Smart Cities

A smart city (it could be a smart locality, smart town, or any geographical region) is a public space that uses IoT solutions to automate various facilities within the space. This could include the automation of services for users of the space and the automation of equipment used in the space. These solutions help the administrators and workers to maintain the space more efficiently while at the same time improving the security and convenience for the users.

Examples of how IoT solutions are being used in smart cities include:

Safety and Security Connected cameras, motion sensors, and smart lighting can help keep neighbourhoods safe and allow law enforcement and emergency services to respond to an emergency quickly without needing someone to report the incident.

Sensors in infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and bridges can monitor vibrations, pressure areas, and structural strength to provide early warnings when structural issues may be developing. This way, such issues can be fixed before an emergency incident occurs.

Sensors can be combined with weather monitoring systems to alert residents about any events, such as floods, road blockages, and diversions.

Convenience An increasing number of cars with roads and parking spaces not keeping pace may lead to extreme congestion in urban areas. Peak-hour commuters take much longer, and their average speeds are much lower, which leads to inconvenience to passengers and waste of fuel and in turn damage to the environment. In situations where emergency vehicles need to reach their destinations urgently, such congestion can have more dire consequences.

An IoT solution can determine traffic patterns and optimize traffic signals to redirect traffic away from congested areas. IoT solutions can also monitor rash or illegal driving, thus making the streets safer for all.

Sensors embedded around the city can identify areas where air pollution is high, the air quality is poor or any other emissions. Sensors in water bodies such as lakes and rivers that residents may use for recreational purposes can identify if the water is polluted for any reason and unsafe for humans.

Water, a valuable and limited commodity, is wasted if there are leaks in pipes. Leaking water can also damage infrastructure. Smart monitoring systems can detect changes in water pressure that suggest a problem may be developing at a point in the supply chain or the endpoints of consumption. Sensors can also help improve the quality of water by testing for contamination at key points in the supply chain.

Energy Efficiency Power consumption by street lights, buildings, neon signs, and other light sources that keep a modern city brightly lit up 24x7 is very high. Using light, motion, and other sensors, lighting can be switched on or off or dimmed as required reducing power consumption significantly.

These are only some examples, IoT solutions can be put to many more creative uses to make a Smart City.