According to the most recent IMD Smart City Index for 2024, which offers a glimpse into the global advancement of smart cities, Europe and Asia currently set the standard for the most advanced smart cities.
However, how important will edge computing be to that ecosystem in enhancing public-facing services in leading smart cities?
The ability of edge computing to analyze data locally and enable real-time decision-making will be vital in ensuring the efficient and successful delivery of public services.
This article focuses on transportation, safety, and administrative efficiency to examine how edge computing is improving public-facing services in top smart cities.
1. Enhance Transportation Systems with Edge Computing
A smart city’s transportation system is among its most noticeable features. In particular, when cities deal with growing population densities and increasing traffic demands, edge computing is essential to maintaining the smooth and effective operation of transportation networks.
Real-time insights obtained from processing data at the edge can significantly enhance urban mobility.
The Management of Intelligent Traffic
Conventional traffic control systems frequently depend on central servers that gather information from different traffic cameras and sensors dispersed around the city.
To process this data locally and respond more quickly to changing traffic circumstances, edge computing provides an answer.
- Traffic cameras, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices perform real-time data analysis at the edge.
Autonomous vehicles and edge computing
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) will become more prevalent in urban mobility in the future. However, for AVs to function securely, a large amount of data is needed.
These cars rely on sensors and cameras to drive and make decisions in real-time, such as avoiding obstacles, seeing traffic signs, and following traffic laws.
Autonomous cars can now process sensor data locally, eliminating the need to transfer it to the cloud, thanks to edge computing.
As a result, cars can make judgments faster, increasing dependability and safety.
- In cities like Tokyo and San Francisco, pilot projects exploring edge computing for autonomous vehicles (AVs) are presently in progress.
- It demonstrates promising outcomes in terms of real-time responsiveness and traffic integration.
Smart public transportation
Edge computing is also helping smart public transit systems, such as trains, buses, and trams.
- Numerous types of data are produced by these systems, such as passenger counts, vehicle positions, and operational conditions.
- Transportation authorities can make decisions about scheduling, routing, and fleet management more quickly when this data is processed locally.
- Edge computing enables predictive vehicle maintenance and real-time passenger monitoring in places like Amsterdam and London.
Edge Computing and Parking
Parking can be extremely difficult to find for drivers in crowded urban areas. Edge computing-driven smart parking solutions are helping to mitigate this issue by providing real-time information on parking availability.
Parking lot and street sensors can determine whether a space is occupied and relay this information to nearby processing units.
2. Improving Public Safety with Edge Computing
Smart cities place a high premium on public safety, and edge computing is helping to improve these areas by:
- To monitor criminal activities
- Respond to emergencies and
- Protect the general public.
Video surveillance in real-time
Edge computing reduces the need to send massive volumes of data to the cloud by processing CCTV camera footage locally. It enables real-time video analytics.
- Targeted processing makes it possible to promptly identify suspicious activity, such as entering restricted areas without permission or acting strangely in public.
- This proactive approach to security is making living conditions for residents safer by stopping crimes before they happen.
Emergency services and disaster response
Every second matters in crises like fires, accidents, and natural disasters. Edge computing enhances disaster response operations by providing first responders with real-time data, enabling them to take more prompt and informed action.
- Deployed throughout a city, sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices can track environmental parameters like temperature, air quality, and structural integrity.
- This data can be processed at the edge to identify emergency indicators.
- These systems’ local data processing allows them to quickly set off alarms and alert residents. It provides them with crucial time to flee or seek shelter.
Public health monitoring and safety
Real-time public health monitoring using edge computing includes potential outbreak detection and enforcing adherence to safety and health laws.
- These technologies can stop the spread of infectious diseases by alerting authorities as soon as they come across someone who has a fever.
- Edge-based AI systems can additionally evaluate crowd density to confirm compliance with social distance regulations, thereby providing an additional layer of public health protection.
3. Increasing Administrative Operations
Edge computing is changing more than just transportation and safety; it’s also changing how cities run their daily administrative operations.
Smart cities can lower operating costs, enhance decision-making, and offer citizens more effective services by processing data locally.
Intelligent waste control
Any city needs garbage management, but conventional waste collection methods might be ineffective. It results in overfilled bins or needless truck deployments.
- Smart waste management systems that use edge computing and IoT sensors keep track of how much trash is put in each trash can around the city.
- Waste management personnel can optimize collection routes and timetables by processing this data locally.
Smart grids and energy efficiency
One of the main objectives of smart cities is to use energy efficiently, and edge computing is essential to controlling energy distribution and consumption.
Smart grids rely on edge computing to evaluate data in real time and modify energy supply and demand. They monitor energy usage throughout the city using sensors and Internet of Things devices.
Smart networks can detect changes in energy demand and react quickly by processing data locally. This lowers energy waste and costs for the city and its citizens.
Public Services Streamlined
Long wait times and inefficiencies are common problems with public services like licensing, permits, and public inquiries. Edge computing is helping cities streamline these services by handling data locally and automating repetitive tasks.
Final Thoughts
Edge computing holds enormous potential benefits for smart city applications. Cities can boost economic growth, build more resilient and sustainable communities, and improve the quality of life for their citizens by utilizing this technology.
In the coming years, we should anticipate even more cutting-edge developments and applications as edge computing continues to advance.
Read more to know: How is Edge Computing Enhancing Public-Facing Services in Smart Cities