A sudden evolution and expansion of big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are playing a major role in the adaption of smart city initiatives. Big data opens doors of opportunity by churning valuable insights from enormous data collected through different sources, and the IoT allows integration of sensors, RFI (radio frequency identification), Bluetooth in the real environment by using highly networked services.
With a phenomenal shift from a traditional desktop computing to extensively sophisticated and advanced computing brings a vision to live in a smart environment which encompasses smart homes, smart healthcare, smart transportation, and smart cities among others. Smart cities are enabling a better life by transforming different areas of human life. For instance, the data collected for weather information helps to gain valuable insight benefiting the agriculturist. Also, analytics from weather data help to inform in advance about the likely situations, which may or may not be hazardous; flood, loo, drought, etc. Analyzing big data for smart city initiative can transform every sector of a nation’s economy. The IoT provides a platform for devices and sensors to communicate with each other and share information seamlessly across platforms. IoT, the next-gen technology has witnessed implementation in the smart city in the form of smart grids, smart retail, smart water, smart energy, etc. The internet revolution has to an interconnection of not just devices but people between people at an unprecedented scale. In the present post-desktop era, devices like our smartphones are changing our surroundings and making us extremely interactive and informative.
Applications of big data can be applied in the healthcare sector by improving preventive care services, healthcare record management, patient care, diagnosis, etc. For effective traffic management, the exchange of data via IoT devices can help in optimizing routes and schedules, decrease traffic wait time, therefore ensuring environmental friendliness.
Application of big data for smart city helps in efficient data storage and providing with information which can be used to enhance various smart city services.
Smart Grid
Rapid distribution of smart grids helps to analyze and use real-time environmental data, generation and consumption data of power utilization. An enormous amount of data is generated from various sources like power utilization habits, energy consumption data measured by smart meters etc. The analytics from the smart grid can help strategize, save and provide pricing plans which are consistent with the demand-supply and production patterns.
Smart Healthcare
With a rapid increase in population, it has facilitated changes in the models of treatment delivery. Thanks to data insights, such changes and decision are based using analytic tools which allow healthcare specialists to analyze patient’s data for effective treatment. Data insights from such applications can also predict diseases, epidemic, cures and thereby improve quality of life. The nature of information varies, depending on the sources, such as wearable gadgets. Data from these devices can also act an early warning system and help in effective treatment, saving thousands of lives.
Smart Traffic
Datasets and patterns analyzed from a vast amount of traffic data can help in improving the transportation system such as minimizing traffic congestion by giving alternate routes, decrease the number of accidents by analyzing data with respect to the speed of the driver, the cause of an accident, location etc. In the supply chain domain, these data can also optimize freight movements. IoT sensors can detect the volume of traffic on a real-time basis, the average speed of vehicles, wait for time etc.
Smart Parking
In today’s time, it is daunting to hunt for a parking spot in cities. With IoT solutions coming to rescue, people can be informed about the parking space being empty or occupied and also be guided to find the nearest parking spot based on the driver’s location. This will save fuel, time, energy, reduce CO2 emission etc., contributing to a friendly environment.
Smart Waste Management
Waste management can also be made smarter with the use of smart garbage cans with a sensor. These sensors can determine the level of waste in the can. This information will further be given to the waste management authority to collect the waste as and when the can is full. This will again promote effective waste management and contributing to a clean environment.
Technology, without any doubt, is playing a major role in our life. The data collected through IoT devices can be used to analyze patterns and needs in the city, paving way for effective governance and hassle-free life. Effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) will drastically reduce environmental footprints and ensure optimum use of resources, which otherwise are scarce. The smart city presents with it a new era of connectivity within devices and people. With privacy issues taking place, it is imperative to have a secure and strong connection to leverage the best of the opportunity such next-gen technologies provide us with.