AI and sustainability: the best Smart Cities to follow
Minority Report, A.I. but also Blade Runner or the series of Back to the Future: Hollywood has always made the public dream about futuristic and innovative cities with bizarre technologies but often ingenious solutions. Movies have made us imagine a future - now a present - where Artificial Intelligence would have been an everyday technology. The real world wasn’t as fast as Hollywood’s fantasy, but it made enormous progress.
Smart City: a sustainable opportunity
The future of Smart Cities will show a more intrinsic union with new technologies, like AI. More efficient cities, inclusive and personalized services, a better quality of life, but also the opportunity to have intelligent and sustainable cities: are the big challenges and opportunities that new technologies offer for smart cities.
Artificial Intelligence technologies can transform cities from unlivable places to organized and efficient organizations. Thanks to the collected data, it is possible to monitor and direct traffic, forecast potentially dangerous events, suggest solutions to citizens and reduce energy consumption and pollution.
The best examples of Smart Cities
Singapore, Amsterdam, Dubai, Barcelona, Helsinki, and London: are some of the major cities that are building AI models for a more democratic and technological society, focused on human rights. In 2018 Amsterdam, Barcelona, and New York founded the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights (CC4DR), a network that includes more than 50 cities, that aims to define and protect digital rights. Three years later it was launched the Global Observatory on Urban AI aimed at monitoring trends and collecting best practices for responsible use of AI technologies.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) is a project to promote a smarter, greener and healthier future in the Dutch Capital. To build a sustainable city, smart and technological solutions are needed to solve the problems related to the environment, pollution, renewable energies, and the gradual dropping of fossil fuels. Among the projects, there is ‘Climate Street’, which has made street illumination more efficient, reducing pollution. The local administration has also developed ‘Open City’ to promote people's participation in the projects. Amsterdam is also very careful about data protection, transparency and privacy: thanks to important initiatives, like ‘The Algorithm Register’, the local administration offers an overview of AI systems and algorithms used in town.
Helsinki
The Finnish Capital is another smart city that is very careful about transparency and data protection to promote the conscious participation of citizens. The city has an ‘AI Register’ with all the information about the current AI technologies, the type of data collected, and their usage. Helsinki promotes projects to reduce the digital divide to have a more inclusive, technological, and innovative city.
Barcelona
In 2011 Barcelona hosted the first Smart City Expo and the World Congress to promote important projects about sustainability and digital. Barcelona has now a capillary network of sensors that monitor traffic, air quality, pollution, and pedestrian transit. The city has also smart garbage bins that discharge garbage in an underground deposit, reducing bad odor and garbage trucks’ journeys.
Oslo
Olso is implementing smart and sustainable strategies, like 650k LED lights that can change autonomously light intensity and can be remotely controlled.
Singapore
Singapore is one of the smartest cities in the World. Thanks to the Smart Nation Platform, the local administration collects the essential information to manage efficiently the city. This project accelerates the process of technological integration and improves its inhabitants’ life. Among the projects, the city will introduce smart lights and will promote the installation of more than 6k solar panels on private houses’ roofs. In order to achieve these goals, it is necessary that the city is connected: that’s why 95% of private houses have broadband internet.
Dubai
With the program Smart Dubai and the app DubaiNow, the Emirates city will digitalize all the services: from transport to ITC, from energy to urban development. The Government aims to save 245 million dollars and this will have a big impact on the environment, too, by avoiding completely paper documents.
London
The British Capital is one of the most technologically advanced cities in the World. The program ‘Connected London’ will provide 5G to the entire city. Drones will localize the areas where to install antennas to have optimal coverage. ‘Smarter London Together' roadmap focuses on five main key points: more services for citizens, the new management of big data, smart streets better digital competencies and cybersecurity, and better collaboration in the entire ecosystem.
MAS Elettronica supports Smart City for sustainability
MAS Elettronica offers reliable and innovative embedded solutions to design future Smart Cities.
