6 Internet of Things Startups to Watch

by Startacus Admin

6 Internet of Things Startups to Watch

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been explained in greater detail by our fearless leader (that’s Alastair Cameron)- but in short, it’s where everyday objects have network connectivity. Soon, you won’t need to leave the comfort of your armchair to do anything, and here are 6 startups helping to make that a reality. 

nCube

nCube Home is ‘the brain at your home’s heart’. Unlike the Pierce Brosnan Simpsons’ episode, it won’t develop a personality, fall in love with you, and try to kill your spouse, but it will control all of your smart tech devices from a single app. Afraid that you may have left the oven on? If it’s connected to nCube, you can pick up your phone and turn it off, along with the lights that the children forgot to switch off. If your children have a curfew, or you’re rich enough to employ a cleaner, you can check that they are doing what they are supposed to, where and when they’re supposed to, by accessing cameras and keeping tabs on what appliances are in use.  

Chirp 

If you were being very strict with your terminology, you might well argue that Chirp isn’t exactly within the Internet of Things, but rather the…Sound of Things? The point of Chirp is that it doesn’t need an internet connection to work and can even function when your phone is in airplane mode. Any device with a speaker or microphone can send and receive data, because Chirp does so through sound. 

Pictures, text, sounds, videos… It can all be turned into a sonic link and transferred to another device. Even the oldest radio can be used to transfer data to a Chirp-enabled device, providing a proximity engagement alternative to beacons and internet connectivity.

KisanHub

KisanHub is integrated data analytics and monitoring for farmers and growers. What that means, we eventually established, is that KisanHub’s network of sensors will monitor a farmer’s land, providing information on rainfall, crop growth, irrigation, cloud cover, wind speed, temperature, and a variety of other factors necessary for a farmer to minimise stress and maximise yield. It might not turn your lights on for you, but it would be hard to argue against its usefulness. Farmers already have a hard job, so anything to give them a helping hand is surely welcome. 

Blue Sense Networks

Blue Sense Networks is a proximity engagement solution for businesses using iBeacons and other smart technology. Without companies like this, proximity engagement wouldn’t be what it is now. Proximity advertising, home automation, interior navigation, interactive museum/gallery guides, and much more, can reach their full potential with hardware, software, and development tools from companies like Blue Sense Networks. 

AdhereTech

With all of the things that are possible with the Internet of Things, focusing on something as small as reminding people to take their medication might seem somehow inadequate. Until you look at the numbers. In the US alone, medical costs directly related to a lack of medication adherence (sticking to medication regimens) are around $100 billion annually. Depending on the condition that the medication is prescribed to treat, serious complications and repercussions can result from non-adherence.

Sensors within AdhereTech’s pill bottles will detect when a single pill or as little as one liquid millimetre is removed. If the patient does not adhere to their prescription regimen, the service reminds them with lights and sounds from the bottle itself, as well as a text message or phone call. Yes, it is a small thing, but potentially saving 125,000 lives per year in the US alone, it suddenly doesn’t seem so inadequate, does it? 

eyeHand

The eyeHand could have easily been included in our article about wearable technology, but the majority of its uses are firmly based within the Internet of Things. The eyeHand is a wearable smartphone that can be used for so much more: as a 3D mouse/controller, a health and fitness monitor, a biometric key and wallet, and a controller for all your IoT devices.

Imagine being able to fulfil practically all of your tech-based needs via a bracelet that projects images onto your palm and fingers. Turn on your home’s heating, lock your car, control your TV, make a video call. Of all the things listed in this article, eyeHand sounds the most like science fiction, but it’s easy to imagine such a thing becoming a standard hub for all your tech needs. 

• #internet of things
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Published on: 12th April 2016