2016 Mobile World Congress gives view into connected future

ARCELONA, Feb. 25 -- The Mobile World Congress, which closes on Thursday after four days of exhibitions by 2,100 companies for 95,000 visitors, has once again provided a technological window into the future.

As usual, the annual event has seen the presentation of smartphones, such as the Samsung S7 and the ZTE Blade V7, tablets and wearables, but the 2016 exhibition has moved into territory which indicates that soon the whole world will be mobile and connected.

These developments are anticipated to change lives and, in some cases, even save lives.

One such example is ThinkEco Power which uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to connect household items and track a person's actions in the home. Aimed at helping older people who live alone, the technology picks up on any unusual behavior, or a lack of interaction with household objects, as a warning of a possible health issue.

"In New York City, around 50,000 people a year die at home in this kind of situation and I felt this had to change," ThinkEco Power's CEO Stephen Kong told Xinhua.

"People don't see each other as often as they used to and this sensor can collect information and save lives," he said.

Kong explained his company was also working to prevent road accidents, with ideas forming "to help people find out for themselves whether or not they are in condition to drive and in worst case scenarios, we are looking at ways to stop the car."

Connected cars are progressing, with Swedish car manufacturer Volvo showing off its automatic car, which can travel for 130 km without anyone behind the wheel.

Tests begin in 2017 on Swedish roads for the concept, which would not just change the "driving" experience, but the very layout of future cars, given it will no longer be necessary to sit behind the steering wheel.

Automatic cars should mean safer roads and fewer accidents, what fits comfortably in the "Safe City" concept promoted by Huawei and already in use in many cities around the world.

Safe City solutions are a combination of Internet of Things (IoT), MBB, video and Big Data working together to help visualize problems and collaborate on solutions with real time surveillance allowing a swift and coordinated response to issues.

Their effectiveness has already been made very clear. For example, in regions of Kenya which have implemented some Safe City solutions, crime rates fell by 46 percent between 2014 and 2015.

But mobile is also about improving personal devices, such as taking a photo that isn't spoiled by an out of focus shot.

Colin Kwan of MEMSDrive explained his company was working on a system to ensure every photo turns out as planned, using the OPPO SmartSensor image stabilizer.

"When you take a photo when you are walking or running, there is a lot of movement. But thanks to our solution you can take a much clearer photo," he told Xinhua.

OPPO has also developed a rapid charging system for smartphones which can take a 2500mAh battery from empty to fully charged in 15 minutes, or if in a hurry, a five minute charge should provide 10 hours of battery life.