Project Idea Research

Problems that Exist Today in Education and Healthcare, and Possible IoT Solutions:

1. Logistical/Supply Chain issues: Keeping track of inventory and stuff ordered
• IoT Solution: Photon with special attachment mechanism – potentially 2 sets of extendable straps. Power is provided by battery, and is only turned on when both are connected. From there, all the metadata about the package can be entered via a web interface, and all the data can be stored in the cloud if desired, or possibly on local servers. The Photon is kept in a low-power mode and woken up by an inventory request. At that point, it should be delivered to its intended destination. If tracking is desired, it is possible to activate Internal Positioning making use of the onboard WiFi, or other technologies if WiFi is impractical.
2. LECTURE HALL AUDIO EQUIPMENT being too LOUD AND HURTING EARS
• IoT Solution: Several Photons positioned around the lecture hall, all with some sort of method to pick up audio. Use software to determine whether audio being received at these points is too soft or too loud, and automatically adjust so that the volume is as close to an ideal level as possible.
3. Lights and other utilities being on with nobody around
• IoT Solution: An array of sensor and Photons working to process the presence of people within a room. If no people are detected, then the lights can be dimmed or even turned off.
4. Impatient Patients
• IoT Solution: Give each doctor/nurse a Photon (potentially in their pockets) and use existing AP’s and Internal Positioning Systems to triangulate position and make impatient patients somewhat calmer.
5. Smoke Detectors that GO OFF FOR NO REASON
• IoT Solution: Photons scattered throughout the buildings whose readings of temperate and other metrics also affects the decision for the sprinklers and alarms, etc. to go off. The photons and smoke detectors should be weighted equally, but fire alarms should override both and immediately call the system into action.
6. Inaccurate Diagnoses that lead to billions of wasted dollars on treatments for aliments that aren’t even the problem.
7. Bathrooms. Even in the most hygienic of places, such as hospitals, the bathrooms with inevitably be dirty. That’s quite an issue for both healthcare professionals and patients alike…
8. Malfunctioning technology that may not seem like much… but over time adds up in lost time teaching and doing hospital things. As we grow more and more dependent on technology, we will also learn its flaws.
9. Cybersecurity. Though applicable to almost any field, education and healthcare are probably the most in need of good security against breaches, beit hacking or ransomware, as they often contain very sensitive records that the institution needs to function and should keep private.
10. Speaking of those records… more efficient record keeping. No doubt there are already decent databases in use today. But there are some cases, such as transferring schools or hospitals, which should automatically transfer records, among other possible improvements.