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Smart Cambridge initiative is exploring how data, innovative technology and better connectivity can be used to transform the way people live, work and travel in the Greater Cambridge area and beyond. Established as a workstream by the Greater Cambridge City Deal, this rapidly evolving programme is harnessing emerging technologies to improve the economic strength and sustainability of the area.
The Smart Cambridge programme is being scaled up from 2017-2020, to focus on maximising the impact of transport-related work through:
- Better quantity, quality and use of data
- Embedding digital solutions and emerging technology
- Collaboration with business, community and academic sectors
Greater Cambridge already has significant infrastructure that is connected and produces valuable data -laying the foundations for more smart city technologies.Traffic lights, parking meters, passenger information screens, wastebins, CCTVcameras, air quality monitors, streetlights and bus times are just some of the networked services connecting the city.
Over the next three years, the wider work of the programme will cover:
- Better travel and transport information for journeys
- Easier payment options including integrated ticketing and online payments
- Smarter signalling
- Monitoring of air quality
- Future transport initiatives including driverless vehicles
Smart Cambridge is working with the University of Cambridge to develop a leading digital platform that will support myriad smart solutions. Launched in March 2017, the Intelligent City Platform (iCP) is collating and processing real-time data from an array of sensors around the city that can be used in a host of applications.
The city-wide sensor network is gathering data from existing systems such as traffic lights, bus movements, and car parks, together with new traffic monitoring cameras and air quality sensors. These can be used to monitor a range of measures including air quality, traffic, cycle and pedestrian movements.
A new LoRaWan (Low Power Long Range) network has also been established in collaboration with the University of Cambridge to transfer the data flowing in from the sensors to the data hub. The combined data can then be analysed and visualised to plan smart solutions including making transport systems more reliable and easier to use.
The following figure presents e process for developing the iCP and using the data.
Via Connecting Cambridgeshire website.