When people talk about real-world IoT applications, the home remains a niche market. This is because home automation is very expensive to implement, so only a small percentage of households worldwide can afford it.
Nevertheless, as a close relative of building automation, several attributes of smart homes can still be applied outside the home. IoT-driven automation also has commercial applications elsewhere. Here, we will find some places where similar smart home functions can be used to achieve convenience, security, safety, and automation.
1. Hospital Automation
Over the past decade or so, technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have increasingly appeared in the healthcare field. Beyond their role in surgery and patient diagnosis, AI and IoT can also be used to automate routine components of hospital rooms and buildings. Hospitals offer numerous automation opportunities for players in the smart home market.
Patient comfort and well-being are among the top priorities in hospitals. Therefore, much like in smart homes, the temperature, ventilation, and cooling of patient rooms can be regulated via IoT-driven sensors and remote controls. Smart sensors in hospitals can detect the required heating or cooling by assessing the temperature in each room. HVAC adjustments are typically made by automated systems with reference to the external temperature.
Compared to HVAC, patient safety and security are the top priorities in hospitals. To ensure patient safety, hospitals use cameras to closely monitor visitor activity for each patient. Visitors are allowed into patient rooms based on the perceived safety level by authorities and patient relatives. Just as smart residential buildings use barcode scanners to scan visitor passes before outsiders enter, "smart" hospitals can use computer vision-driven solutions to manage access control when new visitors meet with patients. In the hospital environment, automation not only facilitates visitor activity but also, in emergencies, such systems can be used to help patients be transferred or evacuated as quickly as possible.
The use of cameras in hospitals also enhances security. These cameras enable hospital security managers to continuously monitor operating rooms, psychiatric wards, and other sensitive areas, allowing them to nip security breaches or incidents in the bud.
Furthermore, IoT-enabled internal communication and notification systems within hospital automation systems can improve communication efficiency between patients and hospital staff. Surgeons not in the operating room due to geographical distance can rely on real-time health details sent from various networked devices to guide on-site doctors during surgery. We also know that IoT and artificial intelligence allow for remote human control of robots. Therefore, it is possible for doctors to remotely operate surgical robots during surgery to perform or assist other surgeons.
In addition, internal communication systems and other communication-aiding technologies facilitate two-way communication. Based on real-time health readings, digital notification devices can alert doctors and nurses to potential deterioration in a patient's health condition.
2. School Automation
Beyond hospitals, smart home market players can also find enticing automation possibilities in school buildings and classrooms. While home automation and schools may seem worlds apart on the surface, many smart home features, such as HVAC control and device connectivity (which can be used for tasks like exam proctoring), can significantly improve the daily operations of a school.
As mentioned earlier, school automation involves the regulation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Building automation systems use IoT sensors to receive temperature information from each classroom in the school. Based on this information, the interior temperature of the classroom will be maintained through automatic heating or cooling, much like in a smart home. Centralized HVAC control is a unique home automation function used here to create a more conducive classroom environment for student learning.
As we all know, several horrific mass shootings have recently occurred in schools across the United States. Therefore, there is no doubt that security monitoring is crucial for schools everywhere, especially in these dangerous times.
Centralized security systems can prevent such incidents with the help of tools such as cameras, computer vision-driven facial scanners, and behavior predictors. If such systems detect suspicious activity in school buildings or classrooms, nearby teachers, students, and law enforcement will be alerted via mobile devices or centralized notification systems. Proactive action allows authorities to prevent such attacks before they occur.
Schools spend a significant amount of money on energy consumption each year. This substantial expenditure means any solution to reduce electricity bills is highly desirable. Furthermore, we know that school energy consumption isn't 24/7, as schools operate only for limited periods each day, typically idle during student holidays (i.e., a few months of the year). Automation technologies involving the Internet of Things (IoT) can help schools reduce power consumption throughout the year in the following ways:
1. Intelligent HVAC controls in automated systems regulate energy use in classrooms and other parts of the school. Similar to energy-efficient smart home tools, these controls enable schools to automatically shut off power to unoccupied areas.
2. In addition to HVAC, smart schools also use light and motion sensors to turn on the lights that are needed. Light sensors can not only turn off unnecessary lights, but also adjust their brightness to save energy.
3. Surveillance cameras typically consume a lot of energy. Therefore, their use can be minimized when they don't need to operate at 100%. AI-based systems can reduce the workload of surveillance cameras to ensure this.
4. The system optimizer (ASO) in the setup is used to collect and analyze information and regulate the power distribution of the school's electrical equipment. Factors such as occupancy patterns and utility rates are considered during the monitoring process.
3. Hotel Automation
Hotel building automation is similar to how technology can be applied to the two places mentioned above. Standard smart home templates can be modified to make the concept suitable for hotels.
Contactless and automated check-in and check-out can be handled through the hotel's automated systems. This allows guests to check in directly and proceed to their rooms without waiting at the front desk. Making reception obsolete is one of the main benefits of smart hotels, as it saves guests time. Smart keys or mobile app-based check-in enable hotels to do this.
Furthermore, in the current era of COVID-19, maintaining appropriate social distancing helps control the spread of the virus.
Typically, hotels employ several people to handle tasks such as data entry and check-in. However, it's well known that intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are perfectly capable of handling these tasks without human intervention. Furthermore, any hotel guest—especially those from abroad—may prefer using digital panels or display systems rather than human receptionists to avoid language-related issues during check-in or check-out.
In summary, hotels can reduce personnel costs by hiring only those employees who are essential to their daily operations.
A common misconception about home automation technology is that it's merely a tool for home automation and incapable of being used for anything else. It's crucial to understand that technological tools and applications should be reimagined and reconfigured to meet the evolving needs of different industries. Once this fact is understood and accepted, not just in the home, but in any industry, development will accelerate significantly.
