Communities around Australia are growing, and councils are confronted with the challenge of “right-sizing” infrastructure for their needs. Smart IoT solutions are giving councils the insights they need to make the most of what they already have.
In a mobilised smart city, Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technologies do a lot of heavy lifting: they count, crunch data, and reveal insights that can be turned into actions that keep communities running more smoothly.
Importantly, these insights can help us better understand infrastructure – roads, car parks, taxi ranks, and public transport hubs – and make the right decisions about future investment. From vehicle counting to incident detection and parking experience, technology is shaping the future of transportation for smarter cities.
But what does this mean for councils in Australia? Better, more fluid traffic flow; safer communities for pedestrians; more efficient parking around public transport; and most importantly – a community experience that residents are proud of, and visitors can aspire to.
How does it work?
Two typical applications for AIoT technologies in local government settings are vehicle counting, particularly at venues like Park’n’Ride facilities, and camera monitoring around intersections, counting pedestrians, cars, trucks and bicycles.
Secure Agility, an Australian technology solutions provider that helps organisations adapt technology and scale securely, offers products that can help councils in both of the above examples.
Community insights
At Park’n’Ride locations, Secure Agility’s AI solution can integrate with existing cameras to count the number of vehicles entering and exiting parking sites and calculate the number of car parks available. This data is shared directly with councils, which they can then share on their websites, to give the community instant access to parking availability.
Importantly, it’s a very low-cost solution that can use existing cameras and remove the need for expensive boom gates.
For intersection monitoring, Secure Agility’s solutions provide councils with data that helps them better understand what is happening in their communities, allowing them to plan more effectively for the future. For example, one council is tracking “micro freight”—the bicycles delivering food and packages around the community – and will use these insights to better understand the local economy and residents’ purchasing decisions and better plan the location of future bike lanes in the community.
Upgrading existing equipment
New solutions on existing CCTV cameras can also be used to detect improper behaviour – for example, vehicles incorrectly using taxi ranks, cars entering no-standing areas, and cars driving in the wrong direction. Identification of this behaviour allows councils to understand opportunities for community education and potential revenue through the fining of improper behaviour if it is an ongoing problem.
Not only does this make the community safer, but it also identifies an additional revenue stream for councils.
Ultimately, AIoT technology allows councils to improve the experience residents and visitors have in their community; the applications of the insights gleaned from camera data are virtually limitless.
To learn more about how your council can benefit or if you need help developing your custom use case, please contact Secure Agility today.
For more information, visit secureagility.com/iot-exploration
