How IoT is Reshaping Transportation

IoT technology has changed the landscape when it comes to how consumers interact with technology. Whether we’re talking about 5G networks, edge computing, machine learning, smart home devices, wearable devices, or connected cars, this is something that’s changed data analysis and decision-making at the device level for everyone forever.

Key industries such as Healthcare, Manufacturing, Transportation, and even Agriculture have largely embraced IoT technology and made the move to integrate custom software into their operations. The flow of data provided by IoT devices has revolutionized these industries. In healthcare, IoT enables remote patient monitoring and even helps with diagnoses. 

Manufacturing industries use IoT to manage inventory and monitor equipment performance. Transportation companies often use IoT for fleet management and route optimization. Agriculture benefits from IoT by using sensors to do things like monitor soil moisture, temperature, and crop health. 

As IoT continues to evolve, its ability to influence the way services are delivered and how businesses operate internally will get much stronger. But out of all the industries we’ve mentioned, transportation is the focus of this blog. 

IoTransportation

IoT is a huge force in transforming the transportation sector as it facilitates data exchange between vehicles and infrastructures. Here’s some of the main things it’s bringing to the scene:

Connected Vehicle Solutions: IoT empowers vehicles with sensors, communication systems, and embedded technology to exchange data in real time. This connectivity enables vehicles to communicate both with each other and the surrounding infrastructure, thus enhancing road safety, optimizing traffic management, and boosting overall efficiency.

Intelligent Infrastructure: IoT integrates into transportation infrastructure, including bridges, roads, and traffic lights. This monitors the conditions of the infrastructure, such as structural integrity, traffic patterns, and environmental factors. By collecting and analyzing this data, authorities can make decisions regarding maintenance, repairs, and infrastructure updates.

Fleet Management and Logistics: The incorporation of IoT into fleet management enables operators to efficiently monitor and manage their vehicles. Leveraging sensors and GPS devices, fleet managers gain access to real-time information on vehicle location, fuel consumption, engine performance, and maintenance needs.

Intelligent Traffic Management: IoT plays a critical role in optimizing traffic flow by collecting data from diverse sources, including GPS devices, traffic sensors, and surveillance cameras. This data can also be used to monitor traffic conditions, as well as identify congestion points and better manage traffic.

Better Passenger Experience and Safety: IoT technology plays a key role in boosting the passenger experience. It gives real-time updates on arrival and departure times, potential delays, and alternative routes. Passengers can easily stay informed through user-friendly mobile apps or even in-vehicle displays, contributing further to their safety and convenience.

What’s Next?

With any new level of innovation, the question inevitably becomes “So what now?”.The future of IoT in transportation is currently leaning towards smart transportation, which requires effective utilization of resources. IoT is solving many problems faced by the transport industry, such as increased fuel consumption, vehicle maintenance, and truck driver shortages. But there are still unsolved issues like traffic accidents, parking problems, congestion, and vehicle emissions. 

As the innovation gets better, here are some aspects of IoT to look out for in transportation:

Expanding Horizons of Industrial IoT (IIoT): The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is poised for continuous expansion, ushering in heightened levels of automation, optimization, and efficiency across diverse industries like manufacturing, energy, transportation, and agriculture. IIoT applications use predictive maintenance, asset tracking, supply chain streamlining, and orchestrating smart grids.

AI and Machine Learning Fusion: The convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) with IoT gadgets stands to elevate their capabilities significantly. AI can scrutinize big datasets produced by IoT devices, take meaningful insights, and aid in decision-making processes.

Sustainability: IoT technology can help to reduce emissions and improve sustainability in transportation. This includes applications such as smart routing, which can help to optimize routes and reduce fuel consumption.

Autonomous Vehicles: The development of autonomous vehicles will continue to be a major trend in the transportation industry. IoT technology will play a crucial role in enabling these vehicles to communicate with each other and with the surrounding infrastructure.

