LIVING, LEARNING, AND

WORKING IN 2020
WITH THE

INTERNET OF THINGS
IoT IS THE FUTURE
OF PRODUCTS
Though the technology is still in its infancy, it
has already begun to transform the way we
live and interact with the world around us.
In the near future, users
will expect products to
be constantly connected
to one another and
responsive to our needs.
Put simply, the IoT is a network of devices
collecting data and communicating with one
another and the Internet. The advent of these
interconnected technologies signifies a shift
in thinking: Soon, a product will no longer
just be something to pick up and use, but
something that performs a service as part of
the collective IoT.
Successful brands will capitalize on this
functionality by building immersive, seamless
experiences to help customers interact with one
another and every networked product, staying
connected no matter where they are.
Imagine how homeowners will control their
homes from afar, creating unprecedented
comfort, convenience, and efficiency. Imagine
what teachers will be able to do when they
can teach students across the world the same
material as those in the classroom. Imagine
foremen, ranchers, farmers, and emergency
services personnel connected to all of the
information they need to do their jobs safely
and at a moment’s notice.
The IoT isn’t a passing gimmick — it is the
infrastructure on which we will build tomorrow's
world. This whitepaper outlines the world
we foresee, and we're incredibly excited to be
part of it.
The Future of the IoT — 2
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HOME RETAIL MEDIA FACTORY

1. Smart Thermostat 13. Drone Delivery 25. Digital Signage 36. Air / Water Quality
2. Childcare Monitoring 14. Smart Clothes 37. Supply Chain Management
3. Connected Scale 15. Inventory Control GOVERNMENT 38. Quality Control
4. Smart Watch 16. Payment 26. Connected Solar Streetlights 39. Industrial HVAC
5. Smart Meter 17. Auto Checkout 27. Air / Water Quality 40. Equipment Management
6. Smart Appliance 28. Monitoring Infrastructure
7. Connected Door SEAPORT 29. Waste Management FARM
Lock / Doorbell 18. Smart Scale 30. Emergency Alerts 41. Biochip Animal
19. Smart Port 31. Electronic Tolls 42. Crop Sensors
PARK 32. Smart Public Art 43. Environment / Weather Sensors
8. Fitness Tracker ROAD 44. Atmosphere / Soil Sensing
9. Bio Chip Pet 20. Self Driving Cars HOSPITAL
21. Smart Traffic Light 33. Smart Monitor SECURITY
SCHOOL 22. Inter-Vehicle Communication 34. Health + Safety 45. Smart Gates
10. Smart Pen 35. Medical Devices
11. Smart Whiteboard TRANSPORT
12. Digital Pens 23. Fleet Management
Logistics & Bus Schedule
24. Automatic Ticketing BROUGHT
TO YOU BY

