04The physical world - digitised
Intuitive zero UI, ambient computing experiences, new data-driven business value
Introduction
Today
As we work to make customer experiences more convenient through intuitive and natural interactions, we are paving the way for the digitalisation of the physical place. Every surface can - and will - become a digital touchpoint.
What will change
When digital and physical blend, it will change the definition of what is reality in a profound way, both for individuals and for society. It will also shape how we interact with data. In built environments, we will digitise the customers footprint on a large scale, opening up a world of untapped business opportunities for services and experiences.
Emerging technologies
Voice controlled wearables, smart windows, sensorised surfaces, mixed realities, biometric identification and access controls boosted with 5G, edge computing and cloud connected machine learning all will play their part in a digitised physical world.
Opportunities worth taking
The companies that focus on smooth and natural CX will have the power to define how people perceive the world. From digital native Millennials to seniors learning to use their first gadgets, everyone will benefit from having intelligence embedded in our office tables, home appliances, building walls and shop windows. With lowering technology prices, any surface can easily and affordably become digitally connected.
This is where the open-minded, the visionaries, the rebels and disruptors design new digital customer experiences for the world to come. Are you one of us?
Opportunities
Built environment
Digital experiences seamlessly embedded into physical environments will change the way we define data. Digitizing customer physical footprints on a large scale will create new solutions and revenue streams. The construction industry should focus on smart built environments to meet the connected demands of millennials and Gen Z. Increased digital touchpoints will also provide more data, helping to optimise and anticipate energy consumption.
Acquiring information
Information acquired from AIs, crowdsourcing, and personal data sources could become as trusted by consumers as certified research, reports and traditional media.
Service business
Multipersonal screens and recognition services provide a massive opportunity to personalise shared point-of-services. Shifting seamlessly from a digital touchpoint to physical one in a B2C setting can provide hyperpersonal customer experiences in shopping, healthcare and many more.
Materials & manufacturing
A great example of material design is the smart glass from Seloy with interactive and augmented features.
Why is this relevant
Total market 2024
Consumer electronics $ 1,2 trillion market where smart systems increasing, e.g. smart homes $ 180bn, with 18% CAGR. $ 936 billion with 33% CAGR. Gartner expected up to 75% of US households to own a smart speaker by 2020, while in reality, around 0,5 speakers per US citizen, were spread around 60million households by the end of 2019.
Look after these 2024
Access control $11,7bn + face rec $8,3 bn + voice rec $44,5 bn + artificial intelligence 43% CAGR (natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML) and computer vision $146 bn.
Top 18 unicorn sniffing smart money VCs, 1376 investments 2018-2020
Artificial intelligence 14%, experience 9%, computer vision 3%, voice 2%.
Special focus
A ubiquitous, connected layer will force companies to cooperate to provide smooth CX, which will eventually lead to hyper connected business. According to Naked Approach, hyperconnected business will challenge the old business playbooks and shape competition in a way that challenges industrial forms of organisation.
Things to consider
Challenges achieving true zero UI
Current interoperability standards mean the creation of a cohesive and cooperative environment is a major challenge standing in the way of true zero UI.
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Privacy
The path from convenience to surveillance can be short.
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Consumer trust
Service providers such as Alexa and Google Home have been found to be eavesdropping on users.
Read more
Increased power demand
Computing power and energy consumption may exceed what can be provided.
Read more
Loss of skill
The difference between supporting people as they move through the world - and dumbing down the world itself - is an important distinction. Over-reliance on a smart world may lead to skill and knowledge deterioration.
Start-ups
SeloyLive
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Forciot
Sensors turning surfaces into digital experiences.
V7Labs
Computer vision platform for retail, healthcare and many other use cases.
Mateo
Turning your bath mat into a digital experience.
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Canatu Sensors
Turning surfaces into digital experiences.
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Ghost - feel it
Tactile user interfaces.
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My Voice Ai
Speaker identification, sentiment analysis, emotion detection and real-time evaluation of other speaker characteristics.
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Omnibot
Voice and conversational AI platform based on its own proprietary technologies.
RetroLabs
Make any fridge smart to automate shopping and reduce your food waste.
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Technologies that will enable the shift
5G
The 5th generation of wireless technology that operates on a broader set of frequencies than 4G. This enables faster speed and latency in data transfer, as well as uninterrupted connectivity. This doesn’t mean 4G is already redundant, but IoT-services & autonomous connectivity are considered to require 5G connections.
AI/ML Artificial intelligence (AI)
Computer systems that accomplish goals in some task(s). It is not a single thing; it is a combination of technologies such as machine learning. Machine Learning (ML): toolbox of algorithms and techniques that learn rules from data. Used to implement AI in narrow tasks. Not magic; learns from the data by minimising a cost function.
Edge computing
Components that are required to run an ML Algorithm locally on a device. In edge computing, a microcontroller unit (a small chip) is embedded with the ability to perform AI/ML computing offline based on sensor inputs without needing a cloud connection.
Sensor technology
Ultra thin, connected, printable, stretchable sensor technology has the potential to turn every single physical surface into a digital experience. Sensors can track temperature, air, depth, air pressure, touch or other inputs, enabling relevant data inputs for further computing.
Biometrics
The measurable, unique physical and/or behavioural characteristics of a person. These include the face, iris, voice and thumb print. Biometric recognition detects these objects and compares them with stored biometric data. This means an evaluated character such as a person’s identity, age or language of choice person can be identified.
Speech recognition
Using voice as a source for identifying, analysing and acting. (e.g. speech to text, identification, measuring, etc.)
Computer vision
Using video image as a source for identifying, analysing and acting (objects & faces to provide access, personalise, charge, recommend, etc.)
Societal
Convenience
Convenience as a key factor driving CX in consumer preferences.
Demand for more calm, non-interrupting experiences
Mindfulness and joy-of-missing-out indicate criticism towards hectic digital lifestyle.
Increasing adoption of Amazon Echo, Google Home and other VUIs impacts on customer behaviours & exceptions for interaction.
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COVID19
Behavioral shift for less bacterial interfaces after COVID19 Kagan: With Covid 19, retail customers want contactless payment tech.
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Legal
Privacy by design crucial after GDPR
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Regulators likely to evaluate new services case by case
Get in touch with our team
Tuğberk Duman
Business Consultant
+358503266121
tugberk.duman@futurice.com
Niina Uusi-Autti
VP, Emerging Business
+358 40 546 2335
niina.uusi-autti@futurice.com
Get in touch
You can find individual contact details for the friendly folk above.