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Agritech: 5G, IoT and blockchain fo sustainable agricolture
Connectivity, digitalization, IoT and 5G technologies, blockchain: these are all concepts usually related to sectors like automotive, pharma, manufacturing and public administration. But there is another sector that can benefit from new technologies and it is agriculture.
Digitalization and innovation are processes that are expanding in the farm industry to improve the production cycle and guarantee security, quality, and protection in the entire production chain.
Agritech opportunities
Agritech includes all those technologies and applications that allow to development of innovative and efficient solutions to improve product profitability, reduce waste and guarantee to the consumers a safe and high-quality product.
Thanks to the Internet of Things, there are many technological applications in agriculture:
- smart sensors to be installed in the fields to remote monitor fundamental soil parameters like temperature, humidity, and light;
- smart and automated irrigation systems that understand if and when it is needed to irrigate;
- drones, both terrestrial and aerial, that can be used to monitor fields, livestock, cut crops or spray treatments on crops;
- livestock monitoring through wearable devices to collect data about livestock health;
- new technologies will bring new job opportunities to young and specialized people and at the same time there is the chance to reduce arduous activities that often lead to illegal hiring;
- conduct predictive analysis on crops thanks to the data collected by the sensors and plan machinery used to collect and stock goods. Farmers can monitor the farm’s trends and plan future actions to improve profitability.
In a historical time like now, when water and energy can be critical elements for a farmer, IoT technology can optimize resources and reduce waste.
Sustainable agriculture and PNRR
Agritech expansion is fundamental for the development of sustainable agriculture so that it won’t be any more irrational exploitation but an opportunity for coexistence with the planet that hosts us. According to the UN guidelines, sustainable agriculture should reduce waste, energy, and water consumption, respect the environment and limit pollution, ensure equity and transparency throughout the entire supply chain and encourage inclusive economic growth.
The Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) follows this direction and plans important investments to modernize the agricultural sector. There are three main pillars in the Government strategy for agriculture: circular economy and sustainable agriculture, production chain contracts and land protection. PNRR allocates 7 billion euros for the agricultural sector, and one-third will be dedicated to sustainability and a circular economy. In addition to these funds, there are transversal projects that are not directly linked to agriculture but the sector will benefit, too, like 5G development.
Blockchain and traceability
Among modernization projects in the agricultural sector, there are all those initiatives linked to traceability use of blockchain technology. Based on decentralized systems that allow data immutability, blockchain technology is a valid solution that guarantees the traceability of the entire production chain. This is an important aspect, especially for organic farms with a risk of counterfeiting.
Connectivity and security
Parallel to technological innovation, there is another fundamental area that businesses need to take into account: cybersecurity. The increasing number of connected devices, using Wifi, Bluetooth or 5G, presents a potential risk for cyberattacks, live a violation of sensitive and private data. Human-machine interfaces, HMI, need to be secure and reliable to avoid a network to become a backdoor for cyberattacks. It is fundamental that HMIs have a backup function for system recovery and proceed with the production process. MAS Elettronica solutions offer a high level of data security, thanks to TPM (Trusted Platform Module), a module with a cryptographic processor.
MAS Elettronica solutions for agritech
MAS Elettronica offers reliable and innovative embedded solutions for all sectors. Among our top products are our flexible and adaptable HMIs. The characteristics of solutions are cybersecurity and 5G connectivity, fundamental elements for technological innovation.
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IoMT, Internet of Medical things: what are the opportunities?
The Internet of Medical Things technologies, known as IoMT, is the Internet of Things grafting into Telemedicine, including all the devices and applications to monitor patients, collect valid data and share them within the networks. IoMT technologies offer incredible opportunities in Medicine and, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte, this sector could reach 187 billion dollars by 2028.
From IoT to IoMT
The Internet of Things includes all the common objects, both wearable and not, that can be connected to personal devices. IoT applications can be aimed at consumers - like for example fit bands - or at industries. These latter ones are radically changing the manufacturing sector by automating processes while ensuring more efficient control of production.