The Future of the IoT — 3

IN THE HOME
"I don't have the real-time visibility needed to monitor
and adjust my water/electricity/gas consumption
throughout the month."
SOLUTION: Smart Meters
Traditional meters force meter men to physically
check each meter. Homeowners and tenants can
lower the thermostat and take shorter showers,
but they’re mostly in the dark about their actual
usage.
Smart meters boost efficiency for both user and
reader by giving accurate, remote readings and
helping them diagnose problems that otherwise
would have escaped their notice.
A homeowner with a smart meter could watch
variations in water usage or compare the energy
saved by lowering the thermostat two degrees
on a day-to-day basis. If water usage readings
don’t match expectations, the homeowner could
discover a hidden leak that might otherwise cost
thousands of dollars in waste and damage.
Utility companies can use smart meters to
drastically reduce labor costs. If meters report
figures remotely, utility workers would only
need to leave the office to investigate leaks or
damaged meters. Smart meters’ advantages have
led 60 percent of California water agencies to
consider or actively make plans to install smart
meters in their districts.
The Future of the IoT — 4
"I can't easily monitor and adjust my home's HVAC
system, lights, or security system while I'm away."
SOLUTION: Smart Thermostat
Homeowners want complete control over their
homes to maximize efficiency and boost security.
Devices like the Nest smart thermostat represent
the first wave of IoT devices in the home, allowing
residents to regulate heating and air conditioning
usage from afar. Nest also integrates with
smartphones, household security systems, and
lights to create first-wave smart homes.
As technology progresses, devices like Nest
will act as control centers for tomorrow's
smart homes. Temperature regulation, security,
intercoms, lighting, doorbells, and entertainment
features will be manageable anytime, anywhere.
"How can I use my Nest
smart thermostat?"
In connection with the Works With Nest
program, If This, Then That gives Nest
users several innovative ways to use their
IoT setups
• W
 ant to come home to a toasty living
room? IFTTT can use the location on
your smartphone to start warming
your house before you arrive.
• R
 ushing out the door? Don’t worry —
IFTTT works with Nest to shut off the
lights and activate the security system.
• S
 itting on the beach? If something
goes wrong at home, IFTTT can tell
Nest to notify you of the problem no
matter where you are.
The Future of the IoT — 5
"There's a lot to manage around the house. I
wish my appliances were 'smart' enough to
save energy and reduce my workload."
SOLUTION: Smart Appliances
Several smart appliances are already on the
market to make homeowners’ lives easier.
LG Smart ThinQ Cooker, $1,399
This smart oven not only allows users to monitor
the progress of their roasts from the living
room, but it also facilitates remote maintenance
through LG’s Smart Diagnosis tool. Make a mess?
No sweat — just use the self-cleaning feature!
Egg Minder, $13.80
If you have a dozen eggs but aren’t sure which are
about to go bad, this IoT device is for you. The Egg
Minder syncs with smartphones to tell you if you
need to buy new eggs while you’re at the store,
uses colored lights to indicate when it’s time to
toss, and syncs with IFTTT to send personalized
notifications.
Smarter Coffee, £149 ($168.27)
This device from Firebox takes the guesswork out
of brewing the perfect cup of java. It brews and
grinds on its own, and when connected to the IoT,
it can do some fantastic things. For instance, if
your smartwatch says you didn’t sleep well, IFTTT
can tell Smarter Coffee to brew you up a cup of
the strong stuff.
Samsung Smart Fridge, $3,599
The LCD display on this fridge is its portal
to a world of connective functionality. From
smartphone integration to TV playback and
calendar reminders, this fridge is less of a cooler
and more of an extension of what a smart home
on the IoT should be. It also recommends recipes
to make cooking a breeze.
HAPIfork, $79
Counting calories doesn’t have to be a nightmare,
especially with a fork that does the hard work for
you. This fork can tell if your bites are too big or if
you’re taking them too fast, and it records all the
information to be analyzed later.
The Future of the IoT — 6
IN THE CLASSROOM
"I can't securely or discreetly share sensitive digital
documents like grade reports with students in the
classroom."
SOLUTION: Smart Desks
While some schools have been distributing
tablets to students, others are looking further
into the future with smart desks like Buro.
This desk allows teachers to push sensitive
documents directly to students without the need
for extra peripherals. The computer within the
shelf can sync information between devices and
pull information from the cloud, utilizing user-
specific passwords to keep personal information
secure while allowing multiple classes to use
the same desks. Monitoring devices connected
to the desks can help teachers gauge when
students are paying attention and gear lesson
plans around that information for maximum
retention.
Desks like Buro won’t be limited to the classroom,
of course. Professionals who send and receive
sensitive documents can take advantage of
connected desks. Imagine a desk acting as
personal secretary, screening calls and sifting
through high-importance emails to make office
life simpler and smarter.
Buro isn't out for delivery yet, but the company
expects to begin selling its smart desks by the
end of 2016.
The Future of the IoT — 7
“I can't easily store or share information I write on a
chalkboard for multi-classroom collaboration or
off-site instruction."

SOLUTION: Smart Whiteboard PowerPoint presentation, but can actually engage

in the lesson with their peers.
Learning is not a static lecture, but an interactive
process. Teachers who understand that are WriteBoards also offer business utility. Multiple
clamoring for devices like the WriteBoard, which offices across the globe can use connected
promises to bring education into the IoT. WriteBoards to view, discuss, and even modify
content on the board as it’s created.
As a teacher writes on the WriteBoard, any
student with a connected device can watch the
handwriting play out in real time. That means
remote students don’t have to follow along with a

