Smart cities are essentially an ecosystem of technologies based on data and analytics to efficiently manage assets and resources. The characteristics of a connected city and the technologies used to create it are constantly evolving. Connected city solutions are increasingly a reality: localities are now empowered to rapidly create and customize user-specific applications that improve public safety.
Over the next decade, innovations in the transport and energy sectors are expected to be the main focus of investment in the development of connected cities, with global spending of around $124 billion by 2020. The project of a city fully connected by technological innovations has already outstripped the capacities of current infrastructures. That said, a number of advances in this sector are already playing a major role in enhancing the security of operations across Europe, particularly in the UK, Germany and Belgium, to name but a few.
Intelligent sensing solutions play a key role in the technologies required to improve the safety of public operations in a multitude of local infrastructures, from streets, roads and intersections to buildings and other public spaces. These systems are already making their mark, enabling us to envision the future of cities in terms of interconnectivity, and consequently improved situational awareness and data-driven operations. The key question now is: how can local authorities take advantage of existing technologies and infrastructures to make this a reality?
Thermal solutions for transport
Thermal imaging is an essential aspect of intelligent transportation systems. This technology enables thermal movement to be tracked, regardless of situations or conditions. It can therefore be used for safety purposes, multiplying by up to four the visibility offered by conventional cameras. It has been deployed in many cities around the world. Intelligent transport solutions, such as connected thermal and visible imaging systems that monitor traffic flows and detect incidents, can provide cities with the means to better inform road users of hazards, delays and alternative routes to ensure the flow of traffic for all.
Hamburg, once named one of Germany's most congested cities, now stands out as the country's most innovative connected city. Intelligent solutions are helping to solve the problem facing Hamburg's commuters (namely the loss of 113 hours a year in traffic jams) by providing a better overview of traffic dynamics. City authorities install thermal imaging systems on traffic lights and lampposts to "see" data points. These cameras are interconnected via a cloud-based system that will enable high-resolution information to be collected and analyzed in real time, providing comprehensive data sets on the city's 420 intersections.
Traffic controllers can differentiate between pedestrians, vehicle types and cyclists, enabling them to accurately determine the level of traffic on the roads. Cloud-based control systems thus receive valuable data with which to adjust traffic lights in real time. What's more, the information can be transferred with the greatest of ease throughout the city, meaning controllers can improve long-term planning and reduce blockages. In this way, traffic can be regulated to reduce daily congestion.
Improved perception of situations
Advances in road systems are already playing a major role in safe operations in cities around the world. For example, the UK authorities and the City of Durham recently deployed FLIR thermal sensors on existing road signs to implement a unique anti-collision system that has reduced the number of incidents at junctions to zero. The introduction of electronic road signs that trigger warning messages when an object passes by has helped prevent accidents and, ultimately, save lives. Over time, driver behavior can change, thanks to early warning systems that prevent sudden braking, enable drivers to adapt their speed accordingly and drive more economically.
Le fait de disposer de ces données permet aux autorités municipales d’analyser les informations qui peuvent être utilisées pour optimiser les performances des infrastructures et rendre les routes plus sûres. Qu’il s’agisse d’anticiper les heures de pointe sur les axes très fréquentés ou d’indiquer la durée des trajets sur des panneaux à messages variables, la technologie permet aux urbanistes et aux habitants de prendre des décisions plus sûres et plus intelligentes en matière de transport.
Data connectivity is our driving force
Thanks to data sharing and real-time incident detection by urban operators and first responders, interactions based on greater collaboration and efficiency are put in place, and safety can be optimized. The use of a single data-sharing platform, connectivity between devices and end-user infrastructures gives command centers greater control over public safety operations.
Grâce à la flexibilité et l’évolutivité des plates-formes cloud, ces solutions sont personnalisables en fonction de besoins spécifiques, selon qu’elles s’utilisent en toute transparence pour une opération ou une plate-forme de gestion et son interface associée, tant au niveau de la ville que de l’agglomération. Grâce à un nœud de communication central, les centres de commande peuvent surveiller leur environnement depuis un point d’accès unique. Qui plus est, le traitement des données par l’IA génère une réponse plus rapide et plus cohérente dans toute la ville, indépendamment du scénario.
By connecting cities with intelligent transportation solutions, such as FLIR's connected thermal and visible imaging systems that monitor traffic and detect incidents, we can better inform travelers of hazards, delays and alternative routes, to keep everyone moving. These systems are already making a difference, enabling us to envision the connected city of the future, focused on situational awareness and data-driven operations.
The ideas and concepts behind connected cities are constantly evolving, but their objective remains and should always remain the same: to guarantee public safety.
Even if the project of a fully connected city exceeds the capacities of existing infrastructures, we have seen, through the initiatives carried out in Hamburg and Durham, that it is possible to transform existing infrastructure in order to integrate it into an interconnected ecosystem of technologies. As a result, citizens are better informed about hazards, delays and alternative routes, guaranteeing mobility in cities and the safety of communities.
By Michael Deruytter, Product Manager, Business Solutions
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