Smart Cities Definition

A smart city is an urban or suburban area that has or is in the process of implementing connected technology to improve the efficiency of the area.

The following terms are often associated with Smart Cities and Smart Cities technologies:

Smart Grid (eGrid, Intelligrid) – A Smart grid is an electrical grid that utilizes smart technology such as smart meters and smart lights to control the production and distribution of electricity.

Smart Meter –An electrical device that monitors electrical energy consumption and reports the data back to the central system for analyzation.

Solar Cities – A Solar city deals with substituting fossil fuels and nuclear energy with renewable and sustainable energy.

Public Cloud – Same as a standard cloud but gives the general public access to storage of their information.

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) – As vehicles move to electrical power, connection with the electrical smart grid will become increasingly important. The smart grid will be able to communicate with vehicles to ensure proper energy output.

Smart Traffic – Smart sensors work with smart traffic lights to better manage the flow of traffic and can quickly relay any accidents or incidents on the road.

Smart Parking – Utilizes mobile apps to connect to smart parking meters to inform drivers where parking is available. Smart parking can minimize traffic congestion and reduce fuel emissions.

Smart Rail – Smart Transit systems utilizes sensors for more efficient routes and more efficient maintenance as well.

Smart Water – Smart sensors are used to collect data in order to determine whether water infrastructure is working properly.

Smart Agriculture – Smart Sensors are used to monitor machines and to determine the exact amount of nutrition the crops need in order to utilize resources and reduce waste.

Smart Home – A smart home utilizes other smart devices such as smart appliances to provide the home owner with more control and comfort.  

Smart Mobility – Uses smart sensors and cameras to detect congestion and enforce traffic laws. This data is communicated to the DOT to be analyzed.

Smart Energy – Energy producers and power plants can use smart sensors to monitor energy levels.

Smart Sensors – Small electrical devices that can communicate data back to the host source allowing for extraction and analyzation of the data. Smart Sensors make it easier to monitor many pieces of equipment and provides more clear and definitive data.

Smart Bridge – Smart sensors are used to detect any structural issues with the bridge and can inform engineers when there is a problem.

Smart Lighting – These lights use sensors to determine the amount of traffic flow by vehicle or foot to determine how long the light should be on to save energy.

Smart Freight – Organizations use smart inventory systems and smart routes to better manage their shipments and to reduce wasted time and resources.

 

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