# How will the rise of the Internet of Things shape travel in the near future?
## Introduction

The Internet of Things (IoT) isn’t new, in fact the term was coined decades ago as the first internet connected devices appeared. It’s all about connectivity between technology. Once a device is connected to a network like the internet it becomes connected to other devices also connected to that network and in doing so becomes a part of the IoT. Such devices are already widespread today. It’s likely that there are many examples around you as you read this: whether it’s an increasingly common place smart meter in your home or the smart phone in your pocket the IoT is already everywhere. But if it’s not about today it’s about tomorrow, imagine a fridge that orders your groceries and you are picturing something that can be made possible by the IoT. As Greengard states: ‘the Internet of Things connects human and machine intelligence in new, entirely remarkable, and sometimes scary ways’. All of these connected devices can adopt new capabilities through being connected and can offer extremely detailed granular data on a vast scale. Data which can then result in future innovation.
The (IoT) has arisen, in large part, through convergence - an aspect of modern society that continues to shape it. Over a decade ago Jenkins described media convergence as ‘the flow of content across multiple media platforms’. Today examples of this are increasingly widespread. Netflix is an example that can perfectly elucidate what media convergence is. Put simply it is the coming together of existing technologies together with new technologies to create something new. In the aforementioned example ‘Net’ represents the web and ‘flix’ the cinema, the result ... cinema on the web. Convergence as Bolter and Grusin suggest, isn’t new media forms such as networked digital media replacing older media, rather converging with it to create something new.
This is exactly what has given rise to technology like the IoT. Examples such as self-driving cars may sound like something out of a movie - in fact they are in lots of movies - but the reality is the technology already exists to create them and they key to combining that technology is convergence. Futuristic technology is simply converging technology.
Driverless vehicles will be on the road in our lifetime. Creating them is a convergence between automotive technological developments - such as the implementation of sensors in vehicles - and the technology working in the background to inform them, constantly feeding them data collected from traffic lights, satellites and surveillance systems. This convergence is critical for this Utopian sounding concept to become reality, without the IoT cars couldn’t recognise average speeds or accidents on the roads ahead.
This data gathered is not only driving the vehicles but it’s driving future decision making, and this goes far beyond driverless vehicles. Through converging technology, the IoT can use sensors and networked devices to gather more data than ever before. Alam and Prasad suggest that this data gathering will equate to better decisions being made and bring about further innovation. Although as this essay will discuss, this is a contentious issue. While the data gathered will be extremely clean and unambiguous, whether or not the decisions made from it will be better is unknown. How do we know the data collected will provide better decisions and who benefits from them? Furthermore, do we agree with the data collection itself?
Undeniable though is that this volume of data is extremely valuable and so the technology gathering it is highly sought after. Because of this the IoT can be expected to generate radical changes to countless aspects of life in the years to come.
This essay will focus on one of those aspects: Travel - a connected industry befitting connected technology. The travel and tourism industry is estimated to make up 1/10 of all jobs worldwide, a startling figure. Any industry of that size is likely to already be embedded with the latest technology and as such travel is no different. The IoT is beginning to shape an unprecedented amount of the industry. It can innovate the journey, with modes of transportation becoming increasingly more advanced. Data can be generated that improves safety, maintenance, efficiency and customer experience. As in the self-driving cars example it can even lead to outright automation. The changes won’t stop upon arrival either. Hotels can become more personalised and exploring a city will be an entirely different experience with a smart phone in hand. Furthermore, all of the data the sensors in each connected device collect is anticipated to provide exponential changes long into the future.
However, while at first glance much of these futuristic possibilities seem incredibly positive there is a vast array of issues with each and these must be explored and considered in order to effectively assess just how the internet of things will shape travel in the years to come.