The Takeaway

With artificial intelligence and machine learning setting the pace for industries around the world, nothing is off the table when we’re talking about automation and augmentation. It’s difficult to predict what will come next, but it’s less difficult to prepare as best as you can by looking for opportunities to integrate AI and machine learning into your business. We’ve made a tool to help you understand just how ready you are for this. 

In the meantime, be mindful of and open to change. Technology is coming at us all, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Written By Ben Brown

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ISU Corp is an award-winning software development company, with over 17 years of experience in multiple industries, providing cost-effective custom software development, technology management, and IT outsourcing.

Our unique owners’ mindset reduces development costs and fast-tracks timelines. We help craft the specifications of your project based on your company's needs, to produce the best ROI. Find out why startups, all the way to Fortune 500 companies like General Electric, Heinz, and many others have trusted us with their projects. Contact us here.

The Internet of Things: An Entirely New World

Some things were so revolutionary to society that it set a new standard; the iPhone, electric cars, and remote work are just a few examples. The brilliance of these advancements is that they consistently innovate and contribute new benefits to our everyday lives. Considering all the technology you have in your life right now, could you imagine it being any more powerful? We need to understand that this is where it’s headed. The extent of which will be surprising until it is met with further advancement.

A key area to focus on when it comes to technology innovation that will benefit everyone is the Internet of Things (IoT). In the simplest of terms, it is a concept that involves data tracking which is then exchanged with other networks. For example, imagine if your car insurance was reduced after trackers in your vehicle established that you are driving safely. Another example can be seen with fitness trackers like FitBits and AppleWatch. These technologies track and store information which we then have access to at all times.

So where does all this information go and what is it used for? The internet of things is the cloud in which all this information is stored. It is then used to customize the experience for regular users. This concept branches out to unbelievable lengths, Barcelona, Spain for example is known as a Smart City. It has earned this term because virtually everything is connected and automated to make them energy efficient, spend money wisely (at a far lower cost), and optimal for those living there.  

The IoT space is a multi-trillion dollar market, we can only imagine the major player it will be in everyday life soon. The amount of problems IoT can solve is immeasurable, but let’s look at a few things to consider if you’re looking to invest time or money into it: 

Connectivity

With the right software supporting technology in these objects, you can have everything done for you according to your needs. The objects of which will be everyday things that are as simple as clothing, watches, or a refrigerator that can then be connected to the internet. 

If we consider how attractive connectedness is to people these days looking at social media, how our devices sync, and even being able to control things from far away (arming a home security system). We can imagine the excitement that’d erupt for everything we use to be connected and much easier to use.

Security

Obviously with this level of information being tracked and stored it is sure to cause concern for our privacy. The major concern when it comes to AI and IoT security is hackers gaining access to these databases. 

This is not a small issue, service providers must have systems that prevent this issue from happening and should not be allowed to sell without proper measures. Manufacturers of these devices then have the opportunity to use their security features as a selling point.

Efficiency

We always search for new ways to do things and make every day just a little more convenient. IoT is efficient in numerous ways, it can save energy by adjusting lighting or temperature controls to the needs of an environment. It can prevent you from making mistakes by giving you reminders or information you may need. Even for a business, it can be adjusted to the technological functions of manufacturing processes or data storage. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more relevant in our personal and professional lives. In years to come, AI and IoT will completely remodel the traditional landscapes of industries, economies, and businesses. The ability of IoT technology is endless, virtually any issue you can think of, IoT has or soon will have an answer to.

What’s Next?

When considering what the advancement’s AI and IoT mean for our future, it must be noted that there will be resistance and hesitance with something this new. It may take time to realize that virtually everyone can benefit from this technology. 

It can save our environment, benefit the economy, and even free up time or stress from our schedules. Now it is not perfect and still has a long way to go before we can instill it to this extent. With more research and help from the new generations, it can get closer to a new standard that we don’t look back on.

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