A smart bin that calls the council
A bin in a town centre has a sensor (a part that measures things). When it is full, it sends a message. The council sends a truck only to full bins.
The bin creates data all day. Someone must store it, study it and keep it safe.
New technology changes organisations, people and society. Let us meet five of these developments.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Network | computers and devices joined so they can share data | |
| Storage media | the devices that keep data, such as disks and memory cards | |
| Quantum computing | computing that uses the rules of very small particles to solve some problems far faster | |
| Internet of things | everyday objects with sensors that send data over the internet | IoT |
| Edge computing | processing data near where it is made, not far away | |
| Bias | treating some people less fairly, often by accident | |
| Machine learning | a program that learns patterns from data | |
| Generative AI | AI that makes new text, pictures, video or sound | |
| Augmented reality | digital items shown over the real world | AR |
| Virtual reality | a fully digital world, seen with a headset | VR |
| Extended reality | the name for AR and VR together | XR |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can describe five emerging technologies and one effect each has on people or organisations.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Storage and processing
Storage: sensors, photos, video and apps create more data every year. This raises demand for storage media, and for the power and money to keep it.
Quantum computing is a new way to process data. It may one day solve some problems far faster than today's computers, including breaking some current codes. It is still early in its development.
How much data does a sensor make?
readings_per_minute = 6
bins = 100
minutes_in_day = 24 * 60
per_day = readings_per_minute * bins * minutes_in_day
print("Readings a day:", per_day)
print("Readings in 30 days:", per_day * 30)The internet of things and the edge
The internet of things (IoT) joins sensors and devices to the internet. Uses include industrial (machines that report faults), smart city (bins, lights, traffic) and domestic (thermostats, doorbells).
Many devices use a lot of network capacity. Edge computing processes data near the device. This cuts delay and the load on the network.
Check: storage, quantum and IoT
Have a go
Check: storage, quantum and IoT
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.