Austin Ashe
San Diego is on the path to building the largest smart city IoT platform. In its partnership with Current by GE, the city has announced plans to launch new smart city apps and lighting controls. The apps will help residents navigate and improve parking, traffic and public safety on city streets. For the lighting, the city is adding 1,000 CityIQ sensor nodes paired with a control utility interface. This lighting control is the first of its kind and will increased LED streetlight efficiency by 20%.
“The most recent expansion in scope and capabilities is really a continuation of a journey,” Austin Ashe, co-founder and general manager of Intelligent Cities at Current by GE, tells GlobeSt.com. “Adding 1,000 more CityIQ nodes allows for even richer data sets over a larger geographic area, including underserved neighborhoods that traditionally under-report issues. By commissioning a package of apps and CityIQ hardware together for the first time, Current is providing a turnkey approach that demonstrates how the new infrastructure can ultimately spawn entrepreneurship, create jobs and solve problems much like the app store did for the smartphone.”
San Diego is being strategic about the rollout of its smart feature, focusing on places where they can boost efficiency and convenience for residents. “For example, San Diego placed CityIQ sensors in locations where there was a record of high incidences of traffic accidents,” explains Ashe. “The sensors gather optical and acoustic data that has already helped the police department and will be enhanced with the addition of GenetecTM, a public safety application that aids in real-time response efficiency.”
San Diego is the first city to adopt smart features at this scale, and it offers some insight into what future smart cities will look like and what can be achieved by this technology. “The designation of San Diego as the world's largest smart city IoT platform is really just the starting point,” explains Ashe. “No other project has achieved this scale (4,200 CityIQ nodes) across so many data sets. San Diego's open source platform now has 121 data sets that can be used to develop apps, visualize data and provide new insights. The platform is scalable and extensible for future use cases so the possibilities are limitless.”
San Diego has already been a pioneer in this space. Earlier this year, it rolled out smart lighting and sensors that could collect pertinent data, like traffic patterns and parking. The city also put out a call to locals to develop apps using that data. “In April 2018, San Diego was selected as one of 22 US municipalities to be part of the national Smart Cities Collaborative that will identify transportation solutions that utilize emerging technologies,” says Ashe. “New app package partner Xaqt will support this effort by providing a connected data and AI platform with insights into real-time and historical mobility patterns for traffic parking and pedestrian movement.”
The newest smart features will be available soon. “The San Diego Office of Economic Development, San Diego Police Department and Traffic Engineering and Operations are already working with CityIQ data to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety,” adds Ashe. “The CityIQ nodes are scheduled to be fully installed and commissioned within a few months.”
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Kelsi Maree Borland
