In today’s connected world, factories are smart, cars are smart, buildings are smart, and homes are smart. School campuses should be smart too. The number of gun-violence incidents in the United States is much too high, and while politicians and special interest groups argue about how exactly to curb this violence, technology could help keep campuses safer. The latest IoT (Internet of Things) technologies could streamline campus and school operations to help them run as efficiently as possible.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the global IoT in education market is expected to grow from $4.8 billion in 2018 to $11.3 billion by 2023. Growth factors, according to the research firm, include the increased use of connected devices by education institutions, such as interactive boards, connected scanners and projectors, and sensors, as well as the continued adoption of eLearning and cloud-based classroom management solutions.
Indoor positioning sensors are also helping some campuses increase security. Earlier this year, for instance, indoor positioning and data analytics company Inpixon announced its IPA (Indoor Positioning Analytics) sensor will be part of a smart school safety network solution that will increase campuses’ situational awareness and communication technologies. The solution will integrate indoor and outdoor location data to help protect campuses more completely.
The sensor will detect wireless signals emitted from student-worn, wrist-based devices and other wireless devices with GPS, cellular, Bluetooth, and NFC (near-field communication) technology on a school’s campus, Inpixon says. With this added visibility, in times of crisis, first response teams could locate students, teachers and other personnel, and visitors on campus more easily. It could even recognize unknown devices, which could help identify trespassers and alert law enforcement to their presence. Further, an integrated notification system could disseminate messages that could direct individuals to safe places and keep them informed as a situation unfolds.
Campuses may also leverage AI (artificial intelligence) to get smart. Tech company Remark Holdings recently announced the deployment of KanKan AI’s Smart Campus solution in the Hangzhou Primary School System in Hangzhou, China. The Smart Campus solution is in response to the mandate from the Chinese Ministry of Education and State Council to leverage AI technologies to modernize China’s secondary school campuses by increasing campus safety, tracking student attendance, and encouraging interactive learning.
Using facial recognition technology and object recognition technology, the solution will automate student check in and check out at campus entrance and exit points; control access to dormitories, laboratories, and libraries; alert school administrators of unauthorized individuals and trespassers; ensure students are released only to pre-approved persons; and monitor the campus for unauthorized objects, such as weapons.
On a smart campus, parents can rest assured that their child is as safe as possible; they can even check in with their child or children via realtime video monitoring and alerting. The future of school is smart. Safety concerns demand the best technology can offer, and schools and organizations can benefit from the efficiencies and visibility that connected technologies, including AI, can deliver.
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