CES ASIA, SHANGHAI: While IoT services are becoming more widespread, less than optimal interfaces are slowing uptake and limiting the vast potential of new IoT applications, panellists in a session on the subject at CES Asia said.

Ichiro Amimori, CEO of smart clothing company Xenoma (pictured, right) explained a big issue is many people aren’t comfortable with the technology. He argued he smartphone isn’t always the best interface for connecting to the internet, as demonstrated by people walking around with their eyes glued to the screen and often bumping into objects.

Xenoma wants to connect people to the internet via sensors in clothing which measure body functions and send data to the cloud. He said the look of its garments is still quite futuristic, targeting largely techie types, but added it will be making “normal” looking designs in two years.

“People shouldn’t feel the technology, but we’re not there. If we can optimise the interface to the internet for humans, then more people will immerse themselves in IoT services,” he said.

Yao Zhang, founder and CEO of educational robotics products maker Roboterra (pictured, left), agreed: “Touchscreens are so natural for the digital generation. IoT has to be that way. The physical layer of the IoT world depends on strong sensors as well as communication protocols on how all the hardware communicates with each other and how data is processed.”

She said all the major players at CES Asia, which took place 7 June to 9 June, were pushing their own IoT platform or standard: “Everyone is trying to become the industry standard, which will take time. But all the parts are not connected yet.”

The bigger issue, she asked, is do we really want a single monopoly player to control the IoT infrastructure?

Classroom robots
Roboterra is working to bring robots into the classroom to teach children to learn to code in a gamified way. Yao said robots are essentially moving sensors, which allows educators to measure how much time a child spends on a task and how they use specific components to complete certain challenges: “This provides feature-engineered feedback, which is the basis for adaptive learning.”

Yao noted the top bike-sharing companies in China have signed up 20 million active users in just two years. With each user making a $5 deposit, the companies have quickly gained extremely high valuations and are among the top 50 most-valued startups in the world.

“This is what IoT means – from the new hardware to the ways it is shaping our lives. The speed of change is really beyond the imagination,” she said.

There are an estimated 29 bike-share companies in China.

Sushi supply chain
Showing how commonplace IoT is now in Japan, Amimori gave the example of how the supply of sushi at chain restaurants is centrally controlled using IoT systems, with RFID chips on tuna dishes: “If one restaurant is running low, then another restaurant can send sushi to the other.”

This improves efficiency and allows a restaurant to be run by just one or two people: “IoT is already here.”

He said artificial intelligence (AI) is improving very quickly, pointing to AlphaGo, an AI computer programme developed by Alphabet’s Google, recently defeating the Chinese master of a board game named Go without connecting to a huge server.

Amimori predicted advances in language translation will mean in ten years we won’t need simultaneous translation at conferences, with smartphones able to do the job.