By Brian Kress

2012 will be a year for Internet-connected things. The tipping point of a long lead time of theories is now a reality, because of new tools available to create a true set of a connected web of objects. The Internet of Things is a world where our physical objects are active participants in the global Web. Instead of a Web where the only nodes are people (as Web 2.0 generated), our things get their own voice.

The Internet of Things has enjoyed the luxuries of good press for over a decade. Much like the heralded “year of mobile” that was touted year upon year until someone (Steve Jobs) came out with something actually relevant, the Internet of Things has made Top 10 Trends lists like this one for several years now.

Why it’s relevant now, though, when before it was pontifical hooey, is that it has begun to actually materialize in a relevant way. The Internet of Things started with a round of inventors affectionately referred to as “hardware hackers” who tweaked open-source prototyping electronics like the Arduino, the open-source microcontroller board used to make cool interactive devices like switches and sensors to control physical outputs like motors and lights.

This expanded quickly into mobile device add-on elements like QR codes and near-field RFID tags.

But now, the applications in the Internet of Things have grown up to be less hacker-like, less obscure and very relevant to the Average Joe’s and Average Jane’s daily lives.

Craftsman Is Making Our Tools Sentient

The Craftsman AssureLink garage door opener is a great example. Recognizing that the majority of us forget whether we’ve closed the garage door every once in a while, Craftsman has built a tool for us to double-check without driving home. The Craftsman AssureLink garage door knows when it’s open or closed, and with a smartphone app allows homeowners to remotely control their garage doors from anywhere.

Kinze Is Automating Farming

Through what they’re calling the “Autonomy Project,” Kinze, a farming equipment manufacturer, has recently revealed a self-driving tractor and grain cart that harvest crops and can make “intelligent operational decisions in real time based on field conditions.”

Twine Is Connecting Your World to the Internet

A new group of guys out of the MIT Media Lab calling themselves Supermechanical has created a project called Twine. Twine is a product that allows communication between a device with a smart sensor that has a built-in thermometer and accelerometer, and an online interface that allows users to give simple instructions to the sensor. Examples of how Twine is being used now are things like alerting users when their basement gets below freezing and when their clothes dryer buzzes that it’s done.

KickStarter - Twine: Listen to your world, talk to the Internet

All Brands Should Be Involved

The Internet of Things is changing, and it’s taking the world along with it. The technological capabilities that have heretofore been the stuff of science fiction are now a reality, and a new world is being created around us in which our things are joining our experience on the Internet.

A brand’s best and brightest opportunity is to rethink product functionality. Organizations should consider ways to make their product sentient, allowing it to speak one on one with your customers to make their experience easier. It may take an evolution in thinking about product functionality, but the extra capability afforded by simple connectivity is one that consumers will flock to when done right.