Apps, AR, Design, IoT, Logistics, Mobile, UX/UI
SmartCityzen Concept for Costain
I was approached by Costain to develop a concept for the Integrated Future for Cities research & development project. The brief was challenging as it covered many requirements. The technology chosen needed to be leading edge, it had to enhance the community experience, solve real world current problems and show that it could fund its own growth beyond the RnD stage for the commercial partners.
A Summary of the concept is below:
The SmartCitizen app connects the fabric of the city and its infrastructure to the Internet of Things (IoT) bringing the community and city together, in an interactive and social manner, encouraging residents and other community members to take an active part in the maintenance of the city.
The project aims to embed new innovative technologies into the city’s assets and infrastructure to create a network of connected devices, which will allow residents to interact with their surroundings to report issues and incidents direct to the necessary stakeholders, and share these via social media, driving ownership, transparency, collaboration and response in a familiar on-line social setting.
The management layer will offer open secure access to the connected devices, allowing integration into wider national and global systems.
Connect the City
We will embed IoT (Internet of Things) technology into the very fabric of the city; this will allow residents to interact with the city and its assets around them in new ways. The resident will tap a lamppost with their smart phone to report a broken light bulb utilising NFC (Near Field Communications), report a burst water pipe with a wave of their phone using iBeacon technology and GEO tagging, then post it to social media to drive social responsibility and transparency. Mark a pothole in the street and request repair, again using social media to drive responsibility and response from the necessary stakeholders, whilst also alerting other residents and community members of the issue. The app will allow the resident to interact with street notices and keep updated on what is happening in their community through the use of iBeacon, NFC and QR Codes.
Smart Maintenance
The app will deliver alerts to the maintenance company and other stakeholders via a backend management dashboard. The embedded devices will allow full asset information to be reported back with the social report from the resident, this will include the location and id tag of the asset, providing relevant information such as recent maintenance work carried out and any other particulars required to allow effective and timely management of the issue.
All assets can be connected to the Internet of Things, such as:
- Waste services
- Street furniture
- Buildings
- Vehicles and Plant
- Transport and highways
Drive social engagement with the community
The SmartCitizen app will be social in nature, connecting the community, driving interaction and collaboration through the use of technology. Residents will be given a simple user interface, simple in its design, and intuitive in its user experience drawing from familiar online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Gamification will encourage residents to get involved in their community, sharing issues and casting social votes to “up vote” a particular local issue such as a need for a new street lamp installation in a dark walk way or underpass. Provide points, badges and trophies as reward for involvement. This will empower residents, and give stakeholders an insight into the issues facing their communities and particular needs.
