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Creating the Smart City through IoT-Based Retrofitting
By Heather Andrus, Managing Director, Radius Innovation & Development
with embedded technology. Innova- tions in smart city technology are transforming traditional services that include mobility and transporta- tion, water and energy usage, and improving commerce, productivity and overall quality of life. New York City stands out as an
T
excellent example of a megacity that is striving to create a more sustain- able, resilient and equitable urban en- vironment. An early adopter of smart traffic lights to fight gridlock, the city is also making major investments in mobility and ubiquitous connectivity through LinkNYC, the world’s fastest Wi-Fi network to date. On the West Coast, San Diego
has partnered with GE to deploy a massive smart city Internet of Things (IoT) sensor platform, trans- forming the city’s streetlights into a connected, digital infrastructure. Re- al-time sensor data will be collected across the city’s lighting system to drive a variety of applications, from directing drivers to open parking
ech innovators and data scien- tists are joining forces to solve city-scale urban challenges
spaces to aiding first responders dur- ing an emergency. This data-centric approach will also open the door to future digital applications that bene- fit the community. Other major cities around the
world are being recognized for their groundbreaking efforts. Amsterdam, long considered one of the most inno- vative European cities, is a frontrun- ner in smart mobility and trans- portation initiatives. Barcelona, Copenhagen and Dublin are also making major inroads into new and developing technological solutions.
Smart Retrofitting The opportunities are nearly
limitless for infusing digital intelli- gence into the fabric of our cities. There are many obstacles, especially when it comes to expense and the dis- ruption caused by deploying new in- formation and communication tech- nologies. What metropolis can afford to bring city operations to a standstill while streets are being dug up and to pay for new infrastructure to accom- modate sensors and smart systems? Cities run like businesses. It’s
critical to start with smart solutions that solve the biggest problems and deliver the greatest ROI. While there are solutions that span the entire ecosystem of a city, they typically in- volve having smart infrastructure with sensors embedded in water pipes, electric lines, traffic signals, etc. When building a smart city
from the ground up, these sensors can be incorporated as the city infra-
Cities run like businesses. It’s critical to start with
smart solutions that solve the biggest problems and deliver the greatest ROI.
structure is built. The infrastructure of most cities is a mixture of old and new, with a set pace of planned up- grades and replacements. For exist- ing cities, implementing a ubiquitous smart infrastructure is akin to per- forming open heart surgery. The most effective path to the
smart city for existing urban envi- ronments is a retrofit, where innova- tive digital technologies are applied to the existing infrastructure. There are new technologies coming into the market that enable this type of ap- proach. The result is the ability to implement smart cities faster and more efficiently, with less disruption to city operations.
Citywide Implementation Radius Innovation & Develop-
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ment was recently commissioned to undertake a smart city implementa- tion project. A portion of the city’s older building infrastructure was ex- periencing brownouts in hot weath- er, caused by old HVAC units. By us- ing a retrofit electrical sensor clamped onto a panel, electrical us- age data is sent to the cloud. Predic- tive analytics are used to identify each device in the building as well as devices that are faulty and drawing excessive power. Individual units can be identi-
fied and automatic alerts sent to a cloud database, where analytics fore- cast HVAC power surges. Automatic alerts are then generated to expedite resolution without city employees having to manually test HVACs. This has improved city services while reducing management costs. Using simple sensors, data analytics and the cloud, the city can now level-load summer power consumption quickly and affordably. An obstacle to smart city imple-
mentation is understanding what to focus on first. With the sheer volume of solutions and technologies out there, where should a city start? Fo- cusing on core issues and revenues for the city through an impact as- sessment is a key first step. Radius often engages with cities at this ini-
tial phase as it requires significant research and access to a broad port- folio of technologies to guide the process and determine which tech- nologies and deployment strategies offer the best chance of success. For instance, another smart city
makeover by Radius began with a re- view of city records, which revealed that water leaks were the number one service call for city-run buildings. The solution for this is a battery-powered, stick-on sensor that detects moisture and temperature and has a lifetime of 10 years. These sensors can be de- ployed easily in existing buildings, al- lowing early detection solutions to alert for repair efforts and avoid prop- erty damage that is costly, time-con- suming and disruptive to fix. One of the company’s smart
building solutions involves a data collection system that pulls informa- tion from a building’s badge access system through the existing Wi-Fi network to provide real-time insights into occupancy. Data analysis of work and travel patterns throughout the building makes it possible to fine- tune the availability of certain serv- ices, while improving overall energy efficiency. If a building’s occupants travel frequently, it could be benefi- cial to switch to a “hot desk” system, one workstation shared by multiple people, for overall cost savings. Finding ways to retrofit build-
ings and cities with smart solutions is no easy task. It requires a broad perspective of the IoT marketplace, as well as a keen understanding of the various smart solutions available for existing infrastructures. Equally important is the ability to combine both structured and unstructured data in a cloud database, analyze it and turn it into meaningful and ac- tionable business information. With its strong curation of tech-
nology and a deep connection to elec- tronics manufacturer Jabil, Radius is well-positioned to provide a complete catalog of smart retrofit-ready solu- tions. These services can be accessed through online portals, allowing easy piloting of technology, without com- mitting to a full-scale, expensive im- plementation. There is no shortage of tech-
nologies that aim to extrapolate the IoT and apply it to entire cities. The technology promises a future of added convenience, efficiency, and greater health and wellness for ur- ban populations. The trick will be to implement them carefully without disrupting regular activity, allowing inhabitants to adopt the technology
at a comfortable pace. Contact: Radius Innovation &
Development, 200 Union Street, Clinton, MA 01510 % 978-365-1141 E-mail:
stephen.goodman@radiusin-
novation.com Web: www.radiusinno-
vation.com r
May, 2017
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