It’s still very early days for the “Internet of things” movement which seems to have caught everyone’s fancy. Intel, like every other company today, wants in on it, so they had a whole section dedicated to connected devices at their MWC booth this year. We checked some devices out, to give you an idea of what Intel powered connected devices are like.
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Wearables are, undoubtedly, at the forefront of “Internet of things”. Intel had two interesting devices to show, the first one being the Basis Peak Smartwatch/Smart fitness band. Basis is a company that Intel recently acquired and is well known for its fitness products.
The Peak smartwatch is made for fitness freaks who obsess over every minute amount of fitness data that they can gather, like the usual steps taken, heart rate, sleep patterns and so on. Intel says that the Basis Peak is one of the best in tracking sleep, accurately. The watch, which is comfortable to wear, can also interface with your phone for notifications and minimal levels of control over Bluetooth. Like most fitness trackers, it has its own app that mines all this data.
The next device we checked out was the SMS headset, equipped with a heart rate monitor. Apparently athletes, to account for better heart rate monitoring, use chest straps while running. The smartwatch is less intrusive, but is a device that you have to carry along as well. The SMS headset, is well, a headset that you always have with you, and if you want, it can track your heart rate, without requiring any additional device or power. The sensor is on one of the ear pieces and it gets all its power from your smartphone’s 3.5mm audio jack. When you are running and listening to music, this sends heart rate data to your phone. Considering the fact that SMS audio is huge in Europe, it’s a good foray into IoT for Intel.
The last one is even better. We had taken a look at a connected helmet, powered by the Intel Edison. The helmet, powered by the small integrated chipset, interfaces with a motorcycle, which is also powered by the Edison. The helmet can read the indicator lights, has microphones in-built for voice recognition and of course, has headphones inside. The interfacing is done over Bluetooth or WiFi depending on the implementation, and the whole idea is to make the helmet a part of the smarter ride. You can issue voice commands to know how much fuel is left, get directions to a place without touching your smartphone and do so much more, all thanks to the diminutive Intel Edison.
With more and more companies wanting in on the Internet of things pie, Intel, yet again, wants to be the actuator, providing the platform for developers to make interesting implementations. We loved the idea of a connected helmet for motorcycle riders and the idea of a powerless heart rate monitor inside an ear piece. The potential is great, ideas are plenty and it is about time they both came together in the form of products, which Intel would hope to power.