## Travel and the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things has helped many areas of our life development dramatically into the world of technology. Travel is one of these areas. From driverless Uber cars to airplane seats that measure our heart rate and body temperature, our means of travel are being enhanced with the use of the Internet of things, however there are many concerns and dangers of putting our trust into these new technologies.
Autonomous cars that will use sensors to track, monitor and measure its surroundings are now in development which will get you from A to B without the need of a human driver.
This means that you can program the car to drive safely to eliminate the factor of human error which will hopefully reduce the quantity of accidents on the road. It is also these exact technologies that make the car vulnerable to cyber-attacks that may result in intended collisions and danger to the passengers. The technology can also not be programmed correctly or may also have malfunctions which can also cause accidents. In March 2018, a woman was killed by autonomous car in Arizona that was part of a trial from the popular taxi service, Uber. The car, that was supposed to be able to detect pedestrians, crashed into the women when she crossed the road away from a designed crossing. What happens when there is a collision? Who is to blame? These cars are capable of gathering unbiased and un-tampered information on potential entities responsible to help determine who is responsible using Blockchain technology. This incident raises the question of whether you can perfectly program a car to drive itself without the thinking and learning processes that technology cannot possibly replicate. another potential issue self driving cars may experience is the threat of hacking. New technology is constantly faced with this problem and the automotive industry as been no different. Key-less entry exploitation for theft is an example of this Page text.. Volkswagen developed a technology that would allow car owners to open, start and lock their cars by just having the key fob on their person. The use of this technology, again, makes it susceptible to malfunctions and hacking. It was reported in 2016 that all cars made by Volkswagen, or any of its sister companies, are vulnerable to theft. By replicating the signal created by the key fob using technological equipment that costs £30, they can unlock and start any of these cars. This strengthens the idea that technological developments are not always safe and secure enough. If this technology is vulnerable to simple technology, would you rather not just simply press a button on your key to open the door instead of putting your belongings in the hands of technology? Throughout the theme of the Internet of Things, the question of "Is it really worth it?" is constantly raised.
The plane journey has also been developed to aid in the care of passengers. Airplane seats have been developed that can measure the heart rate of each passenger and display it on a colour coded map for the flight staff to see. This development is in hopes of attending to passengers that may feel unwell, so they can help them before they become so unwell that it causes an emergency landing as it is understood that passengers heart rate has a correlation to being ill. A passenger’s emotion can also be measured by translating their heart rhythm pattern into an emotion. This information can also help analyse the effectiveness on in-flight entertainment and can aid in determining what parts of the plane are liable to stress. All of this is great, however it raises issues of sharing personal data. The developers of this technology propose an opt-out scheme where passengers can choose not to have their data measured. Alternatively, passengers can choose to share their data online with family and friends in order to receive support from them, rather than the flight staff.
Technology is also being developed to enhance that train journey. Train loading and unloading information can be used to inform passengers on peak times to promote train times that may be less busy, making travel much easier at peak times. Information on passenger distribution on the trains can help passengers find seats, resulting in more distribution of passengers. A system may also be developed that can categorize faults which can be analysed to find patterns and areas of persistent maintenance. Speeds monitoring can also be used to improve safety. Train speeds and velocity can be signalled to central control systems. Signalling systems outside on the tracks can detect the speeds and even slow down or stop trains based on the location of any switches or other trains which may cause an accident. Overall, the use of the Internet of Things has enhanced the experience of the journey for the passengers and increased the safety of the services.
The internet of things has huge potential to make a staggering impact on the travel business. Holidays can now be totally operated via the IOT, literally all physical aspects from booking your destination to opening the door can be completed through technological devices. There are pros and cons to this idea of quick and easy travel as I will further elaborate on. Obviously the positives are the idea of booking and paying for accommodation and flights without having to leave your house, but also other more detailed aspects such as personalisation and the tourist experience.The Internet of things technology that includes tablets within the room will enable guests to personalise to their needs, for example adjust room temperature, control the TV, elevators, heaters, lighting on and off, scheduled wake up calls, etc. The thought behind this is to offer convenience to guests similar to their own home, and hoping their homely experience was good enough so that there is a possibility in revisiting.Hotels can automatically send virtual key cards onto guests’ smartphones or wifi enabled device, allowing them to check-in without requiring assistance. Smart locks will ensure security by allowing guests restricted access to facilities on a constant basis. During the time that one may have their city/town of choice, an enthusiastic tourist will be able to locate and discover information on frankly anything they need from their smartphones with ease. There will be sensors all over the city from roof tops of the buses, gardens and parking lots. This will collect data about the habits of the traveller in question and their reactions to different attractions, creating patterns and optimising their experience. https://www.digitaldoughnut.com/articles/ 2018/january/ways-in-which-iot-is-shaping-the-future-of-travel
There are also advancements in passenger experience through airline travel and its increasing at an alarming rate Sensors and connected devices, together with smart analytics, are currently allowing airports and airlines to make fast paced advancements toward a so called improved passenger experience. According to SITA’s 2015 Airline IT Trends Survey, the majority of airlines already understand the importance of IoT: two-thirds see immediate and clear benefits to IoT, and over 80% believe this will generate benefits over the next few years. Although only 37% of airlines have allocated budget for IoT implementation today, the number is estimated to rise to almost 60% in three years. The internet of things is having a dramatic impact on how the travel industry is now operating and this trend is seemingly increasing every year without fail. The future of this industry is destined to become totally internet of things oriented.https://www.ibm.com/blogs/ internet-of-things/smart-air-travel/.
On one hand yes, the internet of things can definitely enhance the way we visit the world and speed up the process mandatory actions that are taken on vacations, but is it really all that its cracked up to be? When it comes to complexity, there are many opportunities for failure with high maintenance systems such as airports, vehicles and accommodation. For instance, there is not always a 100% guarantee that when you sit down and book your flights, hotel room, transport and any other vital aspects for traveling that it will all go smoothly. When you think about it logically you are making bookings and arrangements to fly thousands of miles across the world with your finger tips, at times this is simply too good to be true. When dealing with travel services face to face you are able to discuss and listen to your options. Human to human contact can also feel a lot more reassuring than tapping a screen if you ask me. Privacy and Security is a big topic with IoT. All the data must be encrypted so that the information about your financial status or how much money you spending in certain places does not become common knowledge with the public. As well as being tracked financially most technological devices contain a GPS system which causes problems for the consumer. Smartphones and laptops can easily be hacked for people to view your current location and know every move you make, travelling abroad can now result in houses be robbed or workplaces being destroyed as the public have knowledge of your whereabouts. Another negative that simply baffles me is the younger generation and their keen obsession of letting world see their exact location via Facebook. Whether it be sharing with friends about how good the travel agent that they contacted for the holiday was, or the hotel they are checking into. Simply giving the local public an invitation to again steal possessions from their home. In my own opinion it is very difficult to say whether or not I am pro IOT, because no matter what the world is heavily trending towards connected homes and hotel rooms that can activated through your phone. Yes the internet of things will make time consuming tasks take minutes or even seconds with just a few clicks, but it can also be seen as unsafe financially, a way to launder personal data online and faults under complex systems. Whether travel and hospitality providers are ready for it or not, mobile apps, wearable technology and the IoT will shape the future of guest experience. The most vital steps hoteliers can take today is exploring what and who is out there, and conversing with vendors to paint a picture of what is possible in the world of travel.https://e27.co/advantages-disadvantages-internet-things-20160615/

