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Many 21st-century devices are smart, but far fewer are chatty and intuitive too. Rochester-area high-tech companies want to change that by helping more objects interact and sense internal and external subtleties.
The concept behind their effort is known as the Internet of Things, and it appears poised to transform industry and even daily life.
"In short, what it means is making everyday things somewhat more intelligent with a sensor and even processing and output devices," says George Daddis Jr., president and CEO of Rochester-based Omni-ID Inc., considered the No. 1 provider of industrial radio-frequency identification tags - a key driver of the Internet of Things. "So they can be predictive or they can take a number of actions on our behalf, even without commands to do so."
In particular, the Internet of Things has the potential to usher in industry optimizations and cost savings as well as increased public safety, convenience and consumer choice. Sensor-enabled street lighting could adapt to the weather; trucks transporting delicate goods could alert their drivers to upcoming potholes; retailers could be more precise about pre-positioning inventory.
Researchers and high-tech professionals maintain that widespread adoption of the concept is just a matter of time.
According to Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group, some 25 billion devices will become connected to the Internet this year, followed by 50 billion in 2020. The very definition of "things" will morph along...