What is smart living? Relationship between IoT and AI

In recent years, with the miniaturization of computers and the evolution of AI algorithms, the relationship between IoT and AI is becoming closer.
Therefore, this time, I would like to introduce various initiatives along with the latest trends in smart living, which will be important when talking about IoT and AI in the future.

Some of you may have heard that “AI will enrich our lives!”, but it is difficult to imagine specifically “what?” and “how?” Isn’t it?
I think one of the reasons for this is that there are still few cases where things that are visible to the eye have actually been enhanced with AI.

In this article, I would like to briefly explain examples of AI embedded in our lives and why IoT x AI has been attracting attention in recent years.

1. AI in the house

1-1. Smart rice cooker

Tiger Thermos, which is famous for rice cookers, sells a smart rice cooker (pressure IH jar rice cooker <freshly cooked> JPA-X100). This smart rice cooker is equipped with an “AI cooking function” that adjusts the appropriate cooking depending on the condition and brand of rice. By using the TIGER Home app that runs on a smartphone, it updates the information on the optimal cooking method so that it can handle new brands of rice, and even automatically orders rice when it runs out. … apparently …

In this example, the rice cooker is connected to the Internet via a smartphone, and the AI ​​learned on the cloud is downloaded to the rice cooker.
In other words, it can be said that it is an AI home appliance that uses the concept of IoT to connect things to the Internet.

1-2.COCORO home appliances

SHARP, a home appliance manufacturer, has made various home appliances smart based on the concept of IoT and AI under the title COCORO+. For example, Healsio (smart microwave oven) not only recognizes the operation by voice, but also suggests the optimal cooking mode when you speak what you want to cook. However, the recipes for cooking are endless, and the more you use it, the more you feel unsatisfactory.
To solve this problem, SHAPR provides a cloud service called COCORO KITCHEN. By using this cloud service, Internet-connected smart microwave ovens can automatically update recipe information and other information.
Air conditioning appliances such as smart air conditioners and air purifiers are equipped with a function that analyzes the air quality of the area in which you live and performs optimal air conditioning. It goes without saying that local air information cannot be recognized indoors, so it is necessary to connect to the Internet to obtain information.

This COCORO+ also provides higher quality services by downloading AI that exists on the cloud to home appliances. In other words, it can be said that the concepts of IoT and AI are very strongly linked.

2. AI in the city

2-1.KINOKUNIYA Sutto

Kinokuniya, which operates many supermarkets, has opened an unmanned payment supermarket called KINOKUNIYA Sutto. In this unmanned payment store, cameras are installed throughout the store, and AI recognizes “who, where, and what they picked up.” Just pick up what you want and pay at the self-checkout, so there will be less lines in front of the checkout. This store is great for busy people. If this technology spreads, the day may come when there will be no clerks in Japanese supermarkets.

As a service similar to this service, there is a grocery store called Amazon Go in the United States. In fact, even payment is done automatically by facial recognition, so consumers just pick up what they want and go out. You may feel like you’re shoplifting because you don’t have to pay anything in the store.

2-2.AI guide

Recently, more and more AI guides are being deployed at stations and city halls across the country. For example, at Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara Prefecture, the AI ​​station attendant “Arisa” is deployed, and at the Fujisawa City Hall in Kanagawa Prefecture, the guidance robot “AYUDA” is deployed.

There have been virtual guides using digital signage and tablet terminals, but they were difficult to use for the elderly and those who were not used to operating digital terminals. If there is a robot that can communicate in a visible way, it seems that such problems will be improved.

The AI ​​guide consists of a robot that exists in a visible form, an AI that understands and judges human language, and the Internet that updates facility information, and is a service that combines IoT and AI. Yes.

3. Reasons why IoT × AI is spreading

As we have seen in the above examples, we can see that the affinity between IoT and AI is extremely high. The reason for this is that when considering the strengths and weaknesses of IoT and the strengths and weaknesses of AI, they are in a relationship where they can cover each other.

For example, AI can make human-like decisions based on a wide variety of past data. Conversely, since all of the judgment criteria depend on past data, it is not possible to create a better AI unless sufficient data is collected.

Objects (household appliances, simple robots, etc.) exist in various places around the world, and are excellent tools for collecting a wide variety of data. On the other hand, basically it can only repeat what was programmed at the beginning, and there are cases where it is unsatisfactory as a service.

From these facts, AI and things can compensate for each other’s shortcomings, and it is thought that they will have a very strong synergy (synergistic effect).

In the future, the relationship between IoT and AI will continue to deepen, and AI will be incorporated into various things.
What is AI then? What can AI do and what can’t it do? So it may be the knowledge (literacy) necessary to live in modern times.

4. For those who want to learn more

In this article, we introduced various examples of how AI permeates our lives by combining them with things and realizing a better life.