Over the past decade, companies have used the Internet of Things (IoT) – mobile apps, fitness trackers, Google searches, and more – to collect data from current and potential customers. This information then allows institutions to tailor their products to the masses.
But could this data also be used to curtail pollution, prevent unnecessary deaths, and improve sanitation infrastructure?
The Evolution of Crowdsensing
Thanks to data collection through crowdsensing, smart cities have cropped up all over the world. Amsterdam, New York, Hong Kong, London, and Dubai earned the title by using IoT technology for urban development and planning.
Crowdsensing leverages data from large groups of contributing users via smart devices, most commonly smartwatches and smartphones.
There are two types of crowdsensing: participatory and opportunistic. Participatory crowdsensing involves users manually contributing data. This form has been around for a decade but falls flat due to a lack of user input.
On the other hand, opportunistic crowdsensing collects data in an automated fashion without human interference. Although opportunistic crowdsensing makes the most sense for smart cities, it has some flaws. According to DesignNews, since humans do not verify opportunistic crowdsensing data, it can be unreliable. The background collection of data also raises user privacy concerns.
Still, cities are finding success with these innovative practices. For example, Washington D.C., Pittsburg, and Baltimore now use smart garbage collection cans that notify the waste management system with a sensor when at capacity. Only then do the waste management workers collect the bin, saving time and money.
More Ways Crowdsensing Makes Cities Smart
As the IoT continues to provide valuable crowdsensing data, you may notice upgrades in the following areas.
Physical Infrastructure
According to a recent evaluation by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the United States infrastructure needs $4.6 trillion in improvements to be considered “up to par”. Aging assets contribute to this, along with a need for renewable energy installations, such as solar panels.
Crowdsensing can provide civil engineers with vital insights when revamping the infrastructure, especially for public health and safety. For example, by using Wi-Fi, GPS, and 5G to collect data from smartphone sensors, engineers can tell how many people walk or drive over a specific road, occupy a certain block, or frequent a particular building. From this information, officials know what parts of the city need more parking, what roads are susceptible to potholes, and where a sidewalk would afford a safer commute. Crowdsensing via IoT also has the potential to obliterate traffic jams with advanced street light sensors.
Going Green
As humans continue to use up the planet’s resources, eco-friendly practices have to become mainstream before it’s too late.
A great place to start is energy management. Traditional heating, lighting, and cooling systems must be managed and inspected manually, which drains a city’s energy tap.
On the other hand, embedded sensors make lighting systems smart with IoT technology. For example, smart lights can adjust output based on the amount of natural light in the environment. Furthermore, with crowdsensing data, heating and cooling systems could also regulate themselves to fit current temperatures.
Environmental engineers and other officials could also manage air pollution using IoT data. For example, crowdsensing with mobile, cell phone, and stationary sensors can reveal areas with a higher concentration of pollutants, as well as the root of contamination. From there, environmental engineers will have enough insight to create an action plan.
Medical Advancements
Fitness trackers like watches, rings, and stationary bike sensors offer daily health insights for the average person. Whether you’re tracking your heart rate, calories burned, or steps taken, it’s an excellent way to stay accountable. However, you may not have the intel to decipher these metrics and tell when something is wrong.
This is where crowdsensing comes in. If your medical professional had access to your data, an unnaturally elevated heart rate or suspected spike in insulin could be managed before it’s too late. Crowdsensing could also provide insight into the prevalence of health issues in certain areas, why that is, and how to aid citizens.
Biomedical engineers are also developing implantable devices to alleviate Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s symptoms and cure blindness. An implantable is inserted into the body to provide data or perform another function, such as a pacemaker.
Electronic tattoos are another hot topic. These markings can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and body temperature, giving biomedical engineers and medical personnel the most accurate insight imaginable. An even hotter topic in this day and age is vaccination rates, and with employers now wanting to track this, crowdsensing could come into play. However, the ethics of this may be debatable. This type of crowdsensing would have to be closely monitored for legal compliance.
Let’s Make It Happen
Since opportunistic crowdsensing is still plagued by inaccurate data collection and potential privacy breaches, software engineers have their work cut out for them! But once the system functions, you’ll start to see crowdsensing crop up all over various industries.
When engineers can channel your data into remarkable improvements, the world will be a better place.