Staying Smart About Tech In a Pandemic

WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE ...

Okay let’s be honest here: COVID-19 is an unavoidable subject, for good reason. As each day brings new changes and new levels of uncertainty, countries are scrambling to contain the spread. The ongoing focus is to “flatten the curve” and ensure health-care systems aren’t overwhelmed as scientists hunt for a vaccine.

Smart technology in medicine is playing a role in reducing this burden, as remote patient monitoring and wearable devices help clinicians keep patients safe at home, out of the hospital. Start-ups are leading the charge here in many ways. For example, Houston-based Imaware launched a home-based test for COVID-19, and is now providing COVID-19 testing alongside telemedicine partner Wheel in patients’ homes. At the same time, Maple is recruiting doctors to help provide virtual-patient care to alleviate clinics and hospitals for non-urgent needs like prescription renewals.

BUT WHAT'S WITH THE PATIENT MONITORING?

One of the ways China is managing public health is by using smart thermometers to measure people’s temperatures if they’re out in public. Though notoriously inaccurate, the result is effective in encouraging people to stay home if unwell.

Israel is using counter-terrorism technologies to track patients, and there’s conflicting information about whether or not Toronto mayor John Tory requested a telco to provide cellphone data to spot whether residents were still congregating in large groups last weekend. Whatever the case, at least one telecom has said it would consider offering up subscriber data “if it helps in the fight against COVID-19 while respecting privacy laws.”

But all of this brings up questions of what’s ethical even in a world turned upside down by a virus.

We have our own opinion on how Smart Cities can leverage anonymous WiFi-based locations to analyze the movement of people, implement public safety strategies, and improve overall outcomes. Check out what we have to say on the matter on our blog, here.

WIFI'S ROLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY

We’ve seen how technology can save lives in potentially dramatic fashion here at InnerSpace. In fact, a recent exercise with the Department of Homeland Security demonstrated how WiFi can directly influence public safety. In a variety of rescue exercises, first-responders wore WiFi tags so they could be “seen” from the command centre as they moved through EagleBank arena. It was possible for responders to identify emergency response teams as well as visualize crowds, determine where the “shooter” was, and resolve the situation quickly.

We were selected to participate, because our platform is the only WiFi-based platform that can pinpoint someone’s location indoors within two meters, 90 percent of the time. We were the first partner to successfully deploy Wi-Fi based location technology in an emergency response situation. Emergency responders were able to quickly locate citizens instead of “going in blind” – an evolution that can save lives in urgent scenarios, from building evacuations to e911 response to rescues, and more.

Given the ubiquity of WiFi and its immediate scalability, this is a valid option right now for most public buildings. And because the technology is anonymous, public fears over identifiable information are a non-starter – stealth streetwear not required.

Check out our piece in RFID journal for more.

FAHRENHEIT E911

Speaking of first responders, the FCC adopted new rules that will require U.S. wireless carriers to provide more accurate locations when people call 911. It requires a z-axis accuracy metric of plus or minus three meters relative to the handset for 80 percent of indoor wireless 911 calls. This will come in stages, taking effect in the 25 largest cellular markets in the U.S. by April 2021, and in the top 50 markets by April 2023.

Companies are actively pursuing solutions – for instance, NextNav raised $120 million in its latest round of funding to launch phased 3D geolocation services across America. But their challenge will be a slow roll-out and the need to extend their technology inside buildings. When WiFi is already everywhere, it’s going to be a tough sell to building owners and operators to add in more hardware on top of an expensive service.

STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY

With health and safety on our minds, it’s nice to be reminded of companies striving to positively impact the well-being of their employees. Google’s free food is a well-known perk, but what’s particularly admirable is how they’ve tested a new algorithm that could improve the nutrition of their employees. We’re sure Googlers can’t wait to get back to this incredible service.

IN OUR SPACE

Some HUGE news of late:

We’re thrilled at our new partnership with Juniper Mist as part of their efforts to expand their indoor location offering. Our proprietary algorithms return the most accurate indoor location data available on the market today, and we’re excited to work with Juniper Mist to help companies optimize buildings for productivity, resource availability and cost savings. This will be more important than ever after the current crisis subsides and companies look for ways to get back on their feet.
Super excited to be included in Gartner's Indoor Location market report, and mentioned as a 'company to watch' in the Magic Quadrant.

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.”
– Albert Schweitzer

As you know, we like to buck the trend of dog-friendly tech startups in favour of our feline friends (though we welcome our canine visitors to the office!). You'll often see furballs pop up in fun ways like these new recruits fighting over a meeting room.