“Bosch technology and solutions will enable Monaco to be a leading connected city. As a result, Monaco is a pioneer in making innovative use of the technological potential of the Internet of Things and Services,” says Volkmar Denner, chairman of the Robert Bosch GmbH board of management.
Well, you might ask yourself: How will that impact the Monegasques? Or if you’re a frequent visitor of Monaco like myself: What’s in a connected city for me?
There are many images we have in mind, when it comes to Monaco. Let’s try the following: Mobility. Do you think of yachts or Formula 1 now? Hold on a second. Even the fastest cars need to slow down in heavy traffic.
Monaco is one of the smallest, but most densely populated places in the world and whoever has been there knows: This city is built in height. It’s beautiful to look down from the hilltops, but difficult to reach those due to narrow roads in serpentines. Whoever got stuck in traffic in or out from Monaco, knows what I mean. Even for pedestrians or commuters, the height differences could turn into hassle. Imagine arriving by train with your luggage and one of the many elevators or escalators on your way is out of order. These are everyday moments, where people would love to have real time information on a fingertip. When and where is the next bus leaving? Are there any garbage trucks on my way that could block the road? Is the next elevator working or am I going in the wrong direction?
“Monaco 3.0” demonstrator project
Part of the “Monaco 3.0” demonstrator project is a smart phone app that currently is provided to selected test users. It brings connecting technology to public services, such as: bus networks, parking lot management, waste collection, and information on road works. Furthermore, it provides up-to-date information to users and helps various city departments to operate more efficiently. As best communication works both ways, the app has a crowd sourcing function that illustrates how people can actively participate in and improve city life. So in addition to the existing fault recognition system, users will be able to log relevant visual and status information about the condition of public services such as elevators or escalators. Imagine you reach the nearest elevator and instead of being “OK” as expected and indicated it would be “out of order”, you could provide the feedback on a fingertip, combined with images and general feedback of its condition.
Part of the “Monaco 3.0” demonstrator project is a smart phone app that currently is provided to selected test users.
The app brings connecting technology to public services, such as: bus networks, parking lot management, waste collection, and information on road works.
This is just one aspect and Monaco has always been a pioneer in many senses – let’s follow up on their way to a highly connected city by 2015.
What else would you expect of a connected city?
Which cities do you consider smart and connected already?
Find more information on “Monaco 3.0” here.