While sensorization, the increased use of sensors to improve products and specific market segments as described in part 1, is achieving its desired goal, there are some unforeseen disadvantages. For example, in a recent McKinsey & Company report about software and electronics in the automotive industry, the authors predict that the development of the autonomous vehicle will encourage the growth of the body sensorization business at a rate of 8% per year between 2020 and 2030 [1]. The downside: with more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology, the average repair cost of newer models increases an average of 14.17%. More often than not, sensorization provides considerable improvements to users’ life and lifestyle.
From an insurance perspective, the increasing use of smart sensors helps homeowners and insurers detect the presence of problems from leaks to fires and even security threats [2]. Smart sensors are one of the smart home devices that will contribute to an estimated 482.8 million smart homes by 2025. By detecting problem areas soon enough, the smart sensors can help prevent costly insurance claims. The analysis takes advantage of one of sensorization’ forward looking aspects to project that new, proactive monitoring and remediation methods, such as not only detecting a problem, such as a leak, could then contact and schedule a plumbing immediately for a repair to correct the problem and limit the damage. In addition, the sensor could feed live information about the leak to an insurer, offering new insight into this type of risk.
Humans are among the application areas that can significantly benefit from increased sensorization. Specifically for athletes, the data from these sensors can be used to monitor, measure, analyze and evaluate performance as well as safety and risk prevention using intelligent system [3]. These results are achieved by collecting heart rate data, blood oxygen measurement, air density around the athletes’ body, body temperature and a temperature during sports training. As part of the vision of sports industry leaders, this sensor-based data will provide advantages during competition and training of both amateur and professional athletes.
In another human processes area, researchers have investigated a method for detecting and efficiently recognizing daily human behavior in the real world [4]. Their approach involved real-world sensorization using ultrasonic tags to observe behavior, real-world virtualization to create a virtual environment by modeling real objects using a stereovision system, and virtual sensorization of virtualized objects. With this information, they can quickly register the handling of objects in the real world and efficiently recognizing specific human behavior. Sensors in the system include an ultrasonic tagging system, a type of 3D location sensor, and a stereovision system.
Another human research area involved sensorizing the environment for improved efficiency [5]. In terms of sensorization, environment sensors can be divided into sensors that monitor the environment or sensors that monitor the users and their activities. Further sensor classification includes embedded sensors that are installed on objects, context sensors that provide information about the environment, or motion sensors that recognize users’ activities.
Initial results from energy efficiency policies developed in the research indicate that small changes in users’ habits can save up to 10% in home energy consumption.
References:
[1] McKinsey predicts a fast and important growth in bodywork sensorization
[2] How sensorization really changes home insurance
[4] Real World Sensorization for Observing Human Behavior and Its Application to Behavior-to-Speech
[5] Ambient Sensorization for the Furtherance of Sustainability
