4 tips for implementing smart city technology
The concept of smart cities was premised on integrating information, communications and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies like sensors and cameras in a secure fashion to manage a city’s assets. One goal was more effective and cost-efficient management of city infrastructures and property, but equally important was responsiveness to emerging infrastructure events to help cities and their occupants.
Several years ago, cities began integrating their traffic management systems with city geographical information systems (GIS) so city planners and also city traffic managers could observe traffic flows, determine maintenance needs, and plan for future infrastructure. Initially these efforts captured static or near real-time information from sensors placed on traffic lights, at intersections, or on other stationary infrastructure assets that the city managed.
Now, big data and analytics technology can further contribute by adding data collected from sensor feeds of commercial vehicles. A fleet truck accelerometer, for instance, can measure speed increases, braking, and tire vibration. Other truck-equipped sensors can measure weather conditions such as temperature. As trucks travel, this data can be transmitted in real time to commercial fleet managers—and it can also be piped into municipal data repositories to enhance knowledge about urban road infrastructure as truck fleets pass through the area.
“We call this field telematics,” said Mike Branch, vice president of business development for GeoTab, which provides fleet tracking software. “By collecting real time IoT data from trucking fleets, cities can acquire data about weather, road conditions, intersections, traffic lights, dwell times, and traffic jams.”
Branch referenced work being done in the city of Toronto, which is collecting incoming data from the accelerometers of fleet vehicles as the vehicles pass through. “The accelerometers show where trucks are slowing down, and the city has been using this data to locate road hazards like potholes,” said Branch. “The accelerometer data also assists in locating areas where railroad crossing signs are missing.”
Across the border at the Ohio Department of Transportation, Streetlight Data, which measures traffic behavior, is working with city planners to leverage the data that can be collected from IoT-equipped trucking fleets to deliver information about traffic flows and about the timings of traffic lights.
“The overall goal is to improve efficiency in municipal planning practices,” said Laura Schewel, Streetlight Data CEO. “In cities like Columbus, we are able to tell how new infrastructure additions are affecting traffic. This enables the city to make adjustments as needed.”
Both GeoTab and Streetlight Data acknowledge that more besides technology is needed for cities to get this technology to work.
