Why Smart City Is Better Than Smart Home
The tendency of “smart” gadgets is becoming more and more popular every day. According to the estimates published in MIT Technology Review, the world market of the Internet of Things (IoT) will increase from $1,9 trillion in 2013 to $7,1 trillion in 2020. Smart City is also gaining popularity. Worldwide adoption of new technology appears to be of vital importance. Read the article to learn why.
Smart Principles
Smart City is a developed city with many technologies allowing people of different social class to live under comfortable conditions leaving much responsibility to smart appliances. The main idea is to make gadgets solve all possible emergencies because they can do it many times quicker compared to humans. This should be safe, comfortable and efficiently.
In Smart City the police is informed about a car accident on the main road within 3-5 seconds. Within 1-2 minutes, the ambulance will get a notification about its most efficient route to the scene of the accident. In 3-5 minutes citizens will be informed about road blocking; the work of traffic lights will also be adjusted to the needs of the city.
Smart City will also try to solve the problem of finding parking space. After sending a request “Parking Address”, a driver will receive a notification about the nearest free space, cost of parking and online-payment link.
The traffic light monitoring will be connected with city video surveillance system. In such a way it will be able to define the time of turning on the lights and its need in different parts of the city. This will be provided by light-sensitive sensors responding to any light change. Motion sensors will switch on the light only when a car or a person turns out on the road, saving a great deal of electricity.
Reality or Fantasy?
The technologies Smart City saves a great amount of resources, which citizens used to pay for. These include electricity, heat consumption and human resources. For instance, smart lighting reduces electricity consumption up to 40%. The saved resources can be redistribute benefits to the most vulnerable social groups. For example, to reduce the price for 1 kW for households.
The system of traffic regulation reduces the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions by 30%. This can be reached by redistribution of main car streams from central roads to periphery roads of the city. Besides, the program of reducing the traffic in “the old city” allows to increase this figure up to 50-60%. In the city center cars are replaced by electric transport.
The live example of Copenhagen proved that the use of bikes instead of cars by city citizens can bring the benefit of approximately $230 million euros. This money can be spent on covering medical insurance and ecological programs.
Smart City technologies solve the problem of informing city citizens of changes in public transport routes. In case of cancelling a certain route, the citizens living in the nearby area get a message or an e-mail about the reason for such a change and alternative routes.
Smart House technologies are multifunctional. They save electricity, water and heat, help in performing everyday chores. But the technology of Smart Home is hardly possible in most of countries. So it is better to start with improving Smart City.
Life Hacks for Volunteers
For instance, you can find kettles, multi-cooker and even washers that can be switched on with the help of your mobile. An automatic vacuum cleaner with a function of delayed start will work when you are out, being extremely comfortable for you. A small camera with temperature and smoke sensors, sending the data to your smartphone that someone will set your house on fire when you are out.