Summer is here and IoT is everywhere, enhancing your warm weather experiences. While we may be living a bit differently these days, our enjoyment of summertime activities is heightened with the help of IoT. Here are six ways it happens.
1. Connected ice cream trucks
“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” Many a child (and maybe more than a few grownups) still get excited when they hear the bell of the local ice cream truck as it makes its way through the neighborhood. Today, connected ice cream trucks let you know when the truck is on its way via apps – and in scome cases you can even request one come to your area. Additionally, you don’t have to scramble to find some spare cash anymore – mobile payment technologies mean you can pay by card.
2. Controlled Air Conditioning
Sensors allow remote control of air conditioning systems and units, something that is particularly helpful when we’re less likely to be at home or in the office. The ability to monitor and adjust your A/C while on vacation or spending the day at the beach means better control over utility bills and also better usage of resources.
3. Smart Bicycle Helmets
Like joggers and hikers, plenty of cyclists like to listen to music or a podcast while enjoying the great outdoors. But wearing earphones when cycling can be dangerous – it reduces your ability to concentrate on your surroundings. Luckily, there are smart biking helmets already on the market which connect to your smartphone by linking audio points in the straps. Additionally, if you get into a collision, a built-in sensor alerts emergency contacts via your phone.
4. Up Your Game
Which sports do you like to play – and would you like to improve your game? IoT can help you do just that. Connected footballs analyze your kicks, providing instant feedback on the power and trajectory of your kicks. If basketball is your jam, sensor-based wearables track your shots, from attempts, misses, and those that whoosh through the net. Smart socks measure how fast you run and how far you go, as well as foot impact, which can help minimize stress injuries.
5. Fire up the Barbecue
While we all have a ‘grill master’ among family or friends, delivering the perfect steak or burger to the plates of loved ones can take more than intuition and skill. Here’s where connected grills take the guess work out of your BBQ. Sensors collect data on smoke velocity, and humidity, and monitor the temperature of both your meat and the inside of the grill. Say goodbye chicken legs burnt on the outside while still quivering with life on the inside!
6. Surfing to Save Our Oceans
Surfers hail their sport as the ultimate freedom, so IoT enabled surfboards might seem to go against the core ethos of surfing. But surfers are also indelibly connected to the ocean and having IoT sensors embedded into surfboard fins allows them to contribute to the collection of important data on climate change, ocean acidification, algae blooms, coral ecosystem health, and changes in coastal ecosystems.
If you’d like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.