The Smart City – What is it and where is it going?
Tom gets in his car that is parked in a space rented from another resident of SmartCity throughMobypark. SmartCity uses Mobypark data to reduce traffic, save energy and improve public safety. Tom opensStreet Bumpon his iPhone, which tracks bumps and automatically sends pothole information to SmartCity so road crews can make repairs. At ten locations around SmartCity this morning, police are on alert for crime based on machine learning and continually-updated crime data. Garbage collection is so optimized in SmartCity that seven employees handle trash of 35,000 residents. When the soil dries out in SmartCity parks, irrigation systems automatically turn on. Benches in the park are equipped with solar panels and USB ports for charging mobile devices. Throughout SmartCity, residents and tourists are pointing their smartphones (which are connected to the Internet through locally-provided Wi-Fi) at landmarks and transit stations to identify the sites, get directions, and check schedules.
– All these examples are installed today. See details below.
The Internet of Things has ushered in an era of Smart Schools, Smart Homes, Smart Hospitals, and perhaps most importantly, Smart Cities. Low cost Internet-connected devices have made it possible, even easy, to monitor and control municipal functions like parking, traffic, lighting, safety, and environmental control. Video can be readily captured across the city. Insightful and actionable data on the workings of government are available in real time, delivered via smart phone.
Smart cities are able to reduce their expenses by optimizing energy consumption. Responsiveness, safety, and overall satisfaction of all residents and employees rise dramatically in smart cities. Infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and public transportation, can be kept in optimal condition, adapting to usage and the environment.
The Internet of Things and the smart phone as a citizen user interface have been two of the driving forces behind the smart city. Industrialized wireless motion and flow sensors, small low-cost durable video cameras, air and water quality monitors, and temperature and noise monitors are all available to provide inputs for the smart city. On the control side, digitally-controlled LED lighting, water flow control, remotely-controlled traffic lights, heating and cooling, pedestrian displays, and power distribution are all important for implementing the smart city.