The Future of the IoT — 8

"My students seem distracted by note taking during
my lessons, and I can't easily monitor their notes to
ensure comprehension."
SOLUTION: Digital Note taking
Perhaps the greatest classroom IoT innovation
thus far is the smart pen.
Typically, students must keep their ears trained
to the instructor while furiously writing down as
much as they can. This results in several stuffed
notebooks, but not as much comprehension, as
students are forced to focus on the words of the
lecture instead of the content of the lesson.
Smart pens change the learning dynamic by
allowing students to focus on content. The
Livescribe pen records the audio of the lesson
for students, negating the need to write down
every last detail and letting them write down
only the key phrases and details they want to
emphasize.
When it’s time to review the notes later,
students can touch the smart pen to paper and
listen to that portion of the lecture through
the pen’s speaker, just as if the teacher were
standing there repeating the lesson.
Teachers can use these pens to record remote
lessons, too. A recording of a complex math
problem becomes an interactive learning
experience as the teacher writes using the
smart pen, records his or her explanation of
the process, and then uploads the lesson for
students to work through and examine.
Smart pen inventor Jim Marggraff envisions a
future where teachers and students collaborate
with each other by using smart pens to submit
assignments and receive personalized, audible
feedback. Marggraff wants students to be able
to take notes in textbooks during lectures and
leave valuable insight for anyone who wants to
hear it.
Look for next-generation styluses like the Apple
Pencil to build on the functionality of Livescribe.
The Apple Pencil works with iPads to help
students scribble, edit, sketch, and annotate
with ease.
What is the impact of digital
note taking?
• T
 aking notes improves information
retention. Learners have a 34 percent
chance of remembering information
when making a note, compared to just 5
percent without.
• N
 otes are not effective as
transcriptions and should be used to
remember key ideas and important
points.
• N
 otes should elaborate on ideas other
materials do not fully cover.
• C
 ombined with other resources, notes
should provide a reference of the most
important information to remember
and review.
The Future of the IoT — 9
ON THE FARM
“Manually inspecting hundreds of acres of crops is
tough. I wish technology could help me monitor plant
growth and soil quality from afar.”
SOLUTION: Crop and Soil Sensors Water isn’t the only challenge farmers face, of
course. Plants are constantly in danger of being
Crop and soil sensors allow farmers to monitor ruined by pests and insects, which can destroy
the health of their farms and address problems a season’s hard work and result in millions of
before they grow. For example, farmers who can dollars of losses. Modern agricultural IoT devices
monitor soil hydration levels across fields won’t can monitor plant growth — both en masse and
waste water through flood irrigation, which can individually — and feed information to pest-
cost thousands of dollars over time. Soil sensors control devices to lower the risk of crop loss.
will ease droughts, too, as plants will be watered
only when needed. Using the IoT, farmers will receive instant feedback
about farms’ well-being. Hidden dangers will
Measuring soil nutrients via IoT technology become predictable and combatable, resulting in
enables automatic adjustments of watering higher yields and eliminating catastrophic crop
and fertilizing schedules based on factors such losses.
as weather, time of year, and even crop type. In
drought-stricken areas and deserts, IoT technology
can provide savings and sustainability using only a
fraction of the manpower.

The Future of the IoT — 10

“My fields are spread across multiple regions. I
wish I could monitor environmental conditions at
different fields to ensure crops are getting enough
sun and/or water.”

SOLUTION: Weather Sensors

Weather-centric IoT solutions allow farmers to

continuously monitor environmental conditions Parameters measured include:
across farms and make judgments on where and
• Temperature
when to take action on that information.
• Humidity
One IoT solution provider, BioMachines, is
• Photosynthetically active
helping Indonesian cocoa farmers monitor and radiation (PAR)
react to environmental changes using real-time
measurement devices, cloud-based information • Soil water potential
systems, and NFC tags.

By recording environmental information
and transmitting it regularly to the cloud, What are NFC tags?
BioMachines’ IoT system helps farmers
NFC tags, or near field communication
make more informed decisions and establish
tags, let NFC-enabled devices transfer
sustainable farming practices in an area with
short bursts of information. Often
unpredictable weather that makes growing crops
contained in wristbands at conferences
challenging. and festivals, NFC chips allow users to
carry around sensitive information in
simple packages and transfer it to other
devices quickly and securely.

