Last week I attended the IoT Tech Expo at Olympia in London, and can I just say that the future is looking pretty cute! Innovation abounding, the expo was full of attention grabbing displays, but the stand out had to be Pepper.
[easy-tweet tweet=”The #IoTTechExpo and its hottest products reviewed by @Rhian_Wilkinson of @Comparethecloud”]
Pepper is a humanoid robot that has been designed as a day-to-day companion by Aldebaran. With the ability to give hugs and fist bumps, Pepper is personable and likeable – a real change from the hard edged ‘terminator’ style robots western culture is permeated by.
Based on your voice, facial expressions, body movements and the words you use, Pepper can interpret your emotions and offer appropriate content. This is making Pepper a hit in Japan, where Nestlé is planning on equipping more than 1,000 stores with Pepper robots to enhance the customer experience.
Pepper is personable and likeable – a real change from the hard edged ‘terminator’ style robots western culture is permeated by
There have also been in-home trials for Pepper robots, which can gradually memorise your personality traits, your preferences, and can adapt himself to your tastes and habits. These options for personalisation make Pepper infinitely more interesting than previous humanoid robots, because he become truly unique to you and your needs.
As much as I loved meeting Pepper, other technologies caught my fancy too – IoT is infiltrating so many industries that don’t normally cross your mind when you think of technology.
I was surprised to find Feeligreen, a French startup, showing off IoT-C. The Internet of Things for Cosmetics. Feeligreen’s offering is a handheld ergonomic device that uses non-invasive micro-current technology and LEDs to increase the effectiveness of skincare treatments. The device connects to your smartphone where you can track progress, and design skincare programs using the device to achieve your goals.
[easy-tweet tweet=”#IoT is infiltrating industries that aren’t normally associated with #technology” user=”rhian_wilkinson”]
The Activ-feel device comes with 4 skincare products: targeting stretchmarks, blemishes, ageing, and cellulite. Early testing shows that using the device with the skincare products provide noticeable results within 7 days, compared to approximately 28 days without the device. I don’t know about you, but I certainly like the sound of that!
Not just targeting vanity, there is also a sports version of the product, which comes with with heating, cooling, relaxing and body sculpting gels.
Onwards and upwards to the bigger ideas, companies like Covisint are the platform behind the IoT. They are simplifying our lives by doing things like unifying our identities into singular devices. They are the people who mean we can make our regular coffee order, pay, gain our loyalty card points, all with minimal effort on the purchasers behalf. No more pulling three or four cards out of your wallet at every checkout!
companies like Covisint are the platform behind the IoT
Right at the other end of the spectrum I got to speak with Nigel Maris of EveryWare, a company that specialises in industrial IoT applications. Their solutions are so varied that I can only just begin to describe how it all works! They allow companies to monitor where deficiencies are in their businesses using sensors and IoT networks to create connected solutions that work better for the future.
The IoT Tech expo was a busy event, and I am remiss to admit that I didn’t get to all the stalls I wish I could have! I think we have an exciting future of connected homes, cars, and lives ahead of us, and IoT is taking us there!
