What happens when a kid who fixes broken toys and VCRs grows up to build AI-powered safety systems in factories? You get Matthew Keever, an IoT engineer whose innovation journey started young—and hasn’t slowed down since.

In this episode of Innovators of Things, Jillian Kaplan talks with Matthew about his path into the world of IoT, the role of curiosity, failure, and resilience in engineering, and how AI is reshaping industrial operations in real time. From predictive maintenance to camera-based human safety detection, Matthew gives us a look at how technology is not only solving real-world problems but also saving lives.

Key Takeaways:

• Early exposure to experimentation—and failure—can be the foundation for lifelong innovation.

• AI is no longer just a backend system—it’s embedded at the edge, making real-time decisions in factories and critical environments.

• Machine learning and AI aren’t just buzzwords—they’re evolving tools that drive safety, efficiency, and predictive capabilities.

• The convergence of AI and IoT is helping prevent workplace accidents, predict equipment failures, and reduce waste.

• Even toothbrushes are getting “smart”—but industrial AI innovation is what’s quietly transforming the world.

Episode Highlights:

• How homeschooling taught him to focus on outcomes, not just process

• Using AI-powered vision systems for workplace safety and predictive maintenance

• How AI is becoming a vital part of industrial IoT, not just a trend

• The difference between traditional AI, machine learning, and generative AI

• The power and risk of a future filled with AI—from smart factories to smart cities

💬 Quotable Moment:

“You can fail once, fail twice, fail three times—you just have to succeed in the end.” – Matthew Keever