Reinventing cities with IoT technologies

The streetlight is probably one of the more mundane objects in our urban landscape. When we think of modern high tech cities, streetlights don’t usually spring to mind. The internet of things, however, is transforming the ordinary streetlight into something more extraordinary. Using sensors and data, streetlights become intelligent instruments that adapt their lighting in response to their environment, resulting in significant energy savings. Much more than lighting systems, they can become information systems. A city’s eyes and ears on the ground, they can collect data on air quality, traffic volumes and speed, even available parking spaces. Studies show that 30 percent of congestion is caused by drivers looking for parking. Integrating a smart parking system into existing infrastructure is a simple way to alleviate congestion. And the beauty of it is, is that streetlights are already there on every street in every city.

The streetlight is just a small example of how IoT enabled infrastructure can help cities to add capacity, to operate more efficiently, and plan better. Imagine the possibilities when autonomous vehicles interact with traffic systems to optimize traffic flows and reduce accidents. Or when buildings interact with power grids to take surplus electricity or supply power to the grid in times of peak demand. Planners can use this data to forecast demand, to eliminate bottle necks, as well as improve infrastructure services over the long term. And then there’s the economic benefit of having smarter, more efficient infrastructure. McKinsey estimate that cities could stand to gain up to $1.6 trillion per year in 2025 from applications in the area of transportation, public health and safety, resource management and service delivery.

None of this is as futuristic as it sounds. The technology exists and is already being implemented. While cities have been pursuing smart city strategies for some time, the focus is usually on isolated projects. Given their limited financial and technical resources, this is an understandable approach. But with power grids, buildings and transport become more interdependent, as energy sources become more distributed and electric vehicles become more prevalent, it doesn’t make sense for cities to operate in silos. Cities need to pursue a more integrated approach involving the establishment of ecosystems and partnerships with the private sector in order to capture the wider benefits of the IoT.

Open, cloud-based IoT operating systems, like MindSphere, can help. Infrastructure operators can easily connect their assets without having to develop or invest in the requisite IT infrastructure. They can use the available applications to manage infrastructure assets and perform data analysis. As an open operating system, third party developers can also use MindSphere to develop their own customized applications to improve infrastructure services.

At the Digital Cities Forum, which is being hosted by Siemens at the Crystal in London on July 4th, city stakeholders and technology experts will come together to explore how digitalization and IoT technologies can transform cities. This is an exciting juncture for cities and I look forward to discussing how the private and public sector can work together to transform our cities so they better meet citizens’ needs.