SMART CITY LIGHTING
“Lighting is everywhere. It forms a ubiquitous network for capturing and transmitting data from city streets to high-rise offices to retail stores"
WHAT WOULD AN INTELLIGENT STREETLIGHT- BASED NETWORK LOOK LIKE? Streetlights equipped with sensors and software will soon be able to detect or adjust to environmental factors surrounding them, whether that means actively monitoring human activity; detecting changes in ambient conditions such as air quality, noise, or seismic activity; or otherwise collecting information that can be used to optimize city operations. Cloud-based operating systems can then be used to analyze and
act upon this gathered data to improve service delivery and reve- nue-generating opportunities. What sort of functionality will we see? Some ideas that are cur-
rently in the development or deployment stage paired with LEDs include: • Smarter parking: Sensors can detect what parking spaces are
and are not being used, relaying information to drivers so they waste less time circling the block. These sensors could also be used for more advanced parking metering if a city wants to vary rates based on demand for spots that streetlights monitor. • Emergency response: When streetlights have sensors monitor-
ing streets, emergency dispatchers can more quickly analyze inci- dents or other issues picked up by streetlight feeds or called into emergency responders. Some streetlights can even detect gun- shots, automatically relaying information to police.
www.thinkinghighways.com
• Weather monitoring: Sensors distributed on light poles across a
city can monitor air conditions, pollen levels or changes in atmos- pheric conditions related to severe weather, allowing for more pre- cise condition reporting to citizens. In the event of natural disasters, sensors and cameras could also be used to detect obstructed road- ways, the best evacuation routes and to otherwise warn citizens of problems. • City-wide Wi-Fi: The wireless relay of information does not have
to be limited to use by city administrators; citizens could also tap into a streetlight-based wireless mesh network to access the Inter- net. For cities seeking to decrease the “digital divide” between citi- zens, such an accessible network could be a boon. These represent just the beginnings when it comes to how intel-
ligent LED infrastructure could function, but it is far from an exhaus- tive list. Hackathons and crowdsourcing challenges are underway to spark and develop innovation. As we work toward answering the challenges cities face with
intelligent infrastructure, we will be hard-pressed to find a plat- form more suited for development of today’s intelligent city than LED streetlights. Today, lighting is so much more than illumination. What it can bring life to tomorrow is up for grabs. l
James Benson is GM Global Marketing for Current, powered by GE, Intelligent Cities
15 CONNECTED CANADA SUPPLEMENT
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