Articles

The Role of Technology to Combat Covid-19

by Lisa Watson Facility Management Expert

At a time when the entire world is fighting the common enemy named coronavirus, we need to embrace new technologies and reap their benefits. Even though there is still a long way to go, Covid-19 maybe be the new embodiment of the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT market that estimated at 150 billion dollars in 2019, is expected to be 243 billion dollars in 2021.

Tracking transmission chains, working remotely, contactless payments have all been possible only because of various IoT applications. So the next big question that comes to mind is the role of IoT in the upcoming post-pandemic days wherein social distancing will be the new norm across the world and which technologies will help us get back to work in a safe environment. Let us take a sneak peek into the different areas where IoT has played a major role in overcoming the critical phase of the pandemic and how Covid-19 has built a new perception of IoT.


Working remotely

Working remotely has been the new standard for most companies during the pandemic days and will continue to be for the foreseeable future wherever it is possible. The concept of remote working has been an upcoming trend over the years as it provides flexibility, saving time lost during commuting between home and office, allows companies to save office spaces and enables teams to work from any location around the world. Facility management would have seemed impossible without the technologies that we have developed so far. Solutions like cloud computing, VPN, device synchronization and facility management solutions, will according to forecasts, grow the most during the period of 2020 to 2021.

Smart sensors measuring the air quality

Proper ventilation of spaces has always been a big challenge for facility managers. Buildings exhibit extremely polluted air and proper ventilation is now an effective safety measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We are already aware of the fact that social distancing in public is to be taken far more seriously than it was at the beginning of the pandemic. As monitoring the air quality is the need of the hour now, the best possible solution is the installation of sensors. With the help of artificial intelligence, air quality information connected to a HVAC system can get activated and deactivated as and when required. This ensures that the air everyone receiving in the facility is not contaminated and regulated on a regular basis.

The robot

It is a challenge for industrial managers to meet social distancing norms while standing in assembly lines. This is causing many factories to reconsider their layouts in order to meet the latest social distancing standards. In order to avoid a breakdown in production, a lot of companies will now depend on the IoT to automate their processes. While robots are associated with the general fear of losing jobs, it will be interesting to see their role in accelerating recovery. How will technology save us from contamination? How will it help us maintain social distance? How will automation of a few processes help us prepare to deal with future pandemics? Well, it is not about replacing workers but more about making processes safer and more productive. Industries can use smart robots to deliver food and materials as is already the case in some hospitals. Many companies are using drones to make home deliveries while some companies are using robots to spray disinfectants in agricultural fields.

Can Blockchain help fight Covid-19?

Blockchain is one of the most advanced technological advancements of recent years. It was initially created to control all transactions with cryptocurrency. Though this was the initial purpose, this technology has different applications. One of its best-known uses is in the retail sector where the entire distribution chain can be controlled using this technology. In this way, it will be possible to stop the circulation or disinfect products that may have come in contact with infected or positive workers or courier persons. In the situation of an outbreak, few technologies can offer safety and confidence to customers.

Big Data in public health

Big data is one of the most frequently used words associated with the IoT. This expression is used to refer to the huge amount of information that can be collected with the help of inter-connectivity. This information otherwise is difficult to process manually. We gradually learn to integrate systems and make informed decisions based on the data that we have, especially during a pandemic. We often hear the term “smart cities” that use big data to optimize municipal services like collecting waste or parking automatically. Various countries like South Korea, China and Australia are using big data to develop epidemiological maps that can track the transmission chains and check if social isolation was being met.

 

Something that was considered science fiction a decade ago has now become a reality. And IoT has been established as a facility management solution for dealing with different public health problems in the future.


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About Lisa Watson Junior   Facility Management Expert

1 connections, 0 recommendations, 14 honor points.
Joined APSense since, May 5th, 2020, From San Ramon, United States.

Created on May 29th 2020 01:38. Viewed 431 times.

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