What is Thanatechnology

With all of the means available now for collecting massive amounts of data, many are made possible through advancements in the internet of things (IoT). As more devices are connected and brought online, the ability to analyze rich data points will continue to grow. In this article, the authors discuss how smart cities can use this data to address concerns associated with increasing urbanization, resource allocation, infrastructure, energy, and various economic and social needs by examining potential data collection through IoT devices. As more people populate and consider moving to smart cities, one major area of concern is the potential for impacts of the human element of death and loss. With large populations living in these smart cities, a corresponding increase in the number of deaths will undoubtedly follow. The concept of death analytics and the computational analysis of related data is discussed in the context of smart cities to better leverage technology to help the needs of the bereaved, the terminally ill and to protect the final wishes and content of the dead.