Internet of Things

I must confess that I had never heard of the phrase "Internet of Things" before this class.  Or could it be that it never registered in my mind because "Internet of Things" does not sound like it's some earth-shattering technology?  Maybe.  But this topic is fascinating.  I find it the most interesting topic so far.  Robots, sensors, tracking, coordinated automation, and autonomous devices in business, science, medicine, and technology.  Wow.  Truly the stuff of science-fiction that I used to love to read as a child.

But if we think about the current availability of amazing technology such as GPS, wireless, the Internet, smart phones and silicon chips, just to name a few, we know that the stage is set for the Internet of Things to become a reality.  One process, one industry, one person at a time, but I can't help but think of that day in the future when all those will be connected.  Pretty exciting and pretty scary.

Dr. Alvin Fuse, our guest speaker in class last week, surprisingly did not mention any new medical technology that most of us had not heard of.  He said imaging, such as CAT scan and MRI, is the biggest technological advancement so far.  After reading a few articles on the Internet of Things, I was expecting Dr. Fuse to talk about embedding sensors in human bodies for monitoring and for preventive treatments.  Dr. Fuse didn't say anything like that, so I was half disappointed and half relieved.

Why disappointed?  A family member was declared cancer-free last July.  Then in November she was in severe pain.  By December, an MRI and PET scan showed tumors all over her body.  No one expected her cancer to return so quickly and so aggressively. A very close friend's breast cancer returned for the third time, this time in the right brachial plexus, chest, and lung.  The large tumor in brachial plexus has incapacitated her right arm, a real challenge for a busy mom with three boys.  Such is life, but I wonder if my sister-in-law and my friend might have benefited from a monitor that tracked the body's cell activities.  Will such a device ever become reality?  I wonder.  (Ultimately, our life is in the hands of the Creator, but it's hard to see the suffering.)

Why relieved?  Would there be any price to pay in terms of privacy if we are constantly monitored?  There are many security, privacy, and legal liability issues that will arise as a side effect of the rise in this technology.  More on this later.