Transcript 0:00 [on-hold music] Today, what's really happened is sensors can monitor situations for us and let us know when there is a need to step in, and this is what we talk about where technology's really the best at. 0:15 So that's exactly what we're doing right now, is we're thinking and talking about ways to leverage the Internet of things, IoT, to keep humans from needing to interact when they don't have to, to keep them safe. 0:30 [upbeat music] Welcome to The Peggy Smedley Show, the podcasting voice of IoT and digital transformation, with your host, Peggy Smedley. 0:54 Hello, listeners, and welcome to today's edition of The Peggy Smedley Show. As always, I'm your host, Peggy Smedley. I hope you are all well and safe. 1:03 It's just a crazy time right now, and I hope we are getting closer to seeing an end of this pandemic. 1:09 Obviously, it's a stressful time, and a, a lot of terrible things are happening, and I want to actually fully acknowledge that. 1:16 But I also want to acknowledge that while so many people are stepping up and being kind to one another... And that's what's so amazing right now. 1:25 In times of crisis, it restores my faith in humanity to see neighbors and coworkers and even strangers doing their best to help each other from a distance, of course, in this case. 1:39 To each of you out there who is doing your part in staying home or showing acts of kindness where you can, thank you. I think that's amazing. 1:48 You are what's going to make all of us get through this, and that means at some point we're going to get back to business, and I think that's what we have to remember. At some point it is going to help us. 1:59 So what I wanna do today is talk about getting back or actually getting down to business. 2:06 So in segment one, I'd like to talk about one of the tools or technologies that's actually helping us get closer to us getting back to business, and it's biometrics. 2:17 I've seen a handful of solutions come across my inbox that got me thinking about how advances in biometrics technologies could potentially help us in future pandemics. In fact, some are actually doing this right now. 2:32 But first, let me talk about my guests that are gonna be on the show. 2:35 Later on in the show, I will be interviewing James Lee, Chief Operating Officer at Identity Theft Resource Center, and then I'm gonna wrap things up with Paul Naper, co-author of The Power of Agency: Seven Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and a Creative Life on Your Own Terms. 2:55 Both of these are gonna be great discussions, so I hope you'll stick around for that. So let's get started. By now we're all so familiar with the physical signs of the coronavirus infection, or COVID-19. 3:07 You know, we're looking out for things like fever, a dry cough, or respiratory distress. 3:13 In China, in countries like China, one tactic the government took to flatten the curve was to monitor people's temperature using handheld non-contact infrared thermometers, or temperature guns as they call them, as they entered buildings. 3:30 Now, this is interesting because some of you might have even heard the reports of railway station employees using ear thermometers to check everyone for a fever before they were allowed to pass through the station gates. 3:44 Now, we're, we're just hearing all of this right now, but things are starting to settle down, and in some terms of new COVID cases, and that's what we want, but precautions are still very much in place all around the country. 3:58 And again, that's what we're hearing. China is starting to flatten the curve. Other countries are. But in some major Chinese cities, they're now using thermal scanners at train stations. 4:09 Now, these scanners leverage artificial intelligence and big data, which we talk about all the time here on this show, to scan people for elevated body temperatures as they pass through station gates. 4:22 Now, one Chinese AI company called Megvii, headquartered in Beijing, reported as early as in February that it was developing a sophisticated AI-enabled temperature detection solution that integrates facial recognition. 4:38 Now, I love this. This is so cool. This is when we're using the best of technology. 4:43 Now, another company called Cognis Health, with its offices I think here in San Francisco, and they've got one in Montreal, is also using temperature detection to solve the problem. 4:54 Now, Cognis Health uses cameras, and they make it possible to autonomously monitor the temperatures of high volumes of people now, as they move. 5:05 Now, what I like about this, it does this in real time, and it streams live data to display e- on an app or let's say a web interface, so you can see all this. 5:16 But here in my be- in, in my opinion, I believe every time we talk about IoT solutions, we have to talk about how the solution not only collects the data, right? 5:27 This is what's so important, but also how it makes that data actionable. You know, you hear me say that all the time, data, data, data. 5:33 It doesn't really matter unless we're doing something and we're making it actionable. 5:38 But in this case, what I really like about this autonomous temperature monitor system, like we, we've been talking about here, can flag a person with a high temperature, then use facial recognition technology to keep track of the person. 5:53 Now, keep following me on this. Staff will then be alerted, and then this person is quarantined. 5:58 Now, I know you're gonna all love this because the system will also be able to keep track of other people the feverish person came into t- contact with. 6:08 So when we all talk about wanting to get back to work, and if we know someone else is sick, we're going in the right direction with this. 6:15 So, so often-The IoT can be deployed in smart ways that kind of limit, I should say, a human's need to put themselves in danger. That's what we want. So l-let me kind of step back for a minute. Now think about this. 6:30 If we go back to the good old days, remember when I used to talk about M2M, machine-to-machine technology, and how sensors were being placed on, let's say, oil rigs or wind turbines or maybe in mines or other places humans really didn't want to be where things would, let's say, go south, you know, dangerous things. 6:51 Today, what's really happened is sensors can monitor situations for us and let us know when there is a need to step in, and this is what we talk about where technology's really doing what it's doing the best at. 7:05 So that's exactly what we're doing right now, is we're thinking and talking about ways to leverage the Internet of Things, IoT, to keep humans from needing to interact when they don't have to, to keep them safe. 7:20 But there's more here that we need to talk about. Something else that's happening right now has to do with companies expanding their solution capabilities to help address the specific needs in this pandemic. 