title: Application of Emerging Digital Technologies in Self-monitoring of Health and Water Usage
Creators: name: Ahmed, Sajjad
Publisher: name: University of Southern Queensland
Year: 2022
Subjects: classificationCode: 4609
subject: Information systems
classificationCode: 4602
subject: Artificial intelligence

description: Cloud computing is becoming a utility, and an increasing number of industries and users are using cloud computing. The Internet of Things (IoT), fifth generation network (5G), and mobile data that supports the self-management of private information are becoming standard. This study examines the role of cloud computing and 5G in transforming smartphones into a digital assistant for the monitoring and self-management of IoT data. To do so, this study used qualitative methods to focus on the verticals of water utilities and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The study aimed to investigate the use of an integrated centralized cloud platform with narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) and 5G that offers low power consumption connectivity for IoT devices, such as smart water meters and wearables, for COVID-19 self-management. The results of this research will assist decision makers when developing future strategies and policies for moving, planning, and implementing cloud computing, 5G, and IoT devices with the help of smart phones for self-managing COVID-19 and monitoring water usage through AMI solutions. This research is focused on the impact of cloud computing, IoT, and 5G on water utilities and COVID-19-type pandemics for the self-management and monitoring of data using smartphones. This study further emphasis on the importance of centralized platform with 5G and NB-IOT connectivity for smart water metering(SWM), water quality monitoring and self-management of Covid-19 using a novel based approach of mobile data and IOT devices. The data collection and analysis for self-diagnostic of Covid-19 will further elaborate on the importance and significance of cloud computing for future technologies and innovations, such as IoT, 5G, and the use of smartphones as intelligent assistants. Given the increasing adoption of cloud computing, this study investigates the disruptive impact of cloud computing, 5G, and IoT on the smart metering and health sectors. Technological, organizational, and user behavioral factors are critical to the decision making regarding the use of cloud computing and IoT. Technology disruption occurs when a new technology exceeds the dominant technology’s primary dimension of performance, and the user’s behavior changes to use the innovation. The use of NB-IoT instead of other old, lower-power wide area networks is becoming an industry standard. NB-IoT is declared a 5G protocol and can offer 20% more coverage than 3G; its power consumption is low, resulting in 15+ years of battery life for smart meters and low device cost. Advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) technology enables a water meter to communicate with the service provider in an automated, two-way manner (Chapter 5-Paper 2). AMI uses a fixed transmission network to remotely transmit and receive signals from meters, providing real-time, regular, or on-demand feedback on water use. This study surveys IoT-oriented platforms that can improve SWM applications. We present IoT-enabled platform management from the application, billing, connectivity, device, and end-user (ABCDE) perspectives that can address the real-world challenges of SWM. This paper introduces the relevant IoT platforms, cloud computing, and AMI solutions and their roles in the delivery of water utility services. End-user mobile applications play a significant role in the monitoring and control of water usage from mobile devices and set up goals for water usage. Utilities can enforce demand management through mobile applications. This paper assesses network connectivity options in terms of their effectiveness to determine the best network connectivity for water utilities. From this assessment, NB-IoT is determined to be the best network connectivity for water utilities. This paper concludes by offering practical implications from this survey for smart metering applications for water utilities. Chapter 5 addresses the role of the cloud computing platform, and Chapters 6 and 7 discuss the role of emerging technology for the use case of smart water. The discussion is about smart water products and the role of real-time water quality monitoring using an AMI solution. Smart meters are used only to monitor water usage and not to monitor water quality. Three methods were proposed for water quality monitoring. By using NB-IoT network connectivity to a cloud platform, data from the platform can be pushed to a mobile app for real-time notifications to avoid health-related issues from drinking contaminated water. The last research question is about the health sector. Given the recent COVID-19 pandemic that affected the community and businesses, the importance of 5G, IoT, and cloud computing is obvious. Recently, IoT has received significant interest in the latest research genre comprised of an array of smart cities, utilities, and—notably—healthcare. IoT innovation is altering today’s healthcare and pandemic frameworks by combining social, financial, and technological ramifications. IoT innovation is converting conventional health services into more personalized systems, making the identification, management, and coordination from mobile devices easier and reducing the risks related to security and privacy as end users manage their data on the cloud through fast 5G networks (Papers about health use case: Chapter 4 and Chapter 8, Paper 1 and Paper 5). This research will enhance policy makers’ knowledge when making decisions, such as selecting a network with 15+ years of longevity and road maps, because NB-IoT is a 5G protocol, and the average life span of a cellular network is 10 to 15 years. The research contribution is three-dimensional, and the key stakeholders with major benefits are water utility providers and the health sector for pandemic control. End users will have an ultimate advantage by using the novel approach discussed in Chapter 5 of this thesis. Residential users can take advantage of water quality and water usage monitoring from their mobile devices. Policy makers and government authorities can make informed decisions when selecting a cloud computing platform, IoT devices, and network and mobile applications. Governments can implement policies using the research recommendations resulting from the facts and findings of research papers. This research outcome will assist decision makers when developing future strategies and policies for moving, planning, and implementing cloud computing, 5G, and IoT devices with the help of smart phones for self-managing COVID-19 and monitoring water usage through AMI solutions.