This article was originally published by Sarah Wray on Cities today, the leading news platform for urban mobility and innovation reaching an international audience of city guides. For the latest updates, see Cities Today Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Youtubeor sign up for Cities Today News.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is installing new “smart masts” that serve as street lights, traffic lights, environmental sensors, pedestrian counters, smartphone chargers, Wi-Fi access points, video surveillance and more.
In six areas of the city, 26 intelligent masts have already been installed, the functions of which are tailored to the needs of their location in the city.
SMG plans to roll out the pole further and control a version of the infrastructure that can also be used to charge drones and electric vehicles and detect parking violations.
The city plans to use drones to “monitor potential disasters and rescue operations.” Later this year, drones can be charged over the top of the poles while data is being sent back to SMG. A city spokesman said the project was in the planning phase.
Smart City Project
If the road infrastructure needs to be replaced or installed, SMG will integrate it into the smart masts whenever possible to save costs and avoid clutter.
Lee Won-Mok, General Director of Smart City Policy for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, “Smart poles help effectively consolidate the somewhat elaborate road infrastructure by not only maintaining their innate functions but also by highlighting various intelligent technological features .
“These suburban Poles are expected to improve cityscapes and improve the safety, welfare and comfort of our citizens in Seoul. They will also serve as charging stations for drones and electric vehicles, bringing the city one step closer to the smart city. “
Environmental sensors monitor temperature, humidity, particles and more
Throw infrastructure in the trash
The project reflects the growing trend that road infrastructure can be used in many ways to minimize visual clutter and use of public space. Street lights were usually the most common platform, but services are now being built into containers as well.
Telebelly installation in Australia
Bigbelly, which offers solar powered smart bins, recently announced that it is launching its Telebelly product in the UK. Already available in Australia, the solution extends the functionality of traditional bigbelly containers by integrating small cell towers and antennas to improve connectivity.
“Wherever there is a public garbage can, a Telebelly can be the solution to hide small cells in sight,” said the company.
Bigbelly said the Telebelly, which is 4G and 5G capable, could accelerate the growth of the UK cellular network and pave the way for 5G by making it easier for telecommunications companies to provide a faster, more reliable service without relying on large-scale tower installations.
Alex Gamota, Senior Vice President at Bigbelly, said, “Given that Bigbelly is typically used in high-traffic, densely populated areas that typically require higher telecommunications coverage and capacity, there is a high degree of synergy between the public Waste collection aspect of the system and Telebelly. “
In a separate project with Bigbelly Smart trash cans are also used in Dublin to measure the hustle and bustle in the city and accommodate the infrastructure of small cells.
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Published on March 29, 2021 – 14:00 UTC
