5 Consumer IoT Opportunities for 2017

It is estimated that by the year 2020, 50 billion consumer IoT devices will be connected. Following up from last weeks well received article on the five internet of things areas that serve corporate interests, we're sharing out top nine picks for connecting devices that consumers are gravitating towards in 2017:

Voice Activation
As active seekers find that voice search results match those of regular search, verbal commands will become the primary user interface for the digital native. Expect smart homes and connected lifestyles to become the norm in a society that has looked down for far too long and yearns to be less hands on.

Smart Sensors
Connected wearables like Fitbit and Nike + bring forth a sense of community around fitness in consumer IoT. Companies with brands that appeal to the psychographic that associates its sense of worth to athleticism would bode well to be as involved with the after sales activities of its customers, investing in platforms that celebrate their success in achieving what the brand promises.

Virtual Reality
Last year at GITEX, we partnered with ASUS to demonstrate the immersive power of Virtual Reality, an amalgamation of technologies that evoke realistic sensory que's to mirror the real world. It's been used from gaming standpoint and from an educational application as well. In the connected world, VR consoles will create opportunities for social VR experiences in consumer IoT.

Talking Cars
Our country manager for emerging markets commutes via Careem on a daily basis. He owns a vehicle and hates driving. So Careem is his first choice. And he is not alone. Self driving cars promise to end human errors (by 2020) and eliminate traffic by talking to other vehicles on a smart grid. We're far from from it right now, but companies that want to exist in 2020 will need to partner with the companies making it happen. Not only do self driving cars have the potential to make human drivers obsolete, but in doing so the vehicular interface might even do away with the steering wheel. Smart cars will also have facial mapping that will be able to identify the vehicle owner and his/her accepted passengers, locking out and sounding the alarm for any unfamiliar faces.

Smart Homes
Only use the amount of electricity you need, adjust the central air conditioner to match what works best for the heat signatures in the room, integrate with your smart wearables to determine whether or not to open the window in case of lowered heart rate - the list goes on. A voice activated home that learns with time what is best for you, making decisions based on not just your past preferences but all the variables that come with it. Smart homes also come with the security promise of opening the door for residents it recognizes, sounding an alarm or retaliating (depends on where you live) against unwanted guests.