Food for our thoughts, let’s discover together what has already been done.
Smart cities are changing the way people live in and interact with urban environments. Technology is allowing us to gather data from our surroundings and use that data to create knowledge that helps us to design better cities and enrich our lives. Next Industries is at the heart of these exciting developments, creating a range of highly accurate data acquisition loggers, sensors and gateways, which provide the connectivity that is vital to power smart cities. These projects can be hugely varied, but what they have in common is the collection and interpretation of data to develop new insights and knowledge.
Singapore Leading the World
Some observers have reckoned Singapore as the world’s smartest city. Indeed, the government has stated their aim to be the first smart nation on earth. At city level, Singapore is deploying a vast array of sensors to monitor various inputs and create improvements for residents. These include sensors to detect smoking in prohibited areas and littering from high rise buildings. They have also implemented smart traffic solutions, phasing traffic lights to reduce congestion and using sensors to highlight free parking spaces. In some seniors’ housing, sensors alert family members if their relative stops moving.
Copenhagen smart city
Copenhagen is another leading smart city: in fact, the energy efficiency of public buildings is closely monitored by sensors. The authorities are aiming for the city to be carbon neutral by 2025. The key to this is lowering transport emissions and 40% of commutes in the city are taken by bicycle. The city has recently capitalised on this. In fact, by collaborating with MIT, they’re going to roll out a smart bike. This one will be equipped with sensors to deliver real-time information to the rider and also to city administrators. This is used in open data aggregation to tackle issues such as air contamination and traffic congestion.
Barcelona senses success
Barcelona is another city that is deploying sensors to help it meet its smart city objectives. Projects include sensors to manage traffic, an activity that has led to a remodelling of traffic flows and a 21% decrease in congestion. They have introduced smart parking systems, along with sensors to monitor air quality and noise. In addition, they have introduced a system of smart street lighting that saves energy by dimming lights when nobody is in the area. Smart meters and smart grid energy pilot schemes are also helping the city to reduce its energy consumption.
Power to the Smart Cities revolution
There is a huge range of smart city initiatives across the globe, with everything! From traffic management and carbon reduction to environmental quality and personal well-being projects. The central role played by sensors and monitoring systems, however, is clear. Next Industries is a young company, born in 2014 and focused on delivering the technological solutions that will enable smart cities to flourish. Our solutions and applications pages describe some of our activities in this area. Next Industries offers innovative solutions to make our cities “smart” through structural monitoring, deploying technologies to increase security for both residents and city assets. Visit our solutions and applications pages to find out more about our work.