Smart cities use information and communication technologies to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of local authority services. For example, advancements in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled connected public transportation systems, which leverage real-time monitoring capabilities, as well as tracking the locations and routes of public vehicles. Not only does this speed up service times and reduce traffic congestion, it also cuts waiting times for passengers and keeps them informed.
There’s also an important security element to smart cities. ‘Smart’ video or cameras utilise artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and deep learning (DL) to analyse visual data in real-time and can dispatch orders from a hub to AI-powered devices faster than a human can process. Going further than just providing data, smart technologies can actually enable the devices to deploy intelligent insights. For example, cameras and AI-analysed traffic patterns can adjust traffic lights accordingly to improve vehicle flow, reduce congestion and pollution, and, more crucially, increase pedestrian safety.
