Internet of things

This blog is about things or the internet or things of the internet or maybe the internet of things. It will be the random musings of four MSIT grad students trying to navigate the world of the internet and how thigs interact. Wikipedia defines The Internet of Things (IoT) "as a network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances, and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and connectivity which enables these things to connect and exchange data,creating opportunities for more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, resulting in efficiency improvements, economic benefits, and reduced human exertions."

What exactly that means will be examined in a series of blog posts by these 4 students. We will discuss and analyze and disect what this truely means.

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Are Smart Cities the Future?

We all know that cities are notorious for being loud, overpopulated and chaotic, yet we seem to continually flock to cities to live and work each and every day. In fact, according to, Maddox, T. (n.d.), "60% of the population are expected to live in cities by 2050." With so many people flocking to the cities, it is imperative that we all move and operate in the most efficient way possible, this is where smart cities come in. A smart city “uses IoT sensors and technology to connect components across a city to derive data and improve the lives of citizens and visitors” (Maddox, T.). By connecting devices and collecting data, smart cities will help to streamline services, make transport more efficient and also improve infrastructure and our quality of life.

Transport

Europe is leading the way in regards to turning their major cities into smart cities. One of the key factors for these smart cities is the focus on transportation. Paris for example has begun to incorporate electric car sharing programs connected and tracked through GPS, whereas Copenhagen has “started using sensors to monitor the city's bike traffic in real time, which provides valuable data on improving bike routes in the city. This is crucial, as more than 40% of the city's residents commute by bike each day”(Meola,2016). Perhaps more importantly for many of us is how smart cities are affecting those of us who drive vehicles. London has pioneered tests for smart parking, which will allow drivers to “quickly locate parking spaces and remove the need for lengthy searches for an open spot” (Meola, 2016). They will do so by implementing sensors in the car parking spots that communicate with your device in real time to let you know if a spot is free or currently in use.

Smart Architecture and Infrastructure

As you can imagine, applying the architecture and infrastructure for a smart city does not come cheap. According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), “smart city technology spending reached $80 billion in 2016, and is expected to grow to $135 billion by 2021 (Maddox, T.).Although these figures may appear high right now, they will undoubtedly continue to rise as companies begin to get on board with the smart city movement. Initial spending for property and business owners will e high in the hope that technology and IoT reduces cost in the long run. According to a survey from Daintree Networks, “60% of building managers in the U.S. are familiar with the IoT, and 43% believe the IoT would shape how they operate their buildings in the next two to three years” (Meola, 2016).

It is obvious that Smart cities are the future, but they are also our present. There is a wealth of possibilities, opportunities and information on smart cities from waste management ideas to retail. The world is becoming more and more complex yet more simplistic and straightforward at the same time. Where does the Iot begin and where does it end? Are smart cities sustainable or even practical? There are still many questions to ask and answer but one thing is for sure, smart cities are coming wether we want them to or not!

Citations

How can we achieve more inclusive smart cities? Find out. (2018, July 12). Retrieved from https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/achieve-inclusive-smart-cities/ Maddox, T. (n.d.). Smart cities: A cheat sheet. Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/smart-cities-the-smart-persons-guide/ Meola, A. (2016, December 20). How smart cities & IoT will change our communities. Retrieved November 11, 2018, from https://www.businessinsider.com/internet-of-things-smart-cities-2016-10

Thomas Coombes
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1 comment:

  1. Brittany HellerDecember 2, 2018 at 3:38 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this! I grew up in the country meaning on a no winter maintenance dirt road. As an adult I chose to live in town my father doesnt understand it at all with the same complaints as listed noise, crowded, etc. I however can deal with these inconvenience because I like the idea of not driving to get to the grocery store or worrying about who with be s designated driver if I go out. It also helps to lower my carbon footprint. I may one day move to a bigger city for these awesome technological advances.

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