Issues as diverse as parking, lighting management and even moorings in coastal towns can benefit from IoT technology.
Before analysing the relationship between the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities, let’s briefly review what each of these two concepts refers to.
What is the IoT or Internet of Things?
When asked what the IoT is and what it is used for, it could be summarised as everyday devices equipped with connectivity and sensors responsible for collecting and sharing data.
These objects ‘talk’ to each other, sharing information to understand what is happening in real time, which allows for optimal action by making the use of resources or the corresponding processes more efficient.
What are smart cities?
Smart cities can be defined as interconnected and complex systems that use new technologies to manage day-to-day issues in urban environments, such as public transport, water, waste and the optimisation of public spaces.
In other words, these are cities that harness the potential of technologies such as Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and the IoT, as we will now see, to advance the construction of more efficient and sustainable urban environments that help to raise the quality of life standards of those who live in them.
Relationship between the IoT and smart cities
This relationship between the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities is considered fundamental, since the former, as mentioned above, is responsible for collecting and transmitting real-time data that enables smart cities to operate in real time.
Improvements in urban resource management are achieved through the installation of sensors and IoT devices in various infrastructures—such as traffic, water resource management, waste collection, and lighting—which are used to monitor and manage the services offered by these infrastructures in real time.
This allows for both optimisation of their use and cost reduction.
Likewise, the analysis of this collected data allows decision-making in the relevant areas to have an impact on improvements in different areas such as sustainability, urban mobility, safety, and energy efficiency.
Specific examples of the relationship between IoT and smart cities
The Telefónica Tech website presents some examples of the link between IoT and smart cities with specific and practical applications. Let’s look at some of them:
- Noise and air quality. Temperature, pollutants, noise levels, air and humidity are some of the data that Internet of Things technology can help to collect in order to control pollution and improve the lives of citizens by facilitating decisions to be taken by the relevant authorities thanks to the continuous and efficient assessment of urban conditions.
- Smart parking. Somewhat related to the previous section in terms of air pollution, smart car parks—thanks to IoT and AI devices—can improve mobility efficiency by reducing both traffic and, consequently, pollution. These two technologies can analyse and predict traffic volume flows, helping to achieve these objectives that increase citizen satisfaction.
- Smart outdoor lighting. In this case, Internet of Things technology optimises management by remotely controlling streetlights, adjusting their use to needs and enabling energy consumption to be adjusted and reduced.
- Waste management. Both Internet of Things technology and data analytics make it easier to understand aspects of waste management such as the fill level of containers and collection planning. In this way, routes can be adjusted, unnecessary travel avoided and, as a result, fuel use reduced, thereby minimising the carbon footprint.
- Smart moorings. Exclusive to coastal cities, we find the example of smart moorings, which, thanks to digital transformation, can make their electricity and water supplies more efficient by controlling both resources and costs, monitoring consumption and even allowing moorings to be reserved in advance.
In short, the IoT facilitates urban management in smart cities that is characterised by efficiency, sustainability and the needs of citizens, making cities more liveable environments.
