This week in class we discussed the Internet of Things, which is the connection between the physical and digital world. In the world of the Internet of Things, every inanimate object has network capability, sending and receiving data to make life more convenient, more efficient, and more secure. For instance, in this world, your alarm clock would talk to your coffee maker and tell it to start brewing when you wake up. That same alarm clock could be also communicating with your lights, telling them to turn off when you fall asleep. Today, the Internet of Things is well under way but nowhere near its limits. Devices you can buy in stores today such as the Nest Smart Thermostat, Philips Hue smart lightbulbs, and smart door locks are making strides towards this future, but there is still no standardization of how these devices should interact. Nevertheless, the market has so greatly expanded that one of the main categories for Best Buy to categorize products is now “Connected Home and Housewares.”
What is most interesting about our last class though is not necessarily what we talked about during class but about what came after. I recently received an opportunity to be a product intern at a startup named Wallobee formed by three Harvard seniors at the i-lab. Prior to yesterday, I did not really understand completely what their product is; however, we had our first meeting yesterday evening, and it turns out, they are trying to bring the Internet of Things to the retail world through the use of beacons, which are low energy Bluetooth sensors that broadcast short messages to smartphones. Currently, Target has implemented an app and will be introducing beacons into its stores soon to revolutionize the instore marketing experience. With the use of beacons, customers will be welcomed with a notification when they walk into the store. Then, while they gander through the store, notifications will appear on their phone about deals on products that are nearby them, along with coupons and other services. This type of marketing that personalizes the retail experience through the use of beacon sensors can revolutionize in-store marketing, bringing it to the 21st century. While Target is implementing this new retail technique, companies that are not retail giants do not have access to an army of coders large enough to implement a similar instore marketing experience. This is where Wallobee comes in. Wallobee is making a platform that will allow small and midsized business to implement beacons into their instore marketing techniques without writing a single line of code. Currently, we just beginning to create our minimal viable product, so I’m happy to say that if we are successful, we will be contributing to expanding the Internet of Things to the retail world!
I don’t know how much grocery shopping you do, but do you know about the handheld scanners that you can use at the large supermarkets? These devices not only allow me to scan each item and accelerate my checkout process (at the expense of a job for the checker and for the bagger), but the device often chimes with an in-store bargain. I’ve actually never paid attention to the ads, but I’m wondering two things: Is it doing this when I’m near the item in the bargain? And can Wallobee improve the experience at these supermarkets? I’m much rather use my phone and not one of these specialized devices, which never seem to be charged.