Last fall, New York City launched the NYC Smart City Testbed Program, aimed at piloting emerging technologies across public assets to improve urban operations, service delivery, and efficiency. Running since late 2023, this initiative allows for testing real-world applications of technological solutions to urban challenges, encouraging innovations to enhance city life and close the digital divide. Among the areas in which pilots are currently deployed:
Building Energy Efficiency:
Developed by NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering, Building Diagnostic Robotics (BDR) has introduced EASEEbot, a UAV that uses video, thermal, and LiDAR imaging to assess building energy efficiency. Supported by a $1M grant, this project aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.
Street Activity Sensors:
The Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Office of Technology and Innovation, is using a $100,000 grant to install 12 computer-vision sensors across four boroughs. These sensors collect data on street usage to inform future urban planning and street redesigns, ensuring privacy by anonymizing collected data.
Air Quality Monitoring:
In partnership with Netherlands-based Static Air, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is testing particulate matter reduction systems in high-pollution areas. Three Pamares units will be installed for six months to improve air quality, supported by real-time monitoring devices.
NYC intends to launch additional pilots in the next few months with a call to solution providers to apply to the program.
On a parallel track, Columbia University’s CS3 is currently engaged in uniting diverse research communities to deliver innovations across five engineering and scientific areas:
Wi-Edge: Developing advanced wireless networks for real-time situational awareness.
Security, Privacy, and Fairness: Creating secure, private data collection systems to protect community trust.
Situational Awareness: Utilizing visual analytics and machine learning for real-time observation and modeling of urban environments.
Streetscapes Applications : Designing solutions that optimize community-specific benefits by incorporating local intelligence.
Public Interest Technology: Understanding the impact of CS3 technologies, applications, and policies on social landscapes and regional economic development.
In the same spirit of practical application of smart city technology through pilot, Kentyou, an UTA Strategic Member, has been collaborating with Columbia University since mid-2022, in the deployment of AI and connected technologies to improve the safety of road intersections.
These initiatives represent powerful examples of how to advance Smart City solutions for cities across the world. Both the NYC Smart City Testbed Program and Columbia University’s CS3 initiatives reflect a commitment by New York’s public authorities and academia to actively test and implement technological solutions. By focusing on practical applications, these programs illustrate promising trends that focus on taking action in the quest for smarter cities. These pilot programs illustrate the potential of real-world testing in addressing urban challenges, enhancing sustainability, and improving quality of life.
Find out more at: https://testbed.cityofnewyork.us