One of the bigger problems with getting smart cities into the modern age is getting all the collected data from one spot to another. It’s all well and good that you’ve set up the traffic lights to transmit and receive data from a central hub, but how to do you link the lights with that hub? How do you combat the interference of other radio waves in big cities?
Thankfully, there are already people on the job of making this dream scenario a reality. For example, Sony has invented an IoT chip that can beam data across 60 miles!
How the Chip Works
The chip itself is designed with busy cities in mind, so it will be ready for large-scale use the moment it’s rolled out. Not only can it transmit data over such a long distance, but it can also do so through noisy city environments where interference is rife.
What’s more, the chip doesn’t use a lot of power, which makes it great for battery-powered devices. It even comes with a GPS installed, so it can be used in tracking operations. This low power profile and GPS signal means this chip can be used in a lot of different devices.
In fact, Sony claims this chip will be found in a “broad range of IoT devices, aiming to develop various services making the most of stable wireless communications over long distances and while moving at high speeds, thereby creating a new market.”
The Implications of this Chip
This chip is an amazing development for the world of IoT. Previously, devices had to rely on sending data to the cloud, which would then be passed on to a central hub. This opened up potential issues with downtime: if the cloud goes down, the data collection also comes to a halt. With this chip, it can simply beam its results home directly, skipping out on the middle man in the process.
Its GPS capabilities are also very promising. Imagine two devices that can track the other as long as they’re both within 60 miles. This makes it great for keeping track of a teammate in a rural area where a 4G connection may not be available.
Do you hate how basic package tracking can be? Imagine if each delivery truck had one of these chips in it that could relay its location directly to the delivery office. You’d be able to see your package being delivered in real time without the delivery truck needing an Internet connection to upload its location to the cloud.
How Close to Release Is the Chip?
Unfortunately, this invention isn’t very close to being used in a neighborhood near you. At the moment, it’s only being tested in Japan, and with a waiting list of interested companies. Said companies then need to implement the chip and test it out in their products.
If it’s a hit, however, there’s nothing to say we won’t see said products make it in a worldwide release. If the claims are as good as they say they are, we’ll see long-distance IoT communication as a daily occurrence!
Thinking Miles Ahead
Getting data from one place to another is a big problem in IoT, but Sony is already working on a very long-distance chip that could solve a lot of teething problems. It’s not close to public release yet, but let’s hope that it lives up to the expectation.
Are you excited for this new technology? Let us know below.
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