Why does IoT matter to me?

We live in a incredibly connected world already so how does the Internet of Things continue to revolutionize the way humans interact with technology? The answer is very simple: it changes everything. Humans have fantasized for years about home automation and now the future is finally becoming a reality.

Big tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and IBM to name a few, have invested truckloads of money to be able to deploy IoT technology to the consumer. For example, as my colleague Francesco mentioned in his post, Amazon's Dash service allows a user to re-order more detergent, soap, paper, etc with a press of a button which, sends the information directly to Amazon and the product will be delivered straight to your home. How many times have you had to run out of the house just to get essential supplies that you forgot to buy? Exactly. Well just imagine a world where you never run out of toilet paper or run out of milk for your favorite cereal.

 

So what's exciting to me about IoT? Only the best thing in the world: Sleep. Did you know that humans spend about a third of their life sleeping, that's almost 25 years under the sheets! Fact.

Unfortunately, at this time, there aren't many companies competing in this important segment. The most promising product out there is Luna which wants to turn any bed into a smart bed. Imagine a bed that you can control the temperature with your smartphone and can communicate with your smart thermostat - Nest - what temperature to set when you're sleeping to ensure maximum sleep time. I'm already excited!

So what does the future hold for a comfortable sleep? In the not too distant future, there will be a single bedding ecosystem that records your sleep patterns, monitors heart rate, sets the thermostat ideal for sleep, locks your door, and wakes you up automatically to your favorite song. Then you have the pillows and sheets. These are not smart at all although there was a company who promised to have sheets that snap together with the duvet cover which would at least eliminate the need to make your bed everyday. 

And if you are badly missing your significant other for bedtime, there is even a product for that! It's called Pillow Talk and it was designed so you can feel (through a heartbeat sound or soft glow) that your long distance partner is sleeping next to you. However, there is one slight disadvantage to this product - you might creep out your friends..

Here's to a good sleep!