Knowledge Portal

Top 10 Smart Services for Smart Cities

Smart City Definition by Dr. Dipak Gade : A Smart City is a digital technologies compatible City where traditional information networks are replaced with digital services in order to offer more flexible, efficient, sustainable operations and benefits to it’s stakeholders.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of city operations and services and establish a connection with inhabitants, the smart city concept combines information and communication technology, or "ICT," with a variety of physical devices linked to the Internet of Things, or "IoT." With the use of smart city technology, local government representatives can monitor the city's activities and changes while also having direct communication with the public and city infrastructure. ICT is utilized to improve urban services' performance, quality, and interactivity, lower costs and resource consumption, and improve communication between the public and the government.

Here is the list of top 10 Smart Services of Smart Cities.

A smart city's essential components are its smart services. Smart cities are using the advances in internet and communication technologies to become more sustainable, livable, and environmentally friendly places to live and provide basic services to their residents. A smart service is one that is provided by intelligent goods that are connected and aware of their surroundings. In smart cities, several types of smart services can be integrated to provide inhabitants with all-encompassing solutions. Examples of modern technology that could be used to implement these services include machine learning, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning, machine-to-machine communications, digital twins, and preemptive or highly interactive services.

Smart Waste Management : The goal of smart waste management is to use mobile applications, intelligent monitoring systems, and sensors to solve solid waste management concerns. Sensors are the first intelligent waste management tool to improve the effectiveness of the garbage collecting process. When a container is full or nearly full, sensors can detect it, offer the most recent information, and alert waste management services to empty it. These gadgets assist in generating intelligent driving schedules and the optimum route with completely loaded containers. Because the responsibilities of the trash collection workers are reduced, the choice of containers also reduces the need for them. Additionally, they can notify governments or waste management firms in the event of an unwanted incidence, like a fast rise in temperature or displacement of the container by their GPS features.

Smart Water Management : Smart Water Management is the process of planning, developing, distributing, and regulating the use of water resources. It does this using a variety of IoT technologies to promote transparency and make more sensible and sustainable use of these water resources. It encompasses a number of industries and sectors, including farming, industry, services, and cities. A few examples of the many practical uses include tracking pressure fluctuations along pipes, monitoring water consumption in homes, monitoring water levels, evaluating the quality of drinking water, detecting chemical leaks in rivers surrounding facilities, and evaluating the water quality in aquariums.  Water levels, flow, temperature, salinity, conductivity, humidity, pressure, and luminosity are all measured by microcontrollers and sensors attached to pipes or pumps. With the Controller application, alerts and notifications gets generated alerting stakeholders on water scarcity and emergency situations if any.

Smart Traffic Management : Municipalities may quickly and affordably increase safety and traffic flow on their city streets by integrating smart traffic management systems (STM) into their traffic cabinets and junctions. The deployment of these technologies can result in significant cost and efficiency savings as well as a significant increase in system reliability, all with a great return on investment. These systems monitor traffic, automatically reroute it, and lessen congestion by using sensors, cameras, cellular routers, and automation. The correct technological solution can be easily improved at any time and scaled to any extent. These technological advancements also set Smart Cities up for future technological developments such as connected vehicles and the full rollout of 5G networks.

Smart Parking Management : By utilizing cutting-edge technologies, smart sensors and real-time data processing, Smart Parking Systems can maximize parking spots, lessen traffic congestion, and enhance traffic flow in metropolitan areas. For increased efficacy and efficiency, smart parking can be integrated with other smart city systems like public transportation or traffic control. The smart parking system can be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) to conveniently track available parking spots. The components of a smart parking system are interchangeable, and it provides enhanced capabilities including payment processing, analytics, parking, and guided integration with other complimentary services.

