Austin Forum

The Internet of Things (IoT): Realizing the Potential of Billions of Connected Devices

6/15/2018

June 2018

Here’s what Happened at the Austin Forum in June

Thank you to everyone who attended our event at the Central Austin Library, to our main speaker, Rhonda Dirvin from Arm, and all of our special guests - Chris Blanding, Cisco; Guarav Chawla, Dell EMC; Xiaoping Chen, IBM Watson; and Dr. Ted Lehr, City of Austin.

Missed the event? Catch up here...

Event Slides

#connectedAF

Video

Event Photos

Top 5 Takeaways
1. The most quoted words of the night came from Guarav Chawla at Dell EMC: IoT is not a thing, it’s a concept.

2. The Internet of Things is not coming. It’s here. Rhonda Dirvin from Arm shared that your smartphone alone contains a surprising number of sensors designed to collect and relay key information. The latest generations of smartphones have sophisticated cameras with many sensors to allow great photos in diverse conditions, plus also many other sensors:

microphone
accelerometer
gyroscope (e.g. for same games, Google Skymap constellations)
magnetometer (compass)
proximity sensor (hold phone to ear, shuts off screen)
light sensor (adjusts display brightness)
thermometer (sometimes two!)

And there’s more to come. Samsung already offers smartphones with a heart rate monitor and an air humidity sensor, and Google Nexus has a pedometer (more accurate than the accelerometer). Some high-end phones even include a barometer (high above sea level, improved GPS accuracy). All of these devices are connected to networks, and with apps connected to many services at ones. The possibilities are limitless.

3. For many IoT applications, getting a ping from a sensor every five minutes is plenty of information – but for public safety applications, where seconds matter, that isn’t enough. Cisco shared a detailed use case of the Tennessee Department of Transportation where real-time sensor polling, policy-driven auto-responses, and integration with existing weather and traffic systems not only saved lives, but sparked ideas for new collaborations and applications, like integration of ice/frost sensors to salt trucks or wrong-way traffic detection.

4. In manufacturing, the combination of IoT and AI is a game-changer. IBM Watson has proved that by building a robust image library that helps teach ultra-hi-def-camera-equipped machines to recognize defects, a formerly lengthy visual inspection process can take place in milliseconds, shortening lead times and increasing operations profitability while also improving product quality.

5. One municipal/public good application of IoT is monitoring key infrastructure, like the power grid. The City of Austin is running one pilot project using drones to inspect power lines and report repair and maintenance issues, and another to collect data from air quality sensors and provide analysis to drive improved health outcomes. The City is open to exploring additional IoT pilots, so don’t be afraid to contact them with your ideas!

Special thanks to Trifecta on 3rd for another great after-party! Our attendees have shared they want to keep the conversations going after our presentations and networking receptions, so keep an eye on our website for info on future after-parties with food, drinks, and connection.

Join us on July 10th for Blockchain: Bringing the Transformation Home
with Jeremy Drzal, Block512 and Karen Kilroy, Kilroy Blockchain

RSVP early – this was our most popular event of 2017! Updated with all new content!

What is blockchain? Why has it emerged as a potentially disruptive solution for so many applications? How will it transform business, government, and society? How can/will Austin support, accelerate, and even lead this transformation?

Blockchain is a technology that promises utterly secure transactions of all types. It is widely known as the foundation for bitcoin and now for many other digital currencies, or cryptocurrencies, but this is just one important application. Blockchain is a distributed computing technology founded on principles of security, transparency, and permanence, and has potential to increase usability and immutability of all kinds of records and peer-to-peer transactions, from health records to property ownership to distributed IoT applications and prevention/detection of contaminated or counterfeited physical goods—and more. It can accomplish such things while preventing unauthorized usage, corruption of information, and theft of assets.
But, what exactly is it, and how does it provide simplicity, enable security, remove ‘middlemen,’ and ultimately promise a more transparent-but-secure, peer-to-peer method of transactions with permanent records? Come hear blockchain experts Jeremy Drzal and Karen Kilroy explain all this and more, and learn how Austin can be a leader in the blockchain revolution.

Tuesday, July 10, 2018
6:15 PM – 8:15 PM

Austin Central Library
710 West Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701

Admission to the Austin Forum is always free.

HELP US CLOSE AUSTIN’S DIGITAL DIVIDE
The Austin Forum accepts donations of used smart phones and tablets at all our events. Donated devices get a factory reset and are set up as new by the team at Austin Pathways’ nationally-recognized “Unlocking the Connection” initiative, which connects every public housing resident with a digital device, digital literacy, and a free or very low-cost internet connection. Your donated smart phone can change lives and help close Austin’s digital divide, thanks to Austin Pathways.

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