Ilmenau - Smart City: The city of Ilmenau provides its citizens with a wide range of data to make their everyday lives more convenient. The city is working hand in hand with the University and the IMMS Institut für Mikroelektronik- und Mechatronik-Systeme gemeinnützige GmbH (IMMS GmbH) to achieve this. Real-time data is collected based on preliminary work in the ThurAI (Thuringian Artificial Intelligence) project funded by the Free State of Thuringia: Information on the utilization of the indoor swimming pool, the monitoring of street lighting and the recording of fine dust pollution. Now the cooperation is continuing - and citizens are benefiting from new projects.
The three-year cooperation between the city, TU Ilmenau and IMMS in the project was extremely successful, as various useful applications are now part of everyday life for Ilmenau's citizens. The city set the goals for the Smart City sub-projects, while TU Ilmenau and IMMS were responsible for the research and technical implementation of the ideas.
Recording the number of visitors to the indoor swimming pool and ice rink in real time - always informed about current capacity utilization
Even before they visit the indoor swimming pool in Ilmenau, guests can find out how full it is at any given time and make a spontaneous decision. This makes it possible to record the number of visitors in real time - one of the first successful project results. Since this season, guests at the adjacent ice rink have also been recorded using technology similar to that used in the indoor swimming pool. People are counted at the entrance using the turnstiles, which are fitted with sensors, and the constantly updated visitor