The Future of the IoT — 11

“With thousands of animals, it’s tough to know when
one is sick or needs my attention.”
SOLUTION: Biochips

Location chips have been common in Using biochip transponders on wireless sensor
domesticated animals for years, but more networks, farmers will monitor their animals’
advanced biochips connected to the IoT can do health information via smartphone apps. This
much more than pinpoint an animal’s location. application is just one example of the IoT’s
ability to outfit users with predictive methods of
Researchers at the University of Pretoria are maintenance and control.
working on biochips to help farmers detect
common diseases in their animals in early
stages, allowing them to head off not only
animal diseases that could affect farmers’
livelihoods, but also pandemics like mad cow
disease and avian influenza.

The Future of the IoT — 12

AROUND TOWN
“Waste management is so
Smart waste company
labor-intensive and inefficient. Enevo is leading
We could optimize routes and the charge toward
improve efficiency if we knew connected cities.
which dumpsters and trash Enevo has created a sensor
cans were full.” and software combination
that lets waste companies
know when garbage
SOLUTION: Trash Lid Sensors receptacles are full, along with
the current temperature of
Most people only think about waste services when the receptacle, how quickly it
the dumpster is overflowing, but what if technology should be emptied, and more.
could tell city officials when dumpsters and trash cans
were full? This technology is helping
cities plan collection routes,
This kind of system is close to becoming a reality and and Enevo says its new
will allow cities to plan waste pickup routes more technology can help cities
efficiently and charge consumers based on individual cut waste-management
usage. route costs in half. As the IoT
develops, Enevo’s technology
will be one of many pieces
Smart cities will use RFIDs, sensors, cameras, and
that make up a more efficient,
actuators to keep watch over waste levels within
reliable smart city.
their districts. These devices will relay the information
to drivers and administrators in real time, allowing
for smooth, active route planning while ensuring no
customers with full receptacles are overlooked.

The Future of the IoT — 13

“The city has grown, and localized pollution problems
are cropping up, but I can’t pinpoint their sources.”

SOLUTION: Air and Water Pollusion Sensors
Governments are cracking down on
environmental polluters, and tourists have begun
to avoid some of the most polluted areas in the
world in India and China. Connected products
will help cities gather information on pollutants,
identify potential sources, and assist authorities
with cleaning up the environment.
Students at the University of California, Berkeley,
have created a device called Clarity to help people
measure local air quality. This device takes small
“breaths” of air and counts pollutant particles
such as ammonia and nitrogen dioxide. The
device measures other factors as well, such as
temperature and humidity, to paint a clear picture
of the user’s environment.
This device has utility far beyond individual
information purposes. These devices will
crowdsource data they record about the air
(combined with geographical information and
time stamps) to create real-time global maps of
air quality, enabling scientists and governments
to take action before pollutants reaches critical
levels.

