Sheffield City Council’s highways contractor, Amey, has partnered with Connexin to build the latest UK smart city, starting with digitised roads and the Internet of Things (IoT).
By spring, Amey aims to have created a digitised public highway network for Sheffield, with thousands of individual wireless sensors communicating via smart sensors, via a platform provided by smart city operator, Connexin.
Using an IoT foundation for its digital strategy, which sees computing devices embedded in everyday objects, enabling them to send and receive data, Amey will use Connexin’s CityOS platform to integrate, view, manage and respond to information to improve highway maintenance services and service delivery across Sheffield.
The platform will digitally connect essential highway maintenance services and inform operatives about the condition of street assets in real time.
For example, when to: empty high street bins to avoid overflowing; water trees for preservation; refill grit bins ready for icy conditions and clear gullies to reduce the risk of flash flooding.
Another benefit to the system will be a reduction in air pollution, with staff making fewer journeys across the city and being able to avoid spots where air quality levels are poor, contributing to the city’s Clean Air Strategy.
Mark Jones, Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member for Environment, Street Scene and Climate Change, said: “This is very much about us working better and smarter towards a greener and cleaner future for Sheffield.
“By investing in this new initiative, our contractors will be undertaking fewer journeys, which in turn will result in a reduction in energy consumption, pollution and congestion, whilst ensuring our streets are kept clean and our bins are emptied using a more efficient and effective approach.
“Using technology in this pioneering way will help the Council in its efforts to tackle the climate crisis, whilst improving standards.”
The smart city sensors will be installed over coming months with the data being utilised instantly. Using existing insight, the sensors will be positioned in locations where they will achieve optimum benefit.
