How the Internet of Things is Going to Change Your Life (Whether You Like it Or Not)

The Internet of Thing is about to take over your consoles, your homes, your cars, your towns and cities, and just about every inanimate object or device in your life. The rollout of connected ‘things’ and smart tech is already happening faster than we can blink, so there’s no avoiding the inevitable evolution. Here are the ways that the Internet of Things is going to change your life – whether you like it or not.

1. Everything will be connected

According to this infographic below, there will be billions of devices connected to the internet by 2020. Including electricals and appliances, phones and tablets, navigation systems, in-car entertainment systems, wearable devices and much more.

(Image source: RS Online)

Imagine a world where toasters can time your bread to perfection, appliances can order your groceries when you are running out, gaming robots become a reality, and entertainment and security systems are all linked to the web for easy access from any remote location.

2. Gaming will be more interactive

Things like online gaming communities and motion capture technology are already common features in the world of PC gaming and consoles. With the advancement in the Internet of Things, there will be a whole new dimension of game playing.

The IoT will bridge the gap between real gaming spaces and the virtual world, especially for casinos and gambling. New technology to look forward to includes things such as VR devices and TUI (Tangible User Interface).

An example of TUI gaming technology right now:

(Image source: Wikimedia)

3. Virtual reality will be a big deal

With the use of Artificial Intelligence, gaming will become much more sophisticated. And augmented reality or VR devices will work in conjunction with wearable devices for a truly impressive gaming experience that feels real and true to life. Pokemon Go is one of the best examples of this happening already and the transfer of in-device to in-your-world gaming will help to turn gamers into protagonists within their own virtual stories.

4. More fun on the go

There will be a huge rise of mobile gaming. Already the fastest growing sector within the whole gaming industry, mobile is set to get even bigger.

The Internet of Things will ensure that everyone is connected to the web at all times. Wherever they are in the world, whatever time of day. And gaming will not be restricted to smartphones and tablets only. As more and more ‘dumb’ devices turn smart, there will be opportunities to game on just about anything you can get your hands on. This is a huge opportunity for the gaming industry.

5. Brands will be targeting the ‘phygital’ generation

We will enter into a ‘phygital’ world where consumers want things such as 360 video, eLearning, virtual reality, interactive ride films and augmented reality. This will see brands, engineers, designers and manufacturers catering to a new kind of customer or user.

Giants such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon will be setting new benchmarks for interactivity and connectivity. And consumers will inevitably want more and more from their everyday objects.

Eventually, we will reach a point where if you can imagine it, someone can build it. The future of gaming, technology and devices will be completely revolutionised by the Internet of Things. And it will be exciting to see what comes next….

This post was written by Ashley Fleming, a writer and designer who is based in the North of England. Ashley likes to write about tech, movies, TV and anything else that takes his fancy.