Editorial staff – IOT NETWORK NEWS

Seoul deploys multilingual interactive translation kiosks

December 8, 2023December 5, 2023 Editorial staff

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is rolling out the country’s first interactive multilingual translation service kiosks. The kiosks will be located at tourist information centres and aim to promote city tourism by eradicating any language barriers. AI-powered translation service The service has been developed in collaboration with the tourism startup and language data specialist Flitto to enable international tourists to converse with Korean guides in their native languages. SMG hopes it will enhance the convenience of tourists to explore Seoul. Using the translation kiosk, people can talk in real-time in…

Vancouver Airport uses lidar to improve passenger happiness

December 7, 2023December 5, 2023 Editorial staff

Vancouver International Airport is using 3D lidar to analyse footfall and passenger journeys and improve user “happiness”. The 3D lidar sensor and advanced perception software solution, Q-Track, YVR, is enabling the airport to identify, classify, and track people and objects for enhanced operational insights. Queue analysis and people-counting Prior to Quanergy’s deployment, YVR had employed a number of camera-based and 3D stereoscopic sensor solutions to provide queue analysis and people-counting in several areas around the airport. But it said the airport still struggled to gather accurate data due to restricted…

Dutch carshare operator partners to create energy storage facility

December 6, 2023December 5, 2023 Editorial staff

Dutch carsharing operator MyWheels is deploying CloudBoxx from Invers into its latest fleet of shared cars with bidirectional charging technology. The company is also partnering with We Drive Solar and thanks to the integration of more than 200 We Drive Solar vehicles into the MyWheels fleet, carsharing company is enabling customers in the Dutch city of Utrecht to use cars as a neighbourhood energy storage facility. Increasing grid resilience With bidirectional charging technology, electric vehicles (EVs) can get power from a charging station and also return power to the grid…

Installed base of smart streetlights to reach 64 million by 2027

December 5, 2023 Editorial staff

Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7 per cent, the global installed base of smart street lights is forecast to reach 63.8 million by the end of 2027. According to a new research report from IoT analyst Berg Insight, the installed base of smart streetlights amounted to 23 million at the end of 2022. Europe leads the adoption of smart street lighting technology and accounted for as much as 35 per cent of the global installed base in 2022. North America is catching up with Europe and…

Neom announces investments in future land and sea travel

December 1, 2023November 24, 2023 Editorial staff

Neom, the smart, regional greenfield development being built in Saudi Arabia, which includes The Line smart city, has announced investments in both autonomous vehicles and electric sea gliders. It will invest $100m through the Neom Investment Fund (NIF), into Pony.ai, a global autonomous driving company. Additionally, a joint venture will be established for autonomous technology solutions for the region. NIF has also closed an investment into Regent, the US-based electric seaglider manufacturer. It makes Neom the largest single contributor in Regent’s series A round, enabling the company to take its…

Developer unveils plans to create £5bn UK climate tech hub

November 30, 2023November 24, 2023 Editorial staff

The Earls Court Development Company, responsible for driving regeneration of the site of the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre in West London, is aiming to attract £5bn of investment to make the site a commercial space for the UK’s clean and climate technology sector. Earlier this year, ECDC launched its draft masterplan which outlined its ambition to go beyond net zero for the development of the site. Energy sharing network The company is designing one of the UK’s largest combustion-free major mixed-use developments. The scheme will feature an energy sharing…

Santiago uses AI to transform public transport network

November 27, 2023November 24, 2023 Editorial staff

Santiago is introducing new artificial intelligence software to manage a citywide public transportation system. Sonda, a contractor of the Directorio de Transporte Público Metropolitano (DTPM), has selected Optibus, as the planning, scheduling, and EV management software for all buses across the city. The goal is to enhance and optimise public transportation for the seven million residents in the Chilean capital. Advanced bus fleet Established in 2013, the DTPM oversees the city’s bus network, which consists of nearly 7,000 buses, including more than 2,000 electric buses, operated through 11 concession contracts.…

Hundreds of cities to deploy metaverse technology by 2030

November 24, 2023 Editorial staff

Almost 700 cities will have deployed some form of metaverse infrastructure by 2030, according to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. In many cases, the technology will be used as an extension of existing urban digital twin platforms and solutions. City governments and the metaverse The research company said benefits for city governments include gaining political capital through enhanced citizen engagement and participation and significant cost-savings related to smarter and more effective urban infrastructure design, operations, and maintenance. “Though metaverse is undeniably overhyped and steeped in vagueness, the urban context…

