How Edison Will Help Create The Internet Of Things

You may have read and heard a lot about how the Internet of Things is going to transform the way we live and work, but just how is it going to do that?

The technology required to power the new, connected world needs to be small, durable, and powerful – able to pull together data from a range of sensors to be able to make intelligent decisions that will have a positive effect.

At the heart of much of this is Intel’s Edison technology, which packs a dual-core Atom 22nm processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth into a computer the size of an SD card.

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Moore’s Law – the theory, developed by one of the founders of Intel, Gordon Moore – predicting that the number of transistors incorporated in a chip will approximately double every 24 months, potentially enabling incredible performance in the smallest of processors.

First announced in January 2014, Edison has already proved its worth in a variety of different Internet of Things scenarios.

For example, it is helping encourage plant growth by detecting levels of temperature, humidity and monitoring the amount of chemicals in soil, information which is transmitted from tiny sensors direct to the cloud and connected PC devices for quick detection and analysis, and action.

In the home, Edison can power a variety of helpful products, including a “Nursery 2.0” kit where an Edison chip relays information on a baby’s health and wellbeing gathered from sensors built into a onesie.

The chip will also prove an amazing leap for wearable technology devices, allowing ever-more powerful products to be built. This includes the development of ‘smart clothing’ which can take information from a range of sensors to make exercise, fashion, or even just lazing around the house simpler and more enjoyable than ever before.

And out on the road, Edison can be used to make cars even smarter by tracking and analysing information related to performance, driving style and maintenance, uploading a constant stream of data to the cloud which allows us to spot potential issues and hazards before they even happen.

With all these amazing innovations already under its belt, we now want to hear from you.

TechWeekEurope has teamed up with Intel to try and find the next big Internet of Things idea. If you’re a developer or programmer with a great idea, and now want to take it to the next level, this could be right up your street.

Our lucky winners will not only receive a full set of Intel Edison hardware and Sensor Starter kit, but will be taken to Intel’s Swindon Ignition IoT lab, where their idea will become reality, helped in creation by some of Intel’s top minds in the industry.

The winning ten projects will also be featured on the Intel Developer Zone website, displaying your idea to the world.

So if you think this sounds like you – click here and get ready to wow us.