Boston startup aims to revolutionize public safety by tapping into IoT devices – SiliconANGLE
Intelligent devices and data analytics may play an important future role in minimizing casualties in events such as these. Boston-based Armored Things Inc. hopes someday to revolutionize public safety by giving organizations real-time visibility into the movement of people and things by tapping into and federating networks of smart devices.
The process doesn’t necessarily involve installing new equipment or retrofitting networks. In many cases, the data are already there waiting to be tapped, said Chris Lord, Armored Things’ chief technology officer and former head of research and development at Carbon Black Inc.
For example, the location of smart phones can be tracked by Wi-Fi routers, even if the phones aren’t connected. Aggregating and interpreting that data could, for example, enable security administrators to detect such anomalies as a crowd forming or people moving more rapidly than usual through a public space, which might indicate a threat. They could then respond before the 911 calls started coming in.