are smart health connected objects a solution?

While the West Indies and the Southeast of the United States have just been victims of natural disasters, one can wonder. Can smart health connected objects, drones, sensors and other networks play a role in preventing these tragedies?

The temporary toll of hurricanes Irma and Harvey, which have just struck the southern United States and the West Indies, amounts to almost 100 dead and several hundred billion dollars. The violence of Mother Nature impresses and terrifies. If of course, you can't stop a hurricane, an earthquake or a tsunami, smart health connected objects can however help. This is on several levels. Prevention, rescue and then reconstruction are all stages where it is possible to use new technologies. We’ll explain how IOT represents the future of humanitarian aid.

smart health connected objects and prevention of natural disasters

World Bank data indicates that 95% of victims of natural disasters live in developing countries. In question, faulty warning systems, inadequately adapted infrastructures and too limited response capacity. It is especially in this type of case that the IOT can play an effective role in the prevention of natural disasters. Several countries have already carried out interesting actions on the subject.

In Rio com Janeiro, Brazil, a strategy was put in place after destructive landslides in 2010, in collaboration with IBM. A network of sensors coupled with state-of-the-art weather technology enables the city to be able to react very quickly, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The command center can also alert residents through social networks, SMS and conventional media …

Another interesting example is that of Popocatepetl, the most active volcano in North America. Located less than 40 kilometers from Mexico City, a massive eruption would represent an unimaginable natural disaster. The government with researchers has therefore set up a whole network of sensors to warn residents in the event of an earthquake, a sign that may signal a rash.

The technological advantage of the Internet of Things

The main advantage of the Internet of Things in a crisis is a purely technical aspect. In the event of a crisis, conventional communication infrastructures, including Internet, can quickly become saturated and therefore unusable. However, the first minutes and even hours are crucial after a natural disaster. Whether it's coordinating relief or giving safety instructions to the population.

But the Internet of Things could help get around this problem. This is what emerges from a study by French and German researchers for the University of Cornwell. baptized “The Role of Internet of Things in Network Resilience” (the role of the Internet of Things in the resistance of the network) and published in 2014, it points to the major advantage of IOT. Objects can communicate with each other through standards such as bluetooth. It would then be possible to use them to create a network of alerts and communication.

However, challenges still exist. Due to protocol and frequency issues, not all smart health connected objects can communicate with each other at the moment in the absence of the Internet. It would also be necessary toset up an “Emergency” mode giving priority to first aid when using the network. Finally, the public should also accept it. At the time of the debates on privacy, this is perhaps the biggest pitfall. But, when we are talking about 50 to 80 billion smart health connected objects by 2020, the potential makes you dizzy.

What potential for the smart health connected house?

If for this type of event it is of course necessary to have a global vision, each of us of course wishes above all to protect his family and his property. You will not be able to have the information before, unless you a very advanced weather station installed in your garden. But even then it is likely that authorities have already sent out warnings in the event of a major phenomenon.

However, it is possible to act at a more reduced level. Your area is on the edge of an affected area, leak detectors can help you know when the water is getting too close to your surroundings. If in the chaos that sometimes reigns after natural disasters, scenes of looting take place, a presence detector, a smart health connected camera or an alert telling you that a window has been broken will allow you to react in an appropriate way. Better of course to hope that nothing will happen in your neighborhood. But the multiplication of large-scale climatic events should encourage the greatest caution.

What do you think ? Do you have any examples of where the IOT played a major role in preventing a disaster? Tell us about your examples in the comments!

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