30 Applications Available for the Connected Space

We’ve spoken a lot about the connected space and the individual, internet-enabled devices which contribute to it. But what we haven’t done, is create one comprehensive list of the applications available for use within each connected space. The devices and technologies which will power those spaces and enable them to become smarter. 

In this guide we’ve pulled together 30 applications that could be used within the connected space environment right now. Looking at sensor systems, data trackers, digital screen applications and more that will make our offices, healthcare centres and retail outlets far smarter than they’ve ever been before. 

Healthcare

1. GlowCap is a small application which measures out daily medication and dosages. This allows carers, or individuals, to better manage health medication, from within the connected healthcare space or at home. It also allows care teams or Doctors to measure how often medication is being taken or missed. 

2. Zanthion is a medical alert system that is worn by a patient, either through clothing or an item of jewellery. The system is connected to sensors which help measure where someone is (for example, helping to see if they’ve fallen out of bed). The devices then connect to a mobile app which can be employed by loved ones, who can track how an elderly relative is doing at any time and communicate with other relatives as needed. 

3. ScreenCloud (our product) is currently being used in healthcare centres to provide digital screens which contribute to better health and can change content dynamically, in order to better serve patient and doctor needs. Digital signage is a method that’s available to all medical centres and one which can be implemented now.

4. Up by Jawbone is a fitness tracker that can be used to monitor all aspects of health, from weight and sleep patterns, to activity and diet, to allow the user to make better health decisions based on data.  

5. Wireless sensors are being used in hospital refrigerators, freezers and laboratories to ensure that blood samples, medications and other materials are kept at the proper temperature. This removes a job that would usually be done manually by staff members.

Hospitality

6. Robot concierges are being used in hotels such as the Henn-na in Japan, which help to reduce staff number and allow guests to check-in automatically.

7. Miami airport have implemented a mobile app called MIA Airport Official which feeds off of a connected network of 400 beacons. The primary function is to help passengers navigate specific stores or services, to find luggage carousels and receive live check in information. On the other side, the airport receives refined metrics on who did what and when.

8. The Space Case is a smart suitcase that comes with GPS, fingerprint locks and speakers. This makes the location of lost luggage apparent in seconds and helps travellers to better track their luggage.

9. Costa Express CEM-200* is a self-service cafe that allows you to order by touchscreen, pay cashless and see personalized digital signage, without the need of any physical store staff.

Education

10. Voice user interfaces (VUIs) paired with digital signage are changing how educational staff can interact with students within the connected education space. Digital screens, led by voice, can be used to share information, news feeds, videos, images and more, to aid learning within the classroom.

11. Micro:bit computers, often used in schools, can be networked with sensors, allowing students or teachers to turn regular devices into internet-enabled things.

12. Microsoft’s Seeing Artificial Intelligence app can currently be used in schools, run via the student’s smartphone or a special pair of glasses. The app gives a play-by-play account of people, objects and even emotional context, that would help students to hear and feel what’s going on around them, providing a richer learning and social experience.

13. Glogster is an interactive means of creating posters that pulls together images, media files, videos, audio and text, useful for students who want to collate information outside of the classroom and present it in a new way.

Retail

14. Beacons such as Apple’s iBeacon and Eddystone are already being used in retail, to serve specific offers, codes and information to retailers using geofencing. These networks support Android, iOS and platforms that can pair with BLE beacons, making widescale rollout fairly simple to achieve.

15. Scanalytics uses floor sensor analytics to measure how many people cross over it and how long they browsed in a certain area within a store setting. Tracking shopper numbers and how long shoppers stay stationary, which all lead to better analysis for store managers.

16. AlertTech is another IoT application which offers sensor tracking systems. These pick up total fitting room visits, numbers of calls to staff and the staff response time, giving the store owners metrics that can be analyzed at a crucial point of decision-making.

17. Then you have smart products such as the L’Oreal smart hairbrush, which can tell if it’s being brushed on wet or dry hair, has a microphone to listen and analyze sounds of the brushing and uses algorithms to score the user’s hair.

18. Inventory management apps allow stores to link together supply chains, manufacturers, in-store product stock and real time information on product location, origin and status.  

Workplace

19. Most of the devices in your workplace could be controlled by Amazon Echo which uses voice assistant Alexa. This would create interactive meeting screens, presentation outlets and large-scale project management dashboards. 

20. The Wink Hub 2 connects a series of devices that can be used to control your complete office environment, linking up lighting controls and other smart systems that turn your workplace into a connected space.

21. The Netgear Arlo and other security devices offer a wireless, weatherproof way to track surveillance of your workplace. Features include two-way audio and sound-triggered recording as well as the ability to store video and remove it using a USB stick.

22. Philips Hue allows workplaces to control lighting systems on a mass scale, ensuring that lights are turned off across weekends and vacation periods and to adjust lighting to mirror natural circadian rhythms.

23. Digital signage enabled meeting rooms using a system like ScreenCloud will help make rooms smarter and allow staff to change meeting schedules and bookings using a calendar system paired with email calendar systems, that are controllable from anywhere.

24. Condeco Software has developed an infrared heat detection sensor system that provides an in-depth understanding of the movement of workers within a more connected work environment.

25. Simplicikey is currently marketed at a home audience but could easily be used across the workplace, to enable workers a remote, keyless entry to specific buildings or offices.

Events

26. Devices such as Footfall allow tradeshows and individual exhibition booths to track footfall and dwell time to compare how each area of an event has performed.

27. RFID-enabled badges such as those by IDentilam or Noodle Live, allow event organizers to track attendance and areas of participation by delegates. They also offer a way to provide gated access to any area.

28. Digital signage within events, is able to offer dynamic displays that update as the weather changes, news breaks or to use real time social media data or attendee feedback. Keeping everyone across the event up to date with what’s happening, as it happens.

29. Toyota, Nissan, General Motors and Google are perfecting self-driving cars which could be used within large events and tradeshows to help participants navigate different halls and areas more easily, without adding strain to public transport systems.

30. Humavox offers wireless charging solutions to devices such as smartphones, laptops, PCs and smart watches. This could help event attendees and organizers, who are often limited on power supplies within a temporary event setup, to ensure their devices stay online.

What IoT applications do you see making a big different to the connected space? Let us know @screencloud.