70 years on - where would the world be without Hirohito

Smartphones have evolved far beyond basic communication, leveraging built-in sensors like cameras, LiDAR, accelerometers, and microphones for innovative, practical applications. Below, I've compiled a list of 20 of the smartest uses, drawing from advanced features, apps, and real-world integrations. These highlight how smartphones enhance productivity, health, creativity, and problem-solving. The first one references the NHK program you mentioned, where the phone's LiDAR lens enables precise 3D scanning for civil engineering tasks like site surveying and volume measurements. 

Civil Engineering Surveying with LiDAR: Modern smartphones (e.g., iPhone 12 Pro and later) use built-in LiDAR sensors to create accurate 3D point clouds of construction sites, buildings, or terrain. This allows for quick topographic mapping, volume calculations, and reality modeling in urban scenarios, reducing the need for expensive professional equipment. As featured in NHK's program on easy measurements 

Real-Time Sound Detection for Accessibility: Using the microphone and AI, features like Google's Live Transcribe on Android devices identify and label household or environmental sounds (e.g., doorbells, alarms, or baby cries) in real-time, aiding hearing-impaired users by providing haptic or visual alerts without needing external devices. 

Remote Control for Smart Home Devices: 

 Disease Cell Tracking via Microscope Attachments: Attach a simple lens to the smartphone camera to create a portable microscope (e.g., the Athelas app), allowing real-time monitoring of blood cells for malaria, cancer, or Ebola detection, enabling field diagnostics in remote areas. 

 Augmented Reality (AR) for Interior Design: Apps like IKEA Place use the phone's camera and ARKit/ARCore to overlay virtual furniture in your real space,

 Fitness and Health Tracking with Wearable Integration: Built-in sensors and apps like Google Fit or Apple Health sync with wearables to monitor heart rate, steps, sleep patterns, and even ECG via compatible watches, providing personalized workout insights and early health alerts. 

Mental Health Monitoring via Mood Analysis: AI apps like Youper analyze voice tones, facial expressions (via camera), or journal entries to detect emotional states, offering guided meditation or therapy techniques based on cognitive behavioral methods for daily mindfulness support. 

 Productivity Boost with Task Automation: Apps like Automate or IFTTT create custom workflows, such as auto-backing up photos to cloud storage when battery is low or silencing notifications during focus hours, turning the phone into a personal automation hub. 

 Environmental Sound Transcription for Note-Taking: Beyond accessibility, Live Transcribe can convert lectures, meetings, or podcasts into searchable text in real-time, with speaker identification, ideal for students or professionals without relying on external recorders. 

 3D Modeling for Hobbyists and Architects: Using LiDAR or photogrammetry apps like Polycam, scan real-world objects to generate editable 3D models for printing, animation, or architectural planning, with accuracy suitable for small-scale prototypes. 

 Navigation for the Visually Impaired: Screen readers and haptic feedback apps (e.g., Seeing AI) use the camera to describe surroundings, detect obstacles via LiDAR, and provide audio-guided navigation, integrating with GPS for independent mobility. 

 Music Identification and Composition: Apps like Shazam instantly identify songs from ambient audio, while GarageBand turns the phone into a full studio with virtual instruments, loop libraries, and AI-assisted mixing for on-the-go creation. 

 Battery and Usage Analytics for Optimization: Hidden diagnostics tools log app drain, screen time per activity, and performance metrics, helping users optimize settings, identify power-hungry apps, and extend device longevity without third-party software. 

 Gaming Performance Enhancement: Built-in game modes (e.g., on Samsung or OnePlus) optimize CPU/GPU, reduce lag, and record sessions, while the phone's haptics and gyroscopes enable immersive controls for titles like mobile PUBG or AR games like Pokémon GO. 

 Document Scanning and OCR for Archiving: Camera apps with AI (e.g., Adobe Scan) capture, enhance, and extract text from physical documents, converting them to editable PDFs or searchable files, useful for quick digitization in professional or personal settings. 

 Stargazing and Astronomy Identification: Apps like SkyView use the camera and GPS to overlay constellations, planets, and satellites in AR, providing educational info and tracking events like meteor showers for amateur astronomers. (inspired by multimedia extensions) 

Recipe Guidance with AR Overlays: Cooking apps like Whisk or SideChef use the camera to scan ingredients and suggest recipes, with AR steps overlaying instructions on your countertop for hands-free guidance during meal prep. (AR innovations) 

Translation for Travel via Camera: Google Translate's camera mode instantly translates signs, menus, or books in real-time using AR, supporting offline languages and integrating with conversation mode for non-chat audio translation. 

 Virtual Reality Experiences for Education: With a simple cardboard viewer or built-in VR modes, apps like Google Expeditions offer immersive tours of historical sites or science simulations, using the phone's sensors for 360-degree interaction and gyroscopic controls.