2017 IoT Predictions: VR, Voice Assistants, Self-Driving Cars

by Chase Martin, December 29, 2016

As the year comes to a close and predictions for next year are made, more than one area of the Internet of Things is expected to grow.

That’s according to a new set of predictions for next year’s trends, just released by Juniper Research.

Here are the top predictions related to the Internet of Things that are expected to gain momentum next year, according to Juniper:

Virtual reality shifts from hardware to content creation. While most developments within the virtual reality markets in 2016 were hardware-based, 2017 will be the year that top-level content creators move to the immersive medium. In addition to the gaming industry, the media and tourism industries are expected to commit to incorporating VR into their strategies. Using VR in tourism will come in the form of interactive mobile-based VR experiences to add to tourist experiences during their visits, while the media industry will look to incorporate immersive experiences across various platforms.

Digital voice assistants battle for the market, especially in the home. Consumer adoption of digital voice assistants from Google, Amazon and others will grow large enough to create a competitive market between the assistants. The device ecosystems of consumers will move toward consolidating to devices connect to and driven by a certain platform. Sticking to a single brand will become the standard when it comes to consumers outfitting their homes with connected devices. As a result, the competition between brands vying to become the ecosystem of choice will be strong within the smart home. This will lead to brands leveraging bundle discounts and exclusive services in products with their digital voice assistants.

Autonomous vehicles begin to see government regulations. Although a commercially available self-driving vehicle will likely not be a reality in 2017, the government will begin to make headway on autonomous vehicle regulation. A lobby group that was created this year and includes Google, Ford, Uber, Lyft and Volvo is expected to lead an effort to push for broader availability for testing autonomous vehicles on public roads.

Chatbot use becomes more widespread. As the capabilities improve, chatbot adoption will grow, with use cases in eCommerce. Chatbots integrated into social platforms can bring booking travel and purchasing other goods and services directly into those platforms. In addition to possible voice interaction capabilities, chatbots can also become personalized by analyzing available information on the social platform.

eSports expands into the mainstream. Next year, more than 190 million viewers will tune into professional gaming, on mobile and online channels. The growth will bring viewership levels close to traditional sports and, as a result, will drive an increase in advertising dollars spent.

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