#026 Interview: Shah Ahmed Raza: Tracking School Buses with IoT

What is IoT?

Internet of Things is abbreviated as IoT, which refers to connecting various items to the internet. While the term IoT may sound new to us, computer systems have long been connected to different objects for automation purposes. For example, a washing machine uses various sensors to measure the amount and weight of clothes and, with the help of a computer system—known as an embedded system—automates its functions.

By connecting these computer systems within devices to the internet, we create what we call Internet-connected objects or IoT. Many household electronic appliances, such as TVs and refrigerators, are now networked and internet-enabled, allowing them to perform various tasks. IoT is enabling the creation of new business models and innovative applications worldwide.

Shah Ahmed Raza:

Today we will discuss such a model—an example of IoT usage—with Shah Ahmed Raza. Raza has been working extensively with embedded systems for a long time. He has worked in networking at renowned organizations including IBM and Cisco, and has wide experience in advanced military equipment, telecommunications, hardware, and network systems.

Technuf:

Now, he is providing various services by connecting these systems to the internet. Along with his friends, he founded a company called Technuf (http://technuf.com/), which offers a range of IoT services. He describes in detail how school buses can be monitored using IoT and how this can assist teachers and parents.

Tracking School Buses Using IoT

In remote areas of America, school buses travel long distances to gather students, and after school, they drop them off at home. Raza’s company, Technuf, tracks these vehicles using IoT. Parents and teachers can use a mobile phone or tablet device to check the real-time location of the buses and students from anywhere.

In the morning, when the school bus is near home, parents can take their children to the bus stop. Once the bus arrives, the parent puts the child on the bus. At each stop, the bus driver can see on a display which students will board from that stop. The driver verifies students by their photos on the display. When the bus arrives at school, the driver logs the students’ arrival on his device. Parents can monitor from home or office via their mobile devices whether their children have arrived at school. Similarly, they can also confirm if their children have returned home after school. Since homes are often far from schools, parents are naturally concerned about their children’s safety. These kinds of services are being launched to alleviate their concerns.

Technuf is currently running a pilot project on this kind of IoT application. By connecting the IoT device with the bus controller box, they also obtain various information, including the bus’s speed. Parents can find out if the bus is running safely, if it is overspeeding, or if there has been any accident. If necessary, they can also check the live situation through the bus’s internal video cameras via the IoT system.

Business Model of IoT

Since many devices are connected to an IoT system, the cost of buying equipment can be relatively high. As a result, many were reluctant to purchase the system outright. Later, Technuf, in collaboration with various American telecom companies, started offering this service at a much lower price through monthly installments. Currently, Technuf’s system is operating successfully in the USA, and they are trying to launch it in other countries as well. Officials from foreign embassies in Bangladesh are particularly interested in such services, as they have children studying in different schools across Dhaka and are very concerned about their safety.

Using Technuf’s IoT system, they can monitor their children’s whereabouts and know immediately if there is any accident or threat of robbery. Raza’s company is just one example among the many applications of IoT; a lot of other work is also underway in this area.

Hardware

For decades, various embedded hardware devices have been used to collect data via sensors. Nowadays, by adding internet connectivity to these sensors, new types of services are being envisioned.

Discussing IoT platforms with Raza, we learned that while major hardware companies are developing various IoT hardware, mobile phones are also functioning as IoT devices. Since regular mobile devices are connected to the internet and can gather information from various sensors, this data can be sent directly to the cloud.

IoT and Artificial Intelligence

Currently, IoT primarily collects data and sends it to the server. But we are now entering the next phase, where data gathered from these sensors will be analyzed using Artificial Intelligence. AI will scan the data for patterns to determine whether there are any alerts or important information to highlight.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOOUSVuLxfc