Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy looks at how growing populations are pushing leaders in major cities to rethink their approach to smarter infrastructure, in order to connect roads, bridges, utilities, manufacturing, and so much more. She says many one-off solutions cannot work with the rest of infrastructure, and suggests that communication will be the biggest hurdle for leaders if they want to make better decisions that keep communities safe.

Jerry Ullman, senior research engineer and regents fellow, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, discusses apprehensions towards autonomous vehicles and suggests that more work must be done in order for them to effectively navigate through construction work zone scenarios. He says as cars become more intelligent, they may soon be able to share information in the cloud with manufacturers to monitor pavement conditions, weather patterns, and delivery updates for drivers.

Catherine Kniker, chief revenue officer, PTC, talks about the constant development of the popular ThingWorx platform and says it is enabling users to keep one foot in the physical world and one in digital world. She explains how the IoT is being used to unlock hidden value in simple and complex data systems, and predicts that this year many companies may take the leap from using pilot systems to full scale solutions.

Peggy talks about the growing innovations in connected healthcare like remote monitoring and virtual visits, and says that infrastructure must adapt in order to bring these capabilities and effectively transfer patient data to and from remote areas in the world. She also says the increased reliance on biosensors will have less to do with diagnosing and treating patients, but more to do with being proactive with chronic illnesses.

Peggy takes a look at the Public Policy Roadmap and how the IoT will be used to tackle new transportation and infrastructure projects set forth by the new administration. She says as major metropolitan cities become more tech driven, construction professional must be prepared and educated in the newest connect solutions set to rebuild America.

Dale Beard, CEO, Intelliwave Technologies, talks about how sensor technology is being used to locate lost or misplaced materials and equipment, which can cause major delays in commercial and residential projects. He says the acceptance and commercialization of sensors has drastically altered the way materials are managed along with enhancing uptime, refocusing management, cutting order costs, and maintaining safety.

Benjamin Hubbard, director of sales, Cloud EPC, talks about how contractors can discern between leading and lagging data in order to notice deviations from set metrics that will tackle issues at the root cause. He says the cloud has become so integrated into our mindset when it comes to technology and says it can further be used to reduce costs, accelerate deployment, update features, and work from anywhere.

Peggy takes a look back at the evolution of technology on the jobsite and says the IoT has incited operational changes in the way contractors can get things done. She explains how the introduction of smartphones, apps, and tablets has continued to integrate data more efficiently from the office to jobsite, with much more growth on the way, thanks to new educational sources and the initiative toward a standard data protocol.

Peggy looks at new research regarding autonomous vehicles that shows human monitoring is needed to keep an eye on disengagement errors. To address the problem, Peggy says technology companies and governments need to work together to provide better ways that smart cars can interact with surrounding environments and infrastructure.

Aaron Hillegass, founder and CEO, The Big Nerd Ranch, acknowledges that although many software companies are focused on tech solutions for developing nations, improving collaboration, and meeting the demands of the IoT, security should remain at the top of the list. He explains that two-way connections in servers can be available to millions of people and servers must be able to keep running and not fall behind despite that ever-growing number.

Gary Tucker, CEO, Zubie, talks about how his company is working to improve the relationship between the dealer and the customer when it comes to keeping track of fleets and potential diagnostic problems. He explains how the transparency of automotive information that is available changes the ability to make decisions and discusses new solutions aimed at monitoring the driving progress of the elderly and teens.

Peggy talks about the rise of UBI (usage-based insurance), which allows telematics and insurance companies to access driver data that can help determine individual risk and subsequently create personalized policies for each driver. She says although customer acceptance and privacy are still hindering total UBI adoption, good drivers as well as millennials may be more open to the idea of this proposition as a means to monitor harsh breaking and excessive acceleration.

Peggy end the shows with a discussion on new European regulations that tracks drivers to detect accidents and performance on the road. She says that although this trade-off has shown great potential in saving lives and keeping drivers in check, she questions how insurance companies will use this information to affect rates.

Avi Freedman, cofounder and CEO, Kentik, talks network performance within the IoT and says that devices and appliances from the home and office have the potential to be hacked or "listen" in on users in the future. To combat this, he suggests a "trust but verify" mindset when it comes to security and predicts that with so many networks connected to the Internet, segmentation is set to occur within the IoT.

Have you heard about the Baseline to Build-On Initiative? Peggy discusses how the need for a common data protocol within the IoT (Internet of Things) stemmed from the difficulties many construction companies faced when sharing information between conflicting platforms and groups. She says the overwhelming response to become involved has demonstrated that an "inside-out" approach has the potential to incite change in all areas of construction including: architecture, fleets, engineering, and much more.

Peggy looks at how the industrial revolution has changed to Industry 4.0, enabling cyber-physical systems to communicate with one another as well as humans to improve operations, lower downtime, and maintain asset and quality control. She then examines how micro markets will continue to evolve with the introduction of smart vending machines and the growing trend of craft breweries.

Peggy advocates for improved safety features in fleet systems to better secure trucks and equipment, and says the hacking of enterprise vehicles can open the door to more problems. She highlights a new research project enabling a solution to "talk" to the vehicle, "speak" its language, and perform analysis that will prevent delays or stolen data.

David Gaw, CEO, Sensera Systems, says remote-sensing solutions on the jobsite are adding more value for contractors, and says the introduction of drones will complement onsite cameras and improve the flow of data. He explains that while many sites are using such solutions, awareness is still low, and that in an effort to create more simplistic products and services, this will only further hinder adoption.

Aaron Attebery, smart city solutions lead, Black & Veatch, says the smart-city strategic directions report enables major cities to assess and compare with others on their progress toward adopting IoT (Internet of Things) solutions. He explains although cities may have great ideas for innovation, they are inexperienced and face budget restraints that can hinder initiatives.

Peggy begins the show by discussing how new regulatory compliances are driving the growing demand for vehicle telematics solutions like GPS (global positioning system), mobile asset tracking, and fleet management. She says the ability to document and prevent driver safety and performance issues creates a new level of transparency and accountability that was not there before.

Peggy ends the show by taking a look at recent patents for autonomous vehicles from companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon. She envisions how this new transportation of people and goods will eventually make its way to the home and the jobsite, with multiple machines and devices working as one to accomplish tasks.

Daniel Castro, professor and chair, School of Building Construction, Georgia Tech, explains how the use of architectural construction solutions and BIM (building information modeling) is leaning more toward contractors and owners, who are leveraging them for proactive purposes, as opposed to reactive. He says education and the adoption of new technology will lead to a renewed interest for careers in construction from a new generation.

Ray Thomas, vice president of sales, MSI, discusses how the IoT (Internet of Things) will be instrumental in alerting users of any needed maintenance or fixes. He says the use of IoT within field service has only improved the relationship among OEMs (original-equipment manufacturers), dealers, and operators who can share realtime data to ensure machines are running smoothly.

Peggy talks about what the U.S. Dept. of Transportation has in store this year with the introduction of new Secretary, Elaine Chao. Peggy dives into its newly proposed 5-year plan, which is set to focus on reducing distracted driving, decongesting roads, lowering carbon emissions, and revitalizing highway infrastructure.

Peggy says although there has yet to be any direct legislation related to the IoT (Internet of Things), the rise of the new administration and initiatives within construction and transportation will surely leave an impression. Furthermore, she takes a look how major universities are using their own cities as "living laboratories" to accelerate technological adoption, as well as seek new opportunities and translate concepts effectively into the real world.

Duane Kobayashi, IP counsel, Senseware, says since sensors have become more of a commodity in smart cities, the novelty phase has transitioned to a focus of finding solutions that meet the particular need of specific buildings. He explains the challenge ahead is retrofitting buildings with low-cost solutions to ensure they never go out of date throughout the building's lifecycle.

Kurt Nantkes, senior vice president, Zonar, gives his recommendations on how companies prepare for the upcoming ELD (electronic logging device) mandate that will shift the regulation of trucking hours from paper to digital. For companies with limited budgets and more integration challenges, he suggests a crawl, walk, run approach that will give them enough leeway to effectively adopt ELDs within fleets.

Peggy discusses how enterprise use of autonomous drones is growing and advancements used by the government will bleed in the commercial and consumer sectors, empowering them to make more effective decisions. She looks at how the use of artificial intelligence in military drones enables them to adapt to one another and operate under one brain with formation flying and self-healing.

Peggy begins the show by examining how the IoT (Internet of Things) is continuing to grow in the construction industry, but stresses that interoperability hurdles are holding up adoption. She explains how solution companies have created too many protocols to maintain control of its own ecosystems and that an industrywide standard will enable contractors to take full advantage of jobsite data.

Jef Farrell, vice president, CTO, Swinerton Builders discusses the new initiative, Baseline to Build On, which will work to develop a "common language" within construction and says that small or medium firms will have much to gain from this movement toward interoperability. Sam Lamonica, vice president/CIO, Rosendin Electric, also talks about the Baseline to Build On initiative by explaining how it will come from the customer perspective instead of the vendors or suppliers.

Sam Lamonica, vice president/CIO, Rosendin Electric, talks how a lack of infrastructure has presented challenges when managing data from the jobsite and says that the industry has not done a good job of selecting technology that allows for integration with one another. Jef Farrell, vice president, CTO, Swinerton Builders, predicts that the days of legacy systems and ERP (enterprise resource planning) are numbered with the rise of outside solutions, but cautions that many are looking for problems as opposed to solving them.

Peggy says it will be crucial to truly understanding the IoT (Internet of Things) when it comes to enacting a standard protocol in construction. She also previews upcoming events for the Baseline to Build On initiative and says it will have the opportunity to be leveraged in other markets to create a stronger environment.

Mobeen Khan, assistant vice president for IoT solutions, AT&T, explains how emerging LTE M and low-power solutions are leading to more use cases with longer life for things like elevators, vending machines, water meters, and more. He also addresses the decline in device costs and how analytics is ensuring data in the cloud is delivered without interruption.

Peggy begins the show by taking a look at how predictions made about the connected wearable market hold up nearly half a decade later. She discusses how enterprises like manufacturing, retail, and healthcare may be adopting more diverse wearable options such as smart cameras and glasses that will transform the way we think about work.

Peggy dives into trends gaining traction within the IoT, such as LTE (long-term evolution) and chips—all which is helping enterprises gain access to better connectivity. She further highlights the use of radar in driver-assistance systems for connected cars, as well as big news for satellites and healthcare application ecosystems.

Peggy ends the show with an examination of artificial-intelligence solutions set to become a one-stop-shop for city services. She also discusses the developing relationship with AI, and says we must be careful of how much control we hand over.

Hagai Zyss, CEO, Autotalks, says that vehicle-to-vehicle communication is creating a boiling point in the way the automotive industry is adopting technology. He discusses how layered short range and 5G standards will help drivers effectively receive message from drivers, as well as infrastructure when operating vehicles at high speeds.

Peggy ends this week's show by examining how self-driving cars grew out of science fiction into a major tool for the automotive industry to keep drivers safe. She says this data and machine learning will propel ridesharing services forward, decreasing cars on the road and the need for multiple trips.

Peggy starts the show by continuing her discussion on what's to come in smart cities this year—from monitoring traffic downtown to saving energy in airports. She says a testing ground for connected infrastructure in Las Vegas is a great example of how the IoT can be advantageous to cities in particular locations.

David Strayer, professor of cognitive neuroscience, University of Utah, dives into the mind of distracted drivers and says while part of the brain makes people believe they are capable of multitasking behind the wheel, nearly everyone is not. He explains how new vehicles today are developed with too much integration and dispels the debate whether hands-free or hand-held devices are safer on the road.

Victor Melfi Jr., chief strategy officer, VoiceBox, says brand-sensitive people want to use technology to differentiate their product. He says a company like CostCo should be concerned that people are using their voice to buy products with Alexa.

Travis Beaven, chief product officer, Xevo, says security and safety both are two big pillars in the connected car. He explains we have seen with the mobile phone becoming easier to text, and it is something that people need to remember because as you put more into the car, you get more services. He says we are bringing more experiences into the car, and we need to think about how this is going to transform the driving experience.

Daniel Cooley, senior vice president and general manager, Silicon Labs, says there will be two big things in 2017 including gateways and maturing ecosystems. He explains the company is baking a lot of the products at Silicon Labs and it is building modules that have the ability to become one protocol or another with software configurability.

Travis Beaven, chief product officer, Xevo, says in the past the automotive presence was tiny at CES, and now it has almost dominated the show. He explains tomorrow is here, and all of these opportunities are here to do things with and provide value back to the driver.

Peggy says technologies are emerging that are going to change smart homes and buildings. She explains that all of these technologies that are emerging are going to change how we build homes—and it is requiring builders to think about how they build homes. Eric Tran-Le, chief marketing officer, Logtrust, joins the program to talk about security, and talks about how IT security has evolved from 20 years ago.

Sujata Neidig, vice president of marketing, Thread Group, says the group has over 220 members, and it is growing as we speak, and says Thread Group works really hard to make sure it is creating a good network or ecosystem of partners. She explains the biggest challenge is there always has to be a starting point, saying companies are afraid to pick a technology.

Sujata Neidig, vice president of marketing, Thread Group, says it has developed a protocol that is IP based and mesh, has security, is low powered, and is scalable. She explains the promise of IoT is more than just connectivity, as the devices in the homes need to have an impact on their lifestyle.

Mike Bell, CEO, Silver Springs Networks, says the Internet of Things is going from a buzzword to something that is finally happening. He explains that often security is an afterthought, and it is really bad, and he believes security has to be job No.1 and we need standards.

Manuela Papadopol, director of business development & communications, Elektrobit, says the company is announcing a new electronic device that can predict and react in case there are emergencies on the road ahead and lane-departure warnings, saying software on wheels is emerging. Arwed Niestroj, CEO, Mercedes-Benz, Research and Development North America, says he sees the convergence of the technology coming together with automotive.

Frits van der Schaaf, ESRI, says the power of the map is a new area that is rapidly being discovered, and the connected car is a big part of that. He explains the technology can be used in natural disasters or in school zones, alerting the driver to slow down.