Connected Lab will let hackers use IBM Watson IoT to develop chatbots

by Abhinav Mohapatra

Connected Lab, the connected software company in North America, will be hosing a smart device ‘Hackathon’ powered by IBM Watson IoT. The event has been developed to encourage developers create new experiences using conversational interfaces on the IBM Watson IoT Platform. During the hackathon, developers will use IBM Watson IoT cognitive APIs and smart devices to create conversational interfaces like chatbots.

The IBM Watson IoT Platform allows people to securely and easily connect devices, from chips and intelligent appliances, to applications and industry solutions, and use cognitive services including natural language processing and machine learning for deep insights into hidden or “dark” data for innovation and transformation. The platform also provides the ability to analyze sensor data from billions of devices, an example is to better forecast weather events.

November last year, Connected Lab came out of stealth mode to bridge the gap between companies and their ambition of developing connected software and devices. Looking at the increase in popularity of hardware and connected devices, with smart cars, AR and VR, wearables and IoT, the company aims to help brands build connected experiences across multiple platforms, including mobile, web, smart TV’s and VR/AR.

Damian McCabe, VP Engineering, Connected Lab, says:

“People are excited about chatbots because they see the potential to interact with technology using conversational language. As an IBM alumni, I’m excited about the potential of the IBM Watson’s cognitive capabilities including natural language processing and machine learning. At the hackathon, developers will use this powerful platform to build more human ways for people to use innovative technology.”

McCabe claims that people will always use a few standalone apps. But a lot of information and services can be more easily accessed through a conversational interface rather than hundreds of app icons on your home screen. The IBM Watson IoT Platform opens up new possibilities in how we interact with services and our environment.

The company claims that the theme of the hackathon, ‘Conversational Interfaces and Smart Devices’, aligns with Connected Lab’s mission to build better-connected software experiences. This hackathon encourages developers to access the IBM Watson IoT Platform cognitive analytics expertise to build applications that can understand meaning, extract insights, and respond to complex questions.

In March this year, Connected Lab associated with Amazon to host Amazon Echo’s first hackathon in Canada. The subject was ‘Alexa’, the voice-based operating system behind Amazon’s consumer electronic device, ‘the Amazon Echo’. The Echo is a small cylindrical speaker that can perform a list of tasks. Users can ask Alexa to play music, read news headlines, make to-do lists, order products from Amazon.com, or even dim the lights in a room. The hackathon was to provide designers and developers the first opportunity to explore the Amazon Echo and hack the Echo to develop new capabilities, called ‘Skills’, for Alexa to perform.