Internet of Things ( IoT) to Internet of Campus ( IoC).

We always thought that everyday objects called ‘Things’ cannot talk, sense, compute and communicate. Wrong.

We always thought that everyday objects called ‘Things’ cannot talk, sense, compute and communicate. Wrong. Unprecedented technological development has transformed our thinking. Internet of Things ( IOT) has made such communication between the Things possible.

The everyday ‘Things’ that we use at our homes, our work places and our schools and colleges are now sensing each other and communicating. They are not only communicating but even computing. And, here comes the shocker, that they will coordinate with each other without even we, humans, knowing it! The Things are establishing their communities. That’s the future of technology called IoT.

It would be working silently, exactly like wireless waves, that work now around us in the background. 50 billion ‘Things’ will be talking to each other by 2020, to make the work of 8 billion people on this earth more efficient. Are we ready?

Industries and business would benefit in short term through the profits.University campuses that are breeding grounds of tomorrow, where ‘planet’ will benefit in long term. Profit motivated business are ready to exploit IoT. However, universities and the campuses are not ready for this transformation.

That’s why SCCN a project of TERRE Policy Centre is making efforts to make university campuses ‘IoT-ready’.

Imagine, the time saved by students and teachers in finding public transport before he or she leaves home to be in the class at the right time. Imagine the time saved in finding the parking lot, dates and results on homework submissions with an added facility to compare the work with other students and consulting teachers without being physically displaced. Imagine the efficiency improvements in class rooms where students who ‘click’ can respond to professors by answering the questions posed to them. Imagine that the results of the examinations are announced within few minutes of their completion, with complete explanation for wrong answers without going to professors and making complaints.

If all above looks not very useful, imagine if you are able to get like-minded groups from diverse universities across the globe to work on the ‘start-up’ projects and start operating the business without even knowing them face-to-face? Science fiction? No, it is happening. Refer to sccnhub.com.

Campuses can also communicate to each other to improve their ‘within campus’ activities to make their campus smart and sustainable exactly like smart cities. What more, with student and faculty start-ups, campus can develop the technologies that can help Smart Cities. Here comes  ‘ Internet of Campus’ and then  ‘Campus of Things’ ( CoT)
By Rajendra Shende.
Founder SCCN and Chairman TERRE Policy Centre