Possibly one of the most fascinating developments in technology is that of the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT). While personal smart devices like the Fitbit and home devices like the Nest Smart Thermostat have been gradually improving in both quality and popularity, large scale projects like “smart cities” still seem to be part of the distant future. However, Google’s parent company Alphabet is now attempting to make that dream into a reality sooner rather than later.
Artist Rendering of Alphabet’s Quayside
According to recent articles from Slate and Wired, Alphabet subsidiary Sidewalk Labs has just reached a deal to convert a 12-acre area of the Toronto waterfront into an Internet-powered community named Quayside within the next few years. In general, “Sidewalk Labs promises to embed all sorts of sensors everywhere possible, sucking up a constant stream of information about traffic flow, noise levels, air quality, energy usage, travel patterns, and waste output” (Marshall). With this massive amount of information, the company hopes to tailor the town to be both more efficient and comfortable for its citizens and workers. For example, through the collection of weather data, things like retractable canopies and heated pathways can be activated, and “the company projects that managing wind, sun, and rain can “double the number of [year-round] daylight hours when it is comfortable to be outside’” (Grabar). Additionally, Sidewalk plans on using these sensors to facilitate easier deployment of autonomous cars and robot delivery services to pave the road for the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced robotics with our daily lives (Grabar).
What do you think about Alphabet’s plan to build a smart city? Do you think they will be successful? Leave a comment below.
Grabar, Henry. “Can Google Build a City? We’re About to Find Out.” Slate Magazine, Slate Magazine, 25 Oct. 2017, www.slate.com/articles/technology/metropolis/2017/10/sidewalk_labs_quayside_development_in_toronto_is_google_s_first_shot_at.html.
Marshall, Aarian. “Alphabet Is Trying to Remake the Modern City, Starting With Toronto.” Wired, Conde Nast, 19 Oct. 2017, www.wired.com/story/google-sidewalk-labs-toronto-quayside/.
Image: https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/article_small/public/thumbnails/image/2017/10/23/17/google-quayside-.jpg
This project seems like a great example of moving onto smart cities in the Internet of Things. It is interesting to how they would use the information to improve the quality of live in the city, such as temperature adjusted areas. I wonder how they would improve other aspects without disrupting daily life. For example, it is hard to imagine how they would they build the technology to reduce noise levels. Also, although the city can collect data for many aspects of the city life, it seems it would be very expensive to get the things to apply changes to make more efficient life in the city. Additionally, unless they have prepared for this issue, it would feel very invasive and obstructive in some people’s life in the city. Nevertheless, the idea of a smart city could provide many jobs in the IT or computer programming field with the many sensors they would have to implement. Overall, I feel a smart city is the way of the future to make places more convenient and livable.