I used to joke about how every aspect of our homes and lives will soon have smart capabilities. I would laugh at the possibility of even our water bottles becoming self-aware. I'm not laughing now, as there truly are smart water bottles on the market today. It's true that we are living in an IoT world, and the possibilities are endless.
This week Avnet is the title sponsor at the Internet of Things World conference taking place in Santa Clara, Calif. “IoT is about the things, and the data that these things collect, to enhance our lives every day,” said Lou Lutostanski, Avnet’s vice president, Internet of Things. Amid those trends, the company will showcase its idea of a "Smart Neighborhood" -- displaying how the Internet of Things impacts people throughout their day.
Avnet IoT Customer Demonstrations
Some of Avnet's customers will have demonstrations inside the Smart Neighborhood including...
- Owlet: Avnet helped to guide the Owlet sock to market. The sock monitors a baby's heart rate and oxygen and will alert parents if anything seems abnormal.
- Rubicon Global: Privatizing waste removal for businesses with this platform claims to help reduce waste and recycling costs for businesses. Rubicon connects independent haulers with businesses to drive down waste service costs to help them become more efficient and sustainable.
- Twyst: With Avnet’s support, Twyst designed the “Smart Bag." The product allows stores to monitor what is placed inside the bag to allow the customer to check out without waiting in lines. This helps bring the online experience to any brick and mortar store.
- Ubicquia: Avnet has worked with Ubicquia to make smart cities. Ubicquia's plug and play device can turn any streetlight into a public wifi hotspot, and allow it to detect gas leaks and gunshots to alert response teams. It can also add-on a camera to record data or even control the light itself.
Avnet IoT Solutions Development
Avnet will also show off starter kits, which help partners to develop IoT solutions.
Voice based commands: They are displaying how the popular Amazon Alexa Home-Automation leverages the Avnet BCM4343W IoT Starter Kit and Avnet BCM4343W IoT SoC Module. The result: Voice-activated commands can control lights and appliances inside a home.
LTE security cameras: Using the AT&T LTE IoT Add-on Kit from Avnet, the company will show how a company can create a security camera system using an LTE network instead of a home based wifi signal. Giving more freedom for the placement of the cameras, especially for a large warehouse or field where wifi may not reach all areas of the business.
Cloud sensors: While it is difficult to display how a device can sense humidity and pressure inside of an environment, in the booth the company will show this with colored lights. Avnet will demonstrate how the platform uses Raspberry Pi Sense HAT and the AT&T LTE IoT Add-on Kit from Avnet for environmental data to trigger a command within a device through the cloud.
IoT application development : Avnet has also announced a new kit called Visible Things Industrial IoT Starter Kit. The company claims it is a complete development solution that should allow engineers to get their IoT systems and applications quickly designed, tested and deployed. In addition to displaying this new kit, Avnet will promote the already launched Visible Things kit -- which is an edge to enterprise IoT platform that connects smart devices with various sensor technologies into a central dashboard.
Avnet's IoT push is the result of extensive R&D over the past few years. The company recently sold off its Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) business -- which distributed enterprise gear -- to focus on its core business and emerging opportunities like IoT.