Smart Governance Service : The application of innovation and technology to promote and facilitate better planning and decision-making is known as smart governance. It is linked to enhancing democratic procedures and changing the manner in which public services are provided. Simple, moral, responsible, responsive, and transparent governance is what is meant by "smart governance." Simple refers to the application of ICTs to streamline government laws, regulations, and procedures, making government more user-friendly. One of the main features of smart cities is smart governance. Smart governance is making greater use of technology to match public requirements with government operations. Smart governance is often considered a fundamental component of a smart city's overall operational framework. It delves deeper into the ways that societal and political governance structures and can translate to run smart cities digitally.

Smart Energy Management : One enabling technology that makes use of the IoT's connectivity to track, measure, control, and optimize energy consumption across city buildings and office complexes is Smart Energy Management. Smart Energy Management promotes energy independence by increasingly implementing on-site renewable generation, primarily solar energy systems or wind turbine system to take advantage of the tropical climate and become self-reliant in energy production, along with battery storage to store the excess output and use it during peak hours or lower output periods, in order to further fuel their sustainable growth.  It also recommends  implementing localized grids for campuses, cities, and communities that are self-sufficient and can cut off from the traditional grids to function independently and to have  energy storage, electric mobility, and microgrids. Microgrids have a significant capacity to supply power backup during crises, such as power outages.

Smart Lighting Management : A Smart Lighting Management System function by creating a network in which every lighting component is linked together via a single interface. As a result, these systems enhance the operation of the installed luminaires by enabling smooth communication between them. A network of intelligent streetlights and other lighted fixtures that do more than just provide light is known as a smart lighting system in a smart city. They have software, sensors, and communication technology installed, enabling control and optimization based on real-time data. The typical Smart Lighting System in Smart Cities controls the lighting based on Real time data statistics based on past on/off control data, weather conditions, environmental conditions and predictions related to energy requirements. It also Predict, faster detect, and address lighting outages related issues

Smart Healthcare Management: A patient-centered healthcare system known as "smart healthcare" uses smart technologies to remotely monitor patients. Established networks of sensors, actuators, and personal medical devices (PMDs) make it easier to monitor a patient's condition and communicate that information to a qualified or approved healthcare provider. The goal of smart healthcare systems is to provide metropolitan populations with an efficient, data-driven, and proactive healthcare system. It involves leveraging smart city features, such as pervasive connectivity and cutting-edge technology, to enhance health outcomes and provide more individualized and accessible healthcare. Smart healthcare management has the potential to completely transform healthcare delivery in smart cities, resulting in improved health outcomes, lower costs, and a more empowered and involved population with the use of technologies like IoT, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, AI&ML, and more.

Smart Factory Management :  This is a manufacturing facility that blends in perfectly with the data networks and smart infrastructure of the surrounding metropolitan area. The smart factory is a cyber-physical system that goes beyond traditional automation and digitization by utilizing cutting-edge technologies like the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced analytics to achieve a new level of efficiency, sustainability, and agility. The smart factory is an interconnected network of machines, communication mechanisms, and computing power. It facilitates production data analysis, parameter control, automated process driving, and learning on the fly. The future of urban manufacturing is one that is significantly closer with the merging of Smart Factories and Smart Cities. These integrated networks can provide a more lucrative, resilient, and sustainable future for both industries by utilizing data and technology.

Smart Education Management : The idea of smart education in smart cities is an attractive one, since it envisions education developing in tandem with the data networks and sophisticated infrastructure of urban settings. Creating a comprehensive learning environment that makes use of data and connection to personalize, optimize, and democratize education for all is more important than merely implementing technology in the classroom. It illustrates how learners are able to assimilate knowledge and skills more quickly, efficiently, and conveniently thanks to advanced technologies. It gives students access to modern technology for learning and lets them study with different materials according to their aptitudes and intellectual capabilities. Smart cities may realize their full potential by utilizing data and technology to create individualized, interesting, and inclusive learning environments.

For more details on Smart City Technologies and Smart Services please read the Book “ A deep dive into Smart City Technologies and portfolio of Smart Services - Smart City and its Smart Services " authored by Dr. Dipak Gade. You can buy it from Amazon and Flipkart.