Retailers may soon be adding the Internet
of Things to their outdoor leisure marketing in the form of new wearables and trackers.
Vodafone just developed a set of proof-of-concept designs for products that could sense UV light
exposure, monitor wandering children and track lost luggage.
The Smart Summer suite of concept designs incorporates IoT sensors in men’s and women’s swimwear, a child's sunhat and
travel luggage and the data from them is aggregated in a smartphone app.
In the swimwear, a sensor measures sun exposure, which is displayed on a graph in the app. When potentially harmful UV
levels are reached, the user gets a notification on their smartphone.
Almost half (48%) of European consumers say they have forgotten to apply sunscreen while on vacation, according to
research conducted by YouGov for Vodafone.
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The research, comprising a survey of more than 8,000 adults across Europe, also found that three-quarters (76%) of consumers say receiving an alert
about harmful sun exposure would increase their likelihood of covering up.
In addition, YouGov found that almost a third (30%) of consumers say they have lost their luggage while
traveling.
Vodafone’s connected luggage design is equipped with tracking sensors that use Bluetooth, GPS and cellular connections to pin-point its location.
Similarly, the sunhat
also incorporates these tracking sensors.
The hat, intended for young children, can be located by using the app. As the hat-wearing child moves closer or farther away from the
smartphone-holding parent, the app shows a ‘hotter’ or ‘colder’ icon.
These designs are another example of ways in which IoT will benefit consumers’ lives,
according to Erik Brenneis, group director of IoT at Vodafone.
“The Vodafone ‘Smart Summer’ concept illustrates how the Internet of Things has the potential to reshape every
aspect of our daily lives,” Brenneis said.
“Companies in every industry are already embracing IoT technologies and see these as critical to their future.”