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PROJECT BAR-B-Q 2014
| The Nineteenth Annual Interactive Audio Conference PROJECT BAR-B-Q 2014 |
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Group Report: Audio opportunities in the Internet of Things |
| Participants: A.K.A. "Talk to the P.I.C.K.L.E. (Personal IoT Connected Knowledgable Life Enhancement)" | |
Yipeng Liu, Cadence |
Scott McNeese, Cirrus Logic |
| Ilias Tsigkogiannis, Microsoft | Dan Bogard, Conexant |
| Konstantine Merkher, Ceva | Tomer Elbaz, Waves |
| Frederic Caldwell, Audience | Sridhar Pilli, Knowles Electronics |
| Andrew Rumelt, Cirrus Logic | |
| Facilitator: Doug Peeler | |
 download the PDF |
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Brief statement of the problem(s) on which the group worked
IoT is quickly emerging as a fast growing set of segments creating new opportunities for novel user experiences that will benefit from the inclusion of audio capabilities. The number of compelling applications are legion with a wide array of sensors and interfaces for input and output. IoT is a heavily segmented field, with many potential opportunities for audio applications. The team felt that maximum value for the report would be achieved by focusing on a particular area. This report focuses, primarily, on the smart home but we also considered two other applications, a smart watch and accessibility / personal enhancement. A brief statement of the group’s solutions to those problems Many of the elements required to create a compelling solution already exist; however, they have not been put together in a manner that is easy to use or attractive to the general population. Furthermore, there are many hurdles (e.g. fragmentation in standards, privacy concerns, discomfort with conversing with machines) that are slowing down the ability of vendors to create compelling products. As such, there are many approaches for vendors to address these problems and capitalize on the emerging market opportunities. Expanded problem statement There is a lot of energy surrounding the smart home, with many different players entering the market with their own products and platforms. There has been a robust proliferation of different standards and platforms, which is creating difficulties for vendors to come up with a product that can be widely applicable. Standards include the AllSeen Alliance, OIC, and other similar platforms. Protocols are also lacking a standard bearer, resulting in multiple approaches lacking interoperability. Other potential challenges include possible user objections to conversing with machines for various reasons, including general unease, cultural bias, or simply lack of comprehension due to language or accent barriers. Furthermore, the cost of ownership is potentially prohibitive. One of the bigger concerns that will need to be addressed by the industry at large will be privacy. As more of the user’s information is collected, there is likely to be growing angst over what happens to their personal data. The right type of value exchange can help users overcome their apprehensions; however, this will need to be managed with some delicacy. Finally, there are several technical issues that will need to be considered:
Compelling audio-related applications within Smart Homes There are many different ways in which a user will be able to interact with their smart homes. It is our shared vision that within the next decade, the following use cases can be enabled, all with the intent of improving and enhancing the daily life of the user.
Further benefits can be found in the form of:
Specific examples of audio use cases within the smart home include:
Other reference material
section 7 |
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