What if the Internet of Things could do more than optimize factories, track assets and make businesses more efficient? What if it could help tackle some of humanity’s biggest challenges?
On this episode of the Mr. Beacon Podcast, Rob Tiffany, Research Director at IDC and author of “Saving the Earth with the Internet of Things,” joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about turning IoT into a practical tool for solving real-world problems.
Rob’s book contains 100 IoT “recipes” organized around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, covering everything from agriculture, food and water to sustainable cities and other critical challenges. His approach is deliberately practical: identify a problem, choose the right sensors, connectivity and computing, collect the data, analyze it, and, most importantly, act on it. As Rob points out, sometimes simple automation is all you need; a moisture sensor can trigger irrigation without requiring sophisticated AI.
We also dig into Rob’s remarkable history with IoT. He recounts pioneering work connecting vending machines in the 1990s, using wireless technology to monitor inventory, improve driver routes, predict failures and understand consumer preferences, long before today’s cloud and AI hype.
Rob also offers a refreshingly practical definition of the digital twin, describing it fundamentally as a data structure rather than simply a flashy 3D model. From there, the conversation moves into the convergence of IoT and AI, including how digital twins can become machine-learning models and how generative AI can turn real-time IoT data into actionable guidance.
This is a conversation about moving beyond technology for technology’s sake, and using IoT to measure, understand and ultimately change the physical world.
Rob’s Top 3 Songs:
- “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k8craCGpgs
- “Mysterious Ways” by U2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxcDTUMLQJI
- “Summerbreeze” by Emiliana Torrini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3WrodLKCg
Mister Beacon is hosted by Steve Statler, CEO of ambientChat.ai — Using AI to connect people with places and products with an app that puts you in control of YOUR data.
Our sponsor is Identiv https://www.identiv.com, whose IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. We are also sponsored by Blecon http://www.blecon.net. Blecon who delivers asset tracking and condition monitoring using the devices your team already carries.