The Connected City in Your Future
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the business landscape and promises to do the same for our urban centers. Internet-connected sensors and video cameras providing real-time data on traffic patterns, air and noise pollution, energy resources and parking issues are already helping cities design solutions for a cleaner, more efficient and sustainable lifestyle. These technologies also create new business models that can help to reduce risk and increase funding capacity for urban development and projects.
The panel speakers for this 2016 PRIMA session were: Karim Al-Khafaji, Alliance Director, Sensity Systems; Guneet Bedi, VP, Business Development, Relayr; and Javier Martinez, VP, Business Development, Libelium
IOT is everywhere and is being used in a variety of ways for connected smart cities. The speakers in this session discussed new technologies that IoT entrepreneurs are developing and their applications for connected cities.
The first presenter spoke about his company Sensity which develops IoT platforms for smart cities. This company does the following to make cities more smart and connected:
- Provides cost effective deployment of IoT sensor nodes to gather real-time information
- Enables advanced lighting control and support a wide range of parking, traffic, & surveillance applications
- Reduces energy and maintenance on street lights, increase parking revenue, optimize traffic, and enhance public safety
In Kansas City, Sensity has some “smart city objectives” including attracting new development to the city, connecting people with the city’s new streetcar line and collecting data to better serve the citizens. Use cases in the city include lighting control resulting in energy savings, traffic analytics, public kiosks, smart parking and public safety. This data has given Kansas City powerful information to strengthen economic growth and development in the city.
Relayr helps companies manage their digital transformation. This presenter spoke about what they are doing for the city of Paris which has a large infrastructure and many hurdles to overcome.
The top 5 transformation hurdles the presenter discussed were:
- Management support from the top-down
- Availability of end-to-end solutions
- Legacy infrastructure and how to make it “smarter”
- Upfront investment
- Technology and skills
The presenter from Libelium talked about collecting sensor data that is transformed into knowledge and value. He spoke of various smart city applications including monitoring conditions of soil, water quality, noise, parking, lighting and other applications with the goals of creating greater efficiencies, greater safety, cost savings and ultimately making citizens’ lives better.