Smart Cities are becoming more popular every year and the trends that are set change every now and then. The last couple of years we saw the rise of the Internet of Things technology, and it became #1 tool for improving urban areas hence cities and making them even smarter. Take a look at some of the trending technologies that were developed and used in the previous years and will be used in the future.
Smart City Lights
One of the main problems big cities come across is too much energy spent on city lights, which leads to greater expenses. But what if we make them smart and solve this problem? Some of the cities are already embracing the idea of smart city lights which will be an IoT-based solution that can save up to 80% of electricity. Being programmed to brighten up or dim automatically, they will save power and even increase the safety levels of vehicles and passengers.
Smart Parking
Smart parking is not really a new idea but is being upgraded by each passing day, making it easier for the drivers to find a free spot and park. Thanks to the IoT, people in big cities will be able to download the app which will scan the city in search of empty parking lots. This is done via the sensors placed in the parking areas which compute whether there are vehicles present or not. Really convenient!
EV Chargers
Electric vehicles (EVs) are still viewed as impractical, mainly due to the fact there are not as many power stations to charge your vehicle. However, some big cities are slowly introducing EV Chargers which means that everyone who drives EVs can stop worrying about running out of power. This will also have a huge impact on the environment as the number of cars that run on gas will lower significantly in the future.
Increase of Cybersecurity
With the rise of cyber technology, new threats arise as well. Imagine buying a smart fridge and someone hacking into it – seems scary. However, smart cities are building the defense against such (and much bigger) attacks. People who develop technologies for smart cities increase security levels and pay special attention to cybersecurity.
The biggest problem with cybersecurity nowadays is that people are unaware of the potential threats. As the IoT advances and cities become smarter, it is paramount that people using technology become aware and educate themselves about the possible attacks and breaches in the security. Luckily, many companies are already holding cybersecurity educations all over the world.
Living Maps
Living maps are what the name says they are – maps that are not static but are updated constantly and provide the latest info about every smart city. It collects data from various places through IoT and it is a great way to explore the cities.
This will not only help the tourists but also the residents of smart cities as regular updates will help them organize better and solve potential problems before they even arise. They will also work on a building level and help people who own smart buildings to gather all the data about them and further improve them.
Conclusion
The things that we only saw in sci-fi movies are closer than you think. Smart cities are improving and in a couple of years, we will see technologies that we only dream about today – mainly thanks to IoT. So, fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride into the future which is amazing and offers many cool things that will make our lives easier and more pleasurable. The future is now!
