Chicago to use street lighting to gather environmental information
The City of Chicago (USA) is set to install 40 sensor nodes on light poles at the University of Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, with the partial aim of optimising traffic lights for pedestrians. The idea is that the nodes will monitor the flow of pedestrians at crossings, enabling traffic signals to adapt to foot traffic, rather than road traffic. Led by the University of Chicago’s Urban Centre for Computational Data (Urban CCD), the Array of Things initiative will eventually consist of a system of 1,000 sensors collecting information on temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide, vibrations, light, and sound every 15 seconds.
This data will be fed back to government officials and residents, providing them with greater environmental information and a better understanding of pedestrian flows. This information can then be converted into initiatives to help make Chicago a happier, healthier, and smarter place to live. Ideas include: improved emergency transport routes; better resource allocation, such as salt for icy roads; and increased personal health awareness, including exposure to carbon monoxide and allergens.
“Right now, we don’t have any scientific data that proves if you do X, Y, or Z, it will improve walkability,” says Charlie Catlett, director of the Urban CCD. “I’m interested in collaborating with architects and designers to see if we can put some data behind the rules of thumb in urban design.”
For more information, visit the Array of Things website.