Tuesday, October 18, 2011

An operating system for smart cities…

An operating system (OS) could certainly be the wave of the future for some of the bigger or perhaps, more developed cites in the US and around the world according to the article, “An operating system for smart cities”.  Not only would an OS keep buildings, traffic and other services running smoothly, but a system like this would also monitor and reduce energy usage and save billions of dollars.  Could you imagine federal or state buildings being monitored from one central nerve system in a city for security, fire, heat and air conditioning and even shutting down the power at the end of the day?  I can!  With emerging technologies evolving each day around the globe, a smart city OS would be a reality in the next 10 to 15 years.  I can see cities virtually running themselves and controlling many of their major systems with one OS like a PC.   
The investment in smart city technology will be very costly initially but cities will reap huge dividends when an OS is up and running.  Take for instance the Japanese train system in highly populated Tokyo.  With various emerging technologies and sensors in place, they are able to sense train traffic and situations.  The clocklike punctuality of Japan’s trains and the remarkable efficiency of the system are due to a central nerve system.  However, because of sensors linked to networks and a smart system, the single most outstanding feature of Japan’s rail transport is its capacity to adjust the entire system in accordance with the operating environment. 
There is enough evidence that smart city OS’s will emerge in the near future.  Many people are already able to control their lights and heating via the Internet.  In addition, GPS devices can sense traffic congestion and reroute drivers.  Alarm companies and fire stations are able to monitor buildings, near and far.  Power companies are able to provide electricity to you or me and shut down zones via a power distribution grid.  Besides, New York City Department of Transportation Traffic Management Center receives feeds from closed circuit television cameras trained on major arteries, which monitor and track traffic conditions in real-time at key locations throughout the city.  Consider the emerging technology today- many of these systems or processes have been fused and transformed.  They can only be more efficient with billions of sensors linked to networks all over the city.  The information and communications infrastructure will be a major player in a smart city OS.  They will require optimal monitoring and management.


Merging these technologies onto a smart city OS seems very futuristic but this is what technology is moving towards.  Money, manpower and time will be the obstacles in reshaping cities’ infrastructures and developing new layouts.  A smart city OS will have the capacity to advance, monitor and control city systems.  In my opinion, smart cities already exist but with disparate systems.  When they meld onto an OS, cities will be able to:  reduce information systems footprints, enhance redundancy, refine emergency systems, and intelligently monitor and automate traffic lights, air conditioning and a host of other systems that influence the quality of urban life.  Simultaneously, a smart city OS will reduce the costs of operating a city.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/emergingtech/an-operating-system-for-smart-cities/2874?tag=mantle_skin;content

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