All across the globe, cities are striving hard to become “smart” in order to cope with expanding population, globalization, and hyper-urbanization. The concept of a smart city refers to the use of technologies like IoT, Blockchain, and AI services to improve city operations and assure economic and environmental stability. This blog will shed light on the role of the Internet of Things(IoT) in building smart cities.
Role Of IoT In Building Smart Cities
The Internet of Things (IoT) can be utilized in a variety of ways to make cities more efficient, ranging from traffic management to disaster management and more. So, let us explore how IoT technologies paired with municipal planning might result in smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective communities.
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Traffic management
Controlling traffic in cities is essential; otherwise, there will be massive traffic jams in popular areas and completely empty streets elsewhere - however smart traffic signals can help. For example, traffic lights should change automatically based on traffic volume, with green lights lasting longer in congested areas and shorter in unoccupied areas. Roads and bridges should be embedded with IoT sensors to monitor their status and repaired if necessary.
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Parking
Parking can be a major headache, particularly in large cities. When there is less accessible space, vehicle owners must waste their time looking for parking spaces, leading to traffic jams in the process. This problem can be rectified by placing IoT-connected sensors across the city that alert people about available parking spaces near the destination. This information will also help city officials to observe where there is traffic congestion owing to a lack of parking spaces and where there is plenty of open space. This information can subsequently be utilized to improve parking, and avoid traffic bottlenecks and driver annoyance.
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Disaster management
Natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis cannot be prevented, but they can be predicted and managed successfully before they occur. IoT devices can be used to gather data regarding seismic plate interaction, ground composition, ground energy transmission, etc which in a way can help predict the chances of earthquakes. Sensors can also be used to acquire flood detection data such as rainfall records, river level readings, terrain and elevation of an area, in order to forecast when and where a flood will occur, as well as the severity of the flood.
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Water management
Water is a limited resource and is depleting at an alarming rate. As a result, it is a good idea to use smart water management strategies in cities so that water can be saved for future generations. To improve water management, sensors can be deployed to monitor water levels, pipe characteristics, tank pressures, and other parameters in municipal water pipes and tanks. These will ensure that water is not wasted and issues such as leaking pipes or high pressure in tanks are dealt with properly. Sensors can also be used to monitor groundwater levels so that if there is a shortage, it can be supplied.
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Street Lighting
Smart cities powered by IoT make street lamp maintenance and management easier and more cost-effective. Equipping street lights with sensors and linking them to a cloud management solution aids in the adaptation of lighting schedules depending on time zones. A smart lighting system can make the streetlight turn on, turn off, dim or brighten lights depending on the outside conditions. For instance, when people cross the road, the lights near the crossings can be turned on brighter and when the streets are empty, the lights can be dimmed.
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Waste management
The majority of garbage collection companies follow predetermined schedules when emptying bins. This is inefficient because it results in the garbage containers being used inefficiently and waste collection trucks consuming needless fuel.
By tracking waste levels and offering route optimization and operational insights, IoT-enabled smart city solutions assist in optimizing waste collection schedules. Each garbage container can be equipped with a sensor that collects information about the waste level and notifies the companies to empty the bins. This can in a way prevent the risk of garbage overflows and keep the cities clean.
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Smart utility meters
Municipal utility firms are implementing IoT-based solutions to automate and optimize city-wide energy use. Smart meters in city buildings, for example, can be connected to a smart energy grid, allowing the utility company to measure energy usage, optimize energy flow management, and more. This allows them to perform administrative tasks such as discontinuing service, introducing new pricing, installing new load control systems, and fixing local power infrastructure from a remote location. Moreover, it helps the power company to detect the specific location of outages and restore service more quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Smart cities have practically endless potential, and their expansion is expected to accelerate in the upcoming years. But this isn't the only area where the Internet of Things will have a significant impact in the near future.