Gustavo Petro once said, “A developed country isn’t a place where the poor have cars. It is where the rich use public transportation”. In today’s age, almost everyone owns a car and few own just one too many. Stepping up the social quotient or to satisfy a desire, cars are now considered an accessory more than a mode of transport. Be it the delivery of your favorite pizza at your doorstep or a online shopping shoe delivery, the transportation industry handles it all. It helps get people to work, supports individuals to travel across the world and helps patients to reach hospital on time as well.
Everyone seems to be missing out on the fact, that they are polluting the environment! Noise and environmental pollution are huge costs we pay for connecting with different countries and continents together.
Despite facing several operational challenges, it is heartening to know that the transportation sector is putting their best foot forward. How? With tremendous technological support, this sector is definitely becoming safer for the people that use it and the environment. Opening doors for travelers to reach out to remote places, be it land, water, air, or even the big outer space! Such milestones are possible thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). It plays a significant role in ensuring connectivity. An extension of the internet, it connects physical devices and everyday objects.
With supreme quality sensors, these devices collect data from a specific area. This data later helps to formulate competitive business strategies. Branching out from IIoT, which is the Industrial Internet of Things this high-end technology is here to stay. In the short span of time since its implementation, IoT has become the second largest investor segment in Transportation.
This technological panorama has ushered this world into a modish conduct that not only catalogues data, but also analyses, transfers and fabricates new amendments. All this with data collected without the exigency of human to human interaction at all. The advancements in IoT technology has started reflecting through Karl Benz and Elon Musk. With IoT driven strategies, the world is witnessing huge leaps from the hand driven motors to intelligent-transportation mechanisms. Now, all that transportation requires is effective operations in the
Additionally, related service providers too, look forward to better performance to sustain in the market. With IoT in transportation, one can witness the following benefits:
- Optimal Asset Utilization: With IoT sensors and enabled devices, one can simply get real time data about the status of their fleet, craft or even a ship. This helps in knowing beforehand when the engine is facing any issues or if there is any parameter that is being breached that can affect the services. Additionally, it helps ensure that the device, engine or fleet continues to deliver at 100% optimization.
- Mobility Management: For any fleet manager, it is a nightmare ensuring which route can best help the drivers. This is important because with the geographic location tracker, one can know where there is traffic en-route. Also, in order to get deliverables, meet their deadlines, one can simply coordinate better with trackers in place.
- Configurable Multi-Layered Security- There is a misinformation in regards to IoT that smart devices can be hacked into and compromise security. While there may have been some fledgling error during the early days of IoT, over time, these lapses have been nipped in the bud. Many a times, multi layers security blanket that IoT smart devices offer help have lives!
- Smart Inventory Management- When was the last time your cargo fleet underwent an oil check? Or get its tires changed? With IoT smart Transportation solutions, such inventory is easy to manage. A driver has all the detailed information as IoT is a seamless end to end platform that helps one maintain it upkeep of his vehicle.
- Geo Fencing- Lost? Don’t know the way out? Or are you stuck in a jam and going to miss your deadline? Fear not when IoT enabled Geo Fencing is here to rescue one and all. With this sensor in place, one can simply reach out and get real-time information on the best route to one’s destination.
Different modes of transportation and their relevance
- Airports and Airlines- The idea that humans too can fly in the air kicked off after Wright Brothers’ invention of the first flying machine (The Wright Flyer). Since then, the intensification of technology in this field has been inordinate. IoT-enabled airports assist the travelers with real-time acknowledgement of the flight status, flight details, check-in times, luggage tracking and take-off. IoT is redefining the wholesome experience of flight passengers.
- Automobiles on the road- Several accidents take place due to over speeding break failure, untimely removal of barricades at train arrivals and more. Be it the passengers, drivers of a two-wheeler or of a four-wheeler, everyone requires safety. Similarly, in fleet management, delivery of goods and more, IoT uses real time data to improve its safety. Plus, informing the drivers beforehand about bumpy roads also helps them to formulate better strategies about delivering the assigned goods with utmost perfection.
- Seaboard Conveyance- Maritime operations could be revised to be better with IoT applications. Vessel tracking, emissions control, predictive maintenance, supply chain visibility, and safety and welfare are now possible with IoT. With different sensors, the ship-owners can now manage to trace the dangers and can take necessary actions for the same.
- Railways and Metros- In 21st century, regulating railway and metro safety with manual intelligence is not enough for the long run. With IoT driven strategies, the metro and rail driver will get an alert if any danger will be detected by the IoT sensors. Plus, the precise time of their arrival could be reflected. Any faults in the tracks will also get reflected eventually.
- Space Expedition- With the flow of time, technology got the scope to improve itself. Curiosity landing on Mars at the precise and predicted hour is an achievement. Additionally, space shuttles carrying astronauts safely to the moon and back are just few examples where we hope to reach with IoT.
On a concluding note
The world has come a long way. From bullock carts to space ships, the essence of transportation has undergone an absolute and prominent transformation. Land, water, air, space, underwater and outer space, transportation has conquered them all. Connectivity of one end of the world to the other extreme end has become possible only through transportation.
Yes, of course, challenges crop up every now and then in this industry. But with the unbending support of the Internet of Things and Industrial Internet of Things, the transportation industry has rediscovered its strength. Dropping the children to school, picking them up safely happens through transportation. The timely delivery of your favorite food that you eagerly wait for, happens through smooth transportation. Fleet management becomes effective through IoT driven strategies.
Empowering the drivers beforehand to get through challenging situations is now possible. Lesser delivery time, eradication of road accidents, trip optimization, vehicle tracking is just to name few of the benefits endowed by internet of things in transportation. The world has become more connected and productive through better transportation for sure!