7:34 Now, that's where we're really stepping outside, and we're really thinking the best of solutions. So let's look at one example from a solution called Aura Access. 7:43 Now, I love this solution because it's really kind of thinking how they could help during this pandemic. 7:49 AuraA is a blockchain technology provider based in Canada, but now what they did is they're kind of stepped into the world of body temperature screening. 7:58 Now, I like what they did here because traditionally, Aura Access is a physical access control system, and it uses facial recognition and blockchain identity management technology in places, let's say, like airports and sporting venues and in situations like government voting to add crucial layer to all the security that we need on things that we're doing. 8:21 So as soon as this pandemic started kind of rearing its ugly head, this company pivoted kind of its operations completely and started focusing on building a prototype for a temperature screening module to add to its existing solution. 8:37 Now, we're hearing lots of companies doing this, but what I like about this is now it's offering this module to its customers that want to be able to detect individuals with fevers. How cool is that, right? 8:49 I mean, we're really stepping up and saying, "Look, we've got to find ways to use existing solutions because sometimes it's hard to just come up with new ones, but how do we take our existing ones and use them for critical needs right now?" 9:02 That's what I call very inventive. Earlier in my discussion, I was talking about how I'm seeing individuals helping each other out. Well, I'm also seeing companies rise to the occasion. 9:14 That's where we see the best of mankind. So I'm curious about what IoT companies have you seen rise to the occasion? 9:22 You know, it's been really great when we see President Trump, you know, giving a lot of attention, or I should say airtime, to companies every day for stepping up, and he should because these are companies that are doing things to help all of humanity right now. 9:36 We need that. But what about the companies that are in the IoT space that have not earned all this public recognition but are doing really wonderful things? Those are the companies we need to hear about. 9:48 You know, I focused on biometrics today and specifically temperature monitoring in this segment, but there are so many other ways that IoT can help address issues associated with this pandemic. 10:01 But I'm kind of curious, what have you heard of? I would love to know, are there companies out there that you're hearing that I'm not? Share with me. Maybe we can get them on the radio. 10:11 I want to hear during this COVID-19 crisis that we're all dealing with, what are the companies, what are the heroes out there? 10:18 What are the individuals that are doing really amazing things because we're all working together? We're all in this together, and we all have to come up with creative, innovative ways to get through it. 10:29 But before I run out of time, here's my tip for today, or I should say my opinion, then I'll get to my tip. 10:34 One ripple effect we're going to see from this pandemic is that IoT companies will continue to really step up to the plate with solutions that will prove to be game changing, and they will help all of us be more prepared the next time should a virus plague our world, and we all know there's going to be a next time. 10:55 I don't want to think about it, but we have to. I mean, that's the reality of, of our world today. 10:59 We have to think about what's going to happen, and unfortunately, bad things happen to good people, so we have to think about it. Everyone's focus has changed so drastically in such a short period of time. 11:11 There are thousands of innovative minds suddenly focused on solving different aspects of this social, economic, and health problem, and that's what's happening today. 11:22 I believe that connected devices and technologies are going to be applied in new and innovative ways as a result of this pandemic, as a result of what's happening around us. 11:33 As we've seen so far, some companies are already on the market with ideas or have added new key functionality to products that are already helping all of us, and that's amazing. 11:47 That's why we should be excited that people and companies have come up with ways to help all of us, and we should applaud all of them. So here's my tip for today. 11:58 This is, I think, kind of personal for all of us, but personal to me. I'm asking each of you individually to be responsible and to stay at home except for crucial business. Be a good human. 12:10 We have to think about everyone next to us. Be as good as you can to your employees, to your friends, to your neighbors, to your family. 12:18 As I said at the top of this segment, this is how we're going to beat this pandemic. I know some of us are frustrated. We're tired of being indoors. I know I am, right? 12:29 The IoT didn't prevent the outbreak, and it can't stop it, even though it can help. That's what's exciting. Technology can help us, but we all can help us. 12:41 We need technology, but we also need human kindness and human ingenuity in times like these. But it's when we all work together and have the patience and the kindness to get through this that we will. 12:57 So I remind you to do that. I know we're frustrated, but if we kind of think about each other, we will get through this. All right. As always, I'd love to hear what you think. I want you to tweet at me. 13:08 Send me your thoughts, because I'm out of time for this segment, but we've got great guests, so stick around for that, @connectedwmag. Share with me what you're thinking. 13:16 Share with me those great companies that are doing wonderful things that I haven't heard about because I'd love to share those companies on our show. All right. 13:23 That's all the time for this segment, so what I'd love for you to do is check out our website at connectedworld.com or The Peggy Smedley Show website, which is thepeggysmedleyshow.com. 13:33 As always, this is The Peggy Smedley Show, the podcasting voice of IoT and digital transformation. And remember, with great technology comes great responsibility. We'll be right back after this commercial break. 13:44 [upbeat music]
