Convergence Conversation

Conversation: The Internet Of Things & Augmented Reality

A truly mind expanding conversation yesterday at Intellect, around the Internet of things and augmented reality. From underwear, to societal change, and from obscurity to ubiquity, the discussion spanned all this and more. Here are some notes & reflections from the meeting:

What is the Internet of Things? Simply put, it’s the ability to put physical objects onto the internet, and give them an IP address. Why? Well, some objects generate data – meters, sensors and gadgets (pacemakers, thermometers automobiles), and this data can be read, interpreted and aggregated to help manage the same devices or the universe of devices better. Some objects don’t generate data but can be made more aware of their environment or location, through RFID stickers or the addition of sensors. This would enable us to track shipments through supply chains, or prevent breakdowns or machinery, or even find our keys. Many apps abound and we've even had some early start ups go bust in this area.

What’s Augmented Reality? There’s a lot of work that’s been done in this are over the past decades, but again a usable definition is the ability to layer data onto physical objects to enhance our perception of them. Most examples tend to be information oriented, but there are certainly other ways of augmenting reality – visually and aurally, for example.

Let’s get the Privacy elephant out of the room first: I think I’m going to ban discussions on privacy for future conversations. Not because it doesn’t matter, it does. In fact it matters so much that it tends to overshadow other aspects of the discussion. And you know what? The privacy debate is much the same, whether you’re talking about social networking, internet of things or location based services. It’s the big one. The most emotive part of the discussion. And fundamentally, it always boils down to a simple trade-off. Privacy is currency. You trade it with utility/ value. You give up a bit of privacy for a bit of value. For example Oyster cards. Each of us makes this trade off every day. When we put our name on our letterbox, we surrender a bit of privacy. Or when we sign up for any web mail service. Or indeed, when we get onto the internet. The point is, each of us individually, and each society collectively, make these trade-offs. So it really boils down to what’s the value on offer?