The medical and pharmaceutical sectors are benefiting from this technological contamination, too. This led to the creation of a specific sector: IoMT or known as healthcare IoT. Internet of Medical Things is a fundamental area in the digital revolution of Medicine, that allows healthcare professionals to collect valuable data and formulate precise diagnoses or therapies. A deeper subdivision of IoMT differentiates three areas: In-Home IoMT, all the devices a patient uses for remote monitoring; On-Body IoMT, the wearable devices like Smart Watches or Smart Pumps for insulin; and In-Hospital IoMT, the devices in clinics and hospitals.
IoMT opportunities
The applications of IoMT technologies are numerous. They will increase and become more efficient and smart.
Remote Patient Monitoring: IoMT devices are already used for remote patient monitoring, especially for chronic diseases, after surgery, or during a clinical trial for a new treatment. Thanks to wearable devices, it is possible to monitor patients and control vital signs and therapy compliance. The device can send data directly to healthcare professionals and prompt requests for intervention if needed.
Smart Pill: smart pills are tiny capsules with a camera, used for capsule endoscopy to investigate parts of the intestine that cannot be reached with traditional exams. During the gastrointestinal transit. the smart pill can record and send data, localize anomalies, and measures vital signs like blood pressure, PH, temperature, and other signs specific to GI.
Glucose monitoring: smart devices can take blood samples to analyze the glucose level, alerting the patient when an injection of insulin is needed. They can interact directly with Smart Pumps, which can inject insulin at the right moment.
Smart Bed: among In-Hospital IoMT technologies, there are Smart Beds, that, thanks to sensors inside the bed, can send healthcare information directly to the doctors’ devices. Besides detecting the patient’s position, some Smart Beds can register specific parameters like the heartbeat, breathing, or sleep.
Smart Room: Not only smart beds but rooms themselves can be integrated with IoT technologies. The connected devices can be useful to monitor room occupancy and have a complete view of occupied beds, improving the hospital’s efficiency.
IoMT can revolutionize Medicine, improving patients’ experience and their health. Alongside the technology development, it is necessary to evaluate potential obstacles like the security of sensitive data, cyber-attacks, obsolete devices in hospitals and clinics, and digital gaps. IoMT technologies will offer us enormous opportunities and challenges for the future of Medicine.
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Electronic component shortage: how to find an alternative
End of 2019: we would have never imagined living a global pandemic. 2022: we hoped that it wouldn’t start a new bloody war. Unfortunately, the events of these early ‘20s, that we are witnessing, will fill numerous pages in future history books. We hope that these critical moments will end soon, especially for the human and social impact they have, but also for the enormous economic implications.
At MAS, an example of how global events impact our activity is the electric component shortage, which is the difficulty of finding components to realize our products. Two factors - the supply and the cost of the raw materials - are transforming electronic components and microchips into precious commodities.
But we must, and can react, to the uncertainties of the present.
Our strategy to fight electronic component shortage
Competence, experience, and a spoonful of creativity: this is our perfect recipe for solving the problem of electronic component shortage.
To face different situations, even the most critical, we follow a precise strategy that touches these points:
- planning: we raise awareness on the fundamental aspect of planning production activities;
- flexibility: it is an important characteristic that allows us to modify and adapt boards or software and avoid production stops;
- collaboration: we teamwork with our partners to make the design and production process more efficient;
- customization: the best strategy is customized solutions, like customized hardware
- trust: the strong bond we have with our suppliers allows us to analyze the situation, discover and solve the difficulties, to always meet the commitments with our clients.
How to find the best alternative
The electronic component shortage is a known problem. Its more evident consequences are high costs and delays in delivery, which affect the entire production process. To achieve our targets of high quality, while complying with costs and delivery schedule, it is necessary to plan in advance, following these activities:
- Analysis of the criticalities, like component obsolescence or shortage, to find a valid alternative;
- Cost analysis to comply with the budget,
- Supply of MAS testing systems to our partners;
- Problem-solving analysis during production ramp-ups;
- Post-production analysis to improve future production processes.
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