EHang gains world-first eVTOL certification in China

October 27, 2023October 25, 2023 Editorial staff

Urban air mobility (UAM) technology platform company EHang Holdings has announced it has received the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s type certificate (TC) for its EH216-S passenger-carrying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. The TC demonstrates that the model design fully complies with CAAC’s safety standards and airworthiness requirements, and that the EH216-S is qualified for conducting passenger-carrying UAV commercial operations. Unmanned electric vertical take-off The CAAC formally accepted EHang’s EH216-S TC application in January 2021 and EHang claims it has obtained the world’s first TC for unmanned electric vertical take-off…

SmartCow launches edge AI camera for smart city applications

October 26, 2023 Editorial staff

Sphinx Ruggedized AI camera with 5G connectivity and real-time analytics

AI engineering company SmartCow has announced the launch of Sphinx, an edge AI camera with 5G connectivity, aimed at smart city and smart traffic deployments. Sphinx is a self-contained, ruggedised AI camera featuring dual image sensors that deliver low-light performance and built-in infrared (IR) illumination. According to SmartCow, the camera offers a reliable solution for AI applications, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), public safety, and intelligent traffic management systems (ITMS). Challenging environments Its open modular connector enables operators to enhance their capabilities by integrating external sensors, such as air-quality…

Vaisala weather station aims to help cities build resilience

October 25, 2023October 24, 2023 Editorial staff

Vaisala, a specialist in weather, environmental, and industrial measurements, has launched a compact weather station aimed at cities, road authorities and industrial zones for weather and environmental monitoring. According to Vaisala, whether assessing road conditions, air pollution, or other environmental challenges, the flexible and scalable Beam weather station empowers communities to leverage weather, environmental and road state observations to localise intelligence to fit their specific needs. Denser observation networks Beam is designed as a turnkey monitoring station that provides access to reliable information on air pollutants, solar radiation, flooding, snow…

Is this the future of express freight?

October 24, 2023 Editorial staff

Transportation and technology licensing company HyperloopTT has unveiled details of HyperloopTT Express Freight, its new innovative freight transport capsule system. The system has been illustrated in this animated video. The system was designed in collaboration with design consultancy Tangerine and is based on four key drivers: loading freight as fast as possible; integrating with existing infrastructure; maximising freight volume inside capsules; and being flexible enough to cater to different customer demands. Hyperloop feasibility study In HyperloopTT’s Great Lakes Hyperloop Feasibility Study from 2020 conducted by the firm Transportation Economics Management,…

Seoul launches multilingual version of its metaverse

September 20, 2023September 19, 2023 Editorial staff

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to launch a PC as well as a smartphone app version of Metaverse Seoul and use it for IT education for citizens. Seoul’s metaverse platform has been made available in multilingual versions (English, Chinese, and Japanese) to allow those who do not speak Korean to benefit from the service. Metaverse Seoul has constantly updated features and added content since its launch in January this year. Users of Metaverse Seoul can use the international version based on the language information saved in their smartphone without…

Thailand claims world’s largest factory rooftop solar project

September 19, 2023September 18, 2023 Editorial staff

Kansai Electric Power, Japan’s second largest electricity supplier, is creating what it claims to be the world’s biggest standalone rooftop solar panel installation on a factory in Thailand’s high-tech Eastern Economic Corridor. The solar panels on the plant, which manufactures Falken tyres for the European market, are reportedly equivalent in size to more than 18 football pitches. It is located in the Amata City Rayong industrial park, 135km southwest of Bangkok. Thailand is bidding to become the leader in clean energy in Southeast Asia and, once complete, this project will…

Dubai economic zone implements smart pedestrian systems

September 18, 2023 Editorial staff

The Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) economic zone has implemented 14 AI smart pedestrian crossing systems. The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (Diez) is collaborating with Derq, a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) analytics solutions for road safety and traffic management on the project. Artificial intelligence platform Derq’s Real-Time Perception and Connectivity AI Platform is designed to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs). The system, a first-of-its-kind in the region, integrates with road infrastructure to enhance safety measures. Using patented behaviour prediction models, the technology can proactively activate…