How Photonics Help Smart Cities Flourish

By John Oncea, Editor

Ladies and gentlemen, here’s today’s Top 10 from the home office in Lausanne, Switzerland.* The category: Top 10 Smart Cities In The World:

10.	Stockholm, Sweden
9.	Geneva, Switzerland
8.	Helsinki, Finland
7.	Singapore
6.	London, UK
5.	Lausanne, Switzerland
4.	Copenhagen, Denmark
3.	Canberra, Australis
2.	Oslo, Norway
1.	Zurich, Switzerland

The IMD Smart City Index was put together by The Smart City Observatory (SCO), part of the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC), and combines hard data and survey responses to show the extent to which technology is enabling cities to address the challenges they face to achieve a higher quality of life for their inhabitants.

According to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), The Index looked into city living in 141 cities, surveying some 20,000 citizens about 15 aspects of living in their cities. They were asked which were the most urgent priorities, from affordable housing and road congestion to fulfilling employment and green spaces. They were also asked about various structures and technologies in a bid to determine whether tech-based solutions are effectively addressing their major concerns.

So, what exactly is a smart city? And what role do photonics play in making a city smart? Let’s find out.

* Or Lincoln, NE; Milwaukee, WI; Scottsdale, AZ; Lebanon, PA; Tahlequah, OK; Oneonta, NY; Sioux City, IA; Grand Rapids, MI; Wahoo, NE; Kankakee, IL; Liverpool, England; Omaha, NE; Oklahoma City, OK … David Letterman had lots of home offices over the years.

Explain This To Me Like I’m A Six-Year-Old, Okay?

“A smart city,” according to TechTarget, “is a municipality that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve both the quality of government services and citizen welfare.” In general, smart cities aim to drive economic growth, optimize city functions, and improve the quality of life of their residents with smart technology and data analysis.

For all of this to happen, strong relationships need to be developed between the city government and the private sector because most of the work that is done to create and maintain a digital, data-driven environment occurs outside of the government. For example, surveillance equipment for busy streets could include sensors from one company, cameras from another, and a server from yet another.

The most important technology utilized by smart cities is the Internet of Things (IoT), a network of connected devices that communicate and exchange data. “Data collected and delivered by the IoT sensors and devices is stored in the cloud or on servers,” write TechTarget. “The connection of these devices and use of data analytics (DA) facilitates the convergence of the physical and digital city elements, thus improving both public and private sector efficiency, enabling economic benefits and improving citizen's lives.” Other smart city technologies include:

• application programming interfaces (APIs)
• artificial intelligence (AI)
• cloud computing
• dashboards
• machine learning (ML)
• machine to machine (M2M)
• mesh network

How A Smart City Works

Smart cities utilize their web of connected IoT devices and other technologies to achieve their goals of improving the quality of life and achieving economic growth. Successful smart cities follow four steps:

• Collection - Smart sensors throughout the city gather data in real time.
• Analysis - Data collected by the smart sensors is assessed to draw meaningful insights.
• Communication - The insights that have been found in the analysis phase are communicated with decision makers through strong communication networks.
• Action - Cities use the insights pulled from the data to create solutions, optimize operations and asset management, and improve the quality of life for residents.

There’s more to it, but this is a pretty good summary of a smart city. Now let’s take a look at the role photonics are playing in making smart cities smart.

So, Where Do Photonics Fit In?

The paradigm of urban design is shifting toward the creation of greener cities, where existing photonics technology is expected to play a decisive role. A plethora of photonics-based solutions such as optical networks, chip-scale photonic sensors, lasers, lidar, and LEDs, as well as solar technology, will be adopted to address the energy and environmental challenges that cities face.

Among these solutions, automated smart lighting stands out as a central feature of all modern urban designs, and helps optimize the mood, productivity, and sleep patterns of residents. Additionally, power-conservative LEDs are set to enable energy-efficient vertical farming, paving the way to sustainable food production. In these smart cities, incubator companies will work to foster and grow new ideas, propelling us toward a brighter future where the next generation of photonics technologies will lead the way.

As smart cities evolve, so will photonics’ role. With the introduction of thermal image sensors, facilities will have the ability to elevate their efficiency in terms of space management and occupancy rates. This technological advancement allows for the regulation of temperature and energy consumption through HVAC and lighting systems, optimizing cost savings and energy conservation. Furthermore, these sensors can detect potential fire hazards by identifying hot spots before they become a danger. In emergencies, the sensors aid in crowd management by detecting and managing the flow of people, ensuring safety for all individuals inside the facility. With these capabilities, thermal image sensors provide a comprehensive solution to improving facility management and safety measures.

Photonics is and will continue to enable the growth of the maintenance of infrastructure and other applications that smart cities will require. Photonics technology and optical communication networks are emerging as vital tools to bridge the digital divide by providing cost-effective and high-speed network solutions.

With the growing need for internet connectivity to enable smart cities and smart world initiatives, the reliable and hazard-free operation of connected devices is crucial. This is where optics comes into its own, providing secure and efficient internetworking capabilities. Notably, smart transportation heavily relies on sensors, similar to those used in smart healthcare. Innovations in photonics and optical communication will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of digital infrastructure by ensuring that connectivity is safe, secure, and fast, enabling us to live smarter, healthier, and more efficiently.