It has come a long way from the mid-19th century, when waves of new immigrants arrived from Europe. Now it is a smart, sensor-based modern city. How can these tiny devices change the heartbeat of an entire metropolis? Let's illustrate it with the example of roads.
New York has 8 million natives and around 5 million commuters. Every day, many tourists flow into this city of 12,500 intersections. You know the feeling of being stuck in traffic, smelling fumes from the car in front of you, waiting for a green light and in the end being late to work.
Midtown in Motion is the name of this NY project that offers solutions for these problems.
Sensors monitor the presence, distance and speed of vehicles in real time, resulting in better timing of traffic signals. This means better traffic flow, therefore less air pollution.
What are the general pros of using sensors?
- It provides you with a lot of data – From transport to utility usage, to what needs to be repaired or details like where we should change a light bulb or fix a water leak
- It pairs citizens with services and government – Do you want to change something about your city? The officials not only analyse gathered data but people can also let them know about what is troubling them
- It saves money and time – By assessing the data, a city is able to better allocate resources
- The Internet of Things unites all data – from several parts of the city and several areas (from parking, people and cargo transport and safety to cyber security)