Fast Forward to the Internet of Things

There have been some truly amazing advances in technology over the past decade, particularly with regard to mobile communications and global access to information. Hardly a day goes by when each of us doesn’t use the internet or a mobile phone. Put simply, these innovations are now an essential part of everyday life. But have you ever wondered where all these technological advances are leading? Well, the answer to that question just might be The Internet of Things.

So what is it and why should you be interested? The UK’s Technology Strategy Board neatly sums it up: “The Internet of Things describes the trend for environments, buildings, vehicles, clothing, portable devices and other objects to have more and more information associated with them and the ability to sense, communicate, network and produce new information. A widespread Internet of Things could transform how we live in our cities, how we travel, how we manage our lives sustainably, how we age, and how services and entertainment accompany us and adapt as our surroundings change.”

One example of how the Internet of Things might one day affect you is the desire to create a Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure. The GPII aims to ensure that everyone who faces accessibility barriers due to disability, literacy, or aging can access and use the Internet and all its information and services. The aim is that it will store your personal preferences and use them to automatically personalise the interface of any phone, computer, cash point or ticket machine that you use. For instance, simply swiping a card or scanning your fingerprint will reconfigure any internet enabled machine to display information or communicate with you on your preferred terms.

Imagine wherever you go and whatever device you use it will instantly change its interface to fit your needs. No longer will you need to figure out how to adapt, configure or install the access features that you need. The Internet of Things will make all this possible, so that in the future any machine you use will automatically reconfigure itself to present information to you using your preferred fonts, text size, screen brightness and colour contrast. Alternatively, if you prefer to have the information read out to you, then this too will be possible.

If you want to find about more, visit the GPII's website to view an animation that explains the concept in more detail. It’d be great to hear your views on the future of technology, or any ideas you have on how the Internet of Things may change the lives of blind and partially sighted people.