Why is AIoT an essential element of continuous technological innovation?

With many technologies already operating at the edge, we are beginning to see the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), namely artificial intelligence Internet of Things (AIoT). AIoT is a term that refers to the application of AI to IoT. This is a relatively new phenomenon and represents the realization of many simple digital connections between hardware devices. As AI gets closer to the edge and enters various devices such as sensors, cameras, and mobile devices, it can make embedded devices smarter, and in many cases, no longer requires a lot of cloud-based computing. Instead, the analysis can be performed directly in the device, thereby eliminating all delays in the process.

Although the concept of AIoT is relatively new, it is important to understand how it will change our daily lives in the near future. Here are some of the opportunities we expect to see related to AIoT:

Smart cars, smart cities

Regarding how AIoT technology can be applied, autonomous vehicles (AV) are a good example. A self-driving car has multiple cameras for target recognition, computer vision, lane warning and driver fatigue monitoring, etc., in addition to other sensors for sensor fusion (for example, thermal imaging, radar, and lidar sensors). By processing the collected data at the edge, the bandwidth requirements for data entering and leaving the vehicle are minimized, thereby avoiding the delay of data analysis. In places where the connection is prone to problems or when the delay is critical (such as when a vehicle is driving at high speed), it is no exaggeration to say that edge processing may be the difference between life and death.

Another application case is smart cities, where AIoT will enable increasingly smart edge devices to not only become data generators, but also data aggregators, data exchange platforms, and data-driven decision makers. In cities, this means that cars can continuously get the latest information provided by street infrastructure and other vehicles, thereby reducing or eliminating traffic congestion. Data sharing can achieve better traffic routing decisions, and at the same time can clear roads for emergency vehicles to make them pass faster. In the future, we will see the "dialogue" between cars and traffic lights, lampposts and street signs.

AIoT technology can provide further support for smart cities, which will enable informed choices based on real-time and predictive information. For example, we all know how frustrating it is that we see outdated information on the road sign because the human controller did not update it, or we were not advised to go out from the next exit, and turned out to be part of the traffic jam. Vehicle-to-vehicle (v2v) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (v2x) data sharing will ensure that there are no obstacles in the vehicle's progress. Soon, v2v and v2x will become standards - but this also requires AIoT technology to be included in trillions of sensors.

Smart city applications will also monitor the urban environment, check air quality, and alert people when pollution levels rise, while re-planning traffic to avoid traffic jams and car exhaust accumulation in specific areas.

Factory and retail

AIoT will have an impact on the way factory workers work. The factory of the future will become safer, because the former "silent" industrial robots and robotic vehicles will use AIoT technology to "perceive" their surrounding environment. These robots will ensure that if someone enters their vicinity, they will immediately understand what is happening and return to safe mode. As fast robots moving at high speeds in warehouses move goods around, it can be said that the smarter they become, the safer the warehouse floor will be for us "soft machines".

We will also start to see more smart stores like Amazon Go. Shoppers can choose their product, maybe a bottle of drink or a sandwich, and when they leave the store, the cost of the product will be deducted from their bank account, their points will also be updated, and the shelf will be automatically replenished. All of this will come from the actions performed by the sensors and cameras in the store (supported by AIoT technology).

Medical insurance

In the healthcare field, we all know about wearable fitness devices, but we will increasingly see edge devices that can check various physical conditions, from breath biopsy to insulin regulation. Indeed, in this field, we will see these devices become inexpensive, high-quality, and ubiquitous, so that medical staff can accurately track and evaluate global diseases, and assist them in more effective diagnosis for all of us, give correct prescriptions and monitor medical results.

The future is here

It is exciting to think of the concepts that we will benefit from soon, and AIoT is one of the technologies that can help us achieve such goals. Even now, we are also seeing the next stage of AI computing is shifting to the edge, such as executing in the local cabinet rather than in the cloud. Therefore, we are taking many small steps towards the future. In the future, AIoT will be widely deployed in our cars, cities, factories, shops, and throughout our lives to create a better life.