The Future of the IoT — 14

“It’s tough to get the word out to residents when
there’s a flood/fire/crime problem in their areas. It
would be great if emergency warning devices could
notify residents’ cellphones.”
SOLUTION: Emergency Alert Network
Today, we can’t know if crime is occurring a
block away unless we happen to see. But in the
future, weather stations, dispatch centers, and
even emergency vehicles like police cars will
beam out alerts to smartphones in the area if it
becomes unsafe.
Everbridge and Federal Signal have jointly
created a warning system like this to keep
citizens safe and informed. As these systems
become more commonplace, their capabilities
will grow, allowing people to escape potential
disasters such as floods and fires before they
venture unknowingly close to the danger.
How would it work?
• I f a fire starts, citizens nearby
receive advanced warning to
help them escape the fumes
and flames.
• L
 ocal warning systems transmit
weather warnings like tornado
alerts to people in the path of
storms or disasters.
• I f a violent crime occurs, citizens
are notified to find a safe hiding
place. Citizens stay safe, and
authorities have a clear path to
the offender.
The Future of the IoT — 15
ON THE ROAD
“We have so many bridges around the state that it’s
tough to monitor each of them for stress and damage,
and a collapse would be catastrophic.”
SOLUTION: Smart Bridges
Knowing when a bridge is nearing its limit is a
stressful responsibility, and bridge integrity can
be tough to gauge. In the future, infrastructural
sensors, wireless communication devices, and cloud
computers will collaboratively judge when bridges
or roadways need maintenance or are in danger of
collapse.
Several states have already started using the IoT
to monitor bridges and roadways, using sensors
to discover the structures in greatest need. The
systems in place are still somewhat primitive, but
more predictive maintenance systems are coming.
Many states already use toll-ticketing systems, such
as FastTrak, but passive UHF technology on the IoT
can improve and streamline this process.
• 7
 3 percent of regular U.S. traffic travels over
state-owned bridges.
• 9
 0 percent of truck traffic uses the
same bridges.
• T
 he American Association of State
Highway and Transportation officials
reports that about 25 percent of state
bridges needs repairs.
• T
 he cost to make these repairs would be
$140 billion.
• The average American bridge is 43 years old.
Case study:
South Carolina has used connected
sensors to monitor bridge integrity
for several years. Built by Lifespan
Technologies, these sensors
send data to the South Carolina
Department of Transportation
(SCDOT) continuously.
This has improved safety, but it
has also helped South Carolina
identify flaunters of infrastructural
weight restrictions. For instance,
if a South Carolina bridge senses a
weight violation, the system sends
authorities a text to take action.
The sensors have led to at least one
major tip for the SCDOT. When South
Carolina’s state bridge engineer
noticed sensors spiking at night, he
investigated and discovered that
several lumber trucks were using
a certain bridge to avoid weigh
stations. Using the information from
the sensors, police waited at the
bridge to ticket drivers and prevent
them from damaging the bridge
further.
The Future of the IoT — 16
“We need to upgrade our tolling systems to reduce
congestion and ensure drivers are paying their fair share.”
SOLUTION: Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Tag System
Current systems are inefficient and imperfect,
with few capturing 100 percent of toll tags.
Passive UHF technology requires no battery in
the tag, allowing tag readers to send out energy
to activate tags in vehicles and read the reflected
signals that contain the encoded serial number.
These advanced systems will allow governments
to get accurate toll numbers and prevent citizens
from dealing with the headaches that accompany
false readings.
How to toll collection
systems work?
1. A car with the toll tag pulls into a toll
lane that has an automated system.
2. The passive reader in the booth emits
a signal, which activates the car’s toll
tag when it enters the signal’s vicinity.
3. The passive reader records
information received by the car’s
tag and passes that information to a
remote computer.
4. The reader computer sends data to a
central system for billing. The central
system then deducts the toll from the
customer’s account.
The Future of the IoT — 17
“People are hesitant to use buses because they never
know if they’ll arrive on time. Our team wants to know
buses are operating safely and on-route.”
SOLUTION: Connected Buses The IoT can do more than simply keep track of
buses’ locations, however. Equipping sensors to
No one likes wondering where the bus is when vehicles will allow maintenance crews to know
he or she has an appointment. Using connected when a vehicle needs an oil change, new brakes,
vehicles, drivers and dispatchers can help one or an engine tune-up. Sensors can also notify
another keep things running smoothly. dispatchers if drivers take unnecessary risks on
the road. Eventually, analysis of this data will
Digital screens at bus stops can display allow software to create maximally efficient bus
connected buses’ locations to the people waiting, routes based on ridership information.
along with estimated arrival times, so patrons
know when to expect the bus to arrive. City
personnel can monitor connected buses’ speeds
and locations to ensure they are operating safely,
efficiently, and on schedule.

The Future of the IoT — 18

WHERE IoT Will Blur the Line Between
Products and Services
WILL Marketers and salespeople want to do more than sell
products; they want to build communities around them.

THE IoT
Packaging the service of the IoT with a product integrates
one item with others around it, creating an environment in
which products become more than the sum of their parts.

BE BY Hardware and Software

2020?
Engineering Will Become One
Software engineers are already beginning to play a
greater role in hardware development. This means rapid
prototyping and agile methodologies will become more
common in hardware as almost all new products become
part of the IoT.

We Will Stop Calling It ‘IoT’

By 2020, the interconnectivity and service layer that’s all
the rage today will become a standard feature for new
products. We will expect our products to improve our lives
through connectivity just like we expect our televisions to
be flat-screens.

The Future of the IoT — 19

Yeti LLC is a product-focused development and
design studio located in San Francisco.

It works to develop game-changing products and

partner with companies to improve their product
development processes. Yeti has performed product
research, design, rapid prototyping and training
for clients such as Google, Sony, Westfield Labs,
Qualcomm, WeatherNews, and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology's economics department.

For best practices and insights on product

development and innovation, check out
the Yeti blog and resource center.

For questions related to product development,

innovation, or Yeti’s services, please contact us.

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The Future of the IoT — 20