## Conclusion

In conclusion it's clear that in the near future we can expect the IoT to be a dominant technology in shaping the world around us. In relation to all aspects of travel it's clear it will have a prominent impact on the industry: innovating, automating and shaping it for years to come. It's also evident that many of the developments will be highly contentious. They cause a great deal of concern for many in relation to safety, personal data and ethics. Despite these concerns however, its even more evident that in a world where data is like gold, technology that can mine it like the IoT will remain extremely valuable, sought after and ubiquitous whether we like it or not.

## References

* ↑ Greengard, S. (2015). The Internet of Things. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
* ↑ Buns, M.; Meikle, G. (2018). Introduction. In Internet of Things. (pp.1-6). Cambridge: Polity Press.
* ↑ http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2006/06/welcome_to_convergence_culture.html.
* ↑ Bolter and Grusin (1999) Remediation: Understanding New Media
* ↑ Alam, M.; Prasad, N. (2017). The Rise of Internet of Things (The Age of the Software Defined Vehicle Book 1). Amazon Digital.
* ↑ https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/2017-documents/global-economic-impact-and-issues-2017.pdf.
* ↑ The Guardian - Self-driving Uber kills Arizona woman in first fatal crash involving pedestrian
* ↑ The Guardian - Millions of cars at risk as keyless entry systems can be hacked, report says, additional text.
* ↑ The Guardian - Plane seats that can spot nervous fliers
* ↑ RDR Wireless - Smart trains: Use cases for how IoT can transform railways