The Future of Connected Devices: Testing Required
Known as the “the Internet of Things,” the future of Internet-connected devices has created a lot of buzz lately. There are more Internet-connected devices than people in the US and roughly two connected devices per person in the world—and the rapid growth is expected to continue.
According to John Humphreys in Forbes, by 2025, analysts forecast that there will be six devices per human on the planet, meaning we can expect to see 50 billion more connected devices over the next decade.
So what can we expect in the immediate future? Wired’s Thilo Koslowski says we are now seeing—and will continue to see—an evolution of the Internet of Cars. Koslowski says that cars are here to stay, and they are certainly going to be connected:
Basically, cars have become the “ultimate mobile device” and we, the people, are becoming “connected drivers.” … For example, by 2016, most buyers in mature automotive markets (US, Western Europe) will consider vehicles’ ability to access web-based information a key criterion when purchasing an automobile. For premium vehicle brand buyers, this tipping point will be reached even sooner: 2014. That’s just one year away.
The connected vehicle is leading the automotive industry to its most significant innovation phase … since the creation of the automobile itself. …
To be successful, connected vehicles will draw on the leading technologies in sensors, displays, on-board and off-board computing, in-vehicle operating systems, wireless and in-vehicle data communication, machine learning, analytics, speech recognition, and content management. (That’s just to name a few.) All of this leads to considerable benefits and opportunities: reduced accident rates, increased productivity, improved traffic flow, lowered emissions, extended utility for EVs, new entertainment options, and new marketing and commerce experiences.
Drawing on leading technologies will certainly help connected vehicles to be successful, but even more so, thorough in-the-wild testing will yield success. Incorporating highly technical sensors and displays is great, but what really matters is if they can all function correctly under real-world conditions. Missed bugs in a mobile app or website are highly problematic, but a missed bug in something like a connected car is far more detrimental. If a connected car were to contain bugs or software glitches, the effects could be life threatening.
Yet, cars aren’t the only connected devices we can expect to see. According to The Technology Review, right now there are major strides being made in connecting transportation, fitness, and other aspects of daily life to the Internet.
If you think you already rely on technology, just wait until the Internet is a part of everything you touch in your daily life. As technology advances and the Internet of Things continues to influence our lives, quality and testing will become more and more essential.
