With so many IoT, mobile, computer, industrial, etc. sensors around us and the number only increasing on daily basis there could be innovative things we could do to solve some of the big problems we face today. There are law and order problems around missing people, criminals, fugitives, finding people and their current condition during disasters, etc. where at times it’s very difficult to get information about people.

Using software to process information from the fused array of sensors available from IoT, mobiles, GPS, etc. we could build profiles of targeted suspects in terms of various attributes like:
1. Physical appearance using mobile networks – CDMA/GSM to scan them
2. Mobile usage related attributes
3. Surfing patterns
4. Preferences around shopping, etc.

This fused profile from various sensors does present challenges around privacy but it also has huge scope in terms of law and order, security, disaster and risk management, etc. which can also do lot of public good.

Imagine during an earthquake, flood, etc. as soon as the networks start coming up we are able to find our friends and relatives along with their present location and condition. Won’t that be great? 🙂 🙂 We could simply have a mobile app which lights up people on our screen in our network who need help.

In this world of IOT, iBeacons, Eddystone, Mobiles with 3+ GB RAM, light/gesture control sensors, GPS, accelerometer, compass and quad/octa core processors with cameras an upgrade for all of this would be to have sensors like:
1. Temperature,
2. Movement/motion,
3. Smell,
4. Pollution, etc. onto the mobiles and then fuse them with IoT/sensor networks. This fusion is simple and easy using Mobile APPs.

Imagine we being stuck in a natural calamity like fire, earthquake, flood, etc. and if we have these sensors fused onto the mobile along with IoT and mobile networks + WiFi there could be a huge combination of information that can be provided to each person to and fro.

They could be part of a sensor network (ad-hoc over WiFi or 2G/3G/CDMA/4G and so on) and could participate in finding better outcomes in any troubling situation. Why I mention ad-hoc/WiFi network is incase of emergency if 2G/3G/4G/CDMA network goes down we can use ad-hoc/WiFi to build a small network which can fuse with IoT sensors and maybe get a temporary VSAT or other internet uplink which are now available on mobile vehicles as well (broadcasters, news channels, etc.).

World of mobility is just opening up for all of us. Information sharing would reach a new level with aim of saving lives. All this can be enabled at the end point via mobile APPs using Android SDK or Apple based APPs.