters provide a bridge between circuits triggering various actuators from diverse circuits, and receiving data inputs from diverse circuits. The interpreter can now use actuators from different circuits, in concert, to achieve a multi-faceted outcome.
Moving to HoT or BoT introduce new challenges:
- Ethics: Considerations surrounding data privacy.
- Interoperability: Not all devices are designed to talk the same language. It’s a specialty – inventorying the different modern and legacy systems present, the different communication protocols and bridging them via gateways and technologies, sometimes requiring engineering of protocols to make them integrate.
- Security: While we keep the things and their communication within the home or building, wide area security is relatively contained. Once we extend the connectivity to integrate with IoT (Internet Of Things) security becomes paramount. It’s another specialty – securing the HoT and BoT against penetration from the IoT. Failures potentially place control of the entire home or building within the hands of unethical actors – like giving them a key to the front door, along with the alarm codes and passwords..
At Gensix we are acutely aware, that IoT, BoT and HoT are not just buzzwords – networking everything so that we can see it from one screen. The networking of devices must lead to enhancements in data interpretation that achieve a specific outcome. It may take some work to get unfriendly devices to co-operate and it definitely takes extra work to secure this expanded networking circuit.
Talk to a Gensix representative now to align your home or building with smart, efficient and convenient things.
