How Small, Sophisticated Sensors are Building a Global Nervous System

Featured article by Calvin Paige, Independent Technology Author

If it seems like everyone on the planet has some type of personal electronics and that the number of tech devices that can connect to another device is growing by leaps and bounds, you are correct. In fact, last year there were 8.4 billion connected devices in the Internet of Things (IoT); by 2020, this number is expected to jump to 20.4 billion. Because of the proliferation of smart devices like security cameras, refrigerators and more, this 8.4 billion figure is actually about a billion more than the total population of the world. In other words, we now have more connected devices than people.

Within this huge variety of devices, which includes computers, medical devices and personal electronics, there are a number of small and sophisticated sensors that are forming a worldwide nervous system of sorts. To understand how this Earthly neural network is coming about, consider the following examples:

5G Technology helping to connect the planet

When 4G technology was first launched, technophiles were excited about the way it helped to advance the mobile internet. Now, thanks to the upcoming 5G technology, the mobile network will not only connect people, but also interconnect and control machines, devices and objects. 5G will effortlessly connect the aforementioned huge number of embedded sensors in a variety of devices.

As Huawei notes, as the popularity of “wearable” technology grows, 5G will help connect these devices to the network, as well as open the doors for new types of related products. Ultra-light and extremely thin sensors could be implanted into sportswear, which can monitor not only the atmospheric conditions but also the wearer’s vital statistics. This collected info will be sent by the sensors to a database, where a system will analyze it and send back messages to the wearers that will help them avoid risking their health.

Smart factory sensors

Smart factories can use connected sensors to keep tabs on factory conditions, ensuring that everything is running as smoothly as possible. Imagine a sensor that can detect vibrations — it can tell when a factory motor is vibrating and needs to be fixed. Sophisticated sensors can also track how the assembly line is doing in cranking out products, monitor the temperature inside the factory and detect any safety issues.

Sensors in the medical field

In addition to clothing that can monitor our heart rates and how hot it is outside, the global system of sensors will also have an impact on medical devices. For instance, consider a sensor that will monitor a person’s heart rate and how active they are, and combine this data with a neural network that looks at the person’s heart rate information over time; this could allow a device to alert the wearer to issues like an abnormal heart rhythm.

Self-driving cars

You have probably seen the news stories about how self-driving cars are being tested in certain areas of the country — or maybe you have even seen one in your neighborhood. As a global nervous system grows, these self-driving cars will be connected with sensors in the road that can impact a number of things. For example, if a self-driving car is on its way to the airport, another self-driving car that encounters road construction and delays can relay a message to the first car, alerting it to take a different route.

While it may be difficult to grasp the concept of ubiquitous sensors all around the globe, connecting our devices, it definitely seems to be the wave of the future. This global nervous system appears to have a number of positive attributes that will help improve our health, our industries and our transportation — over time, this list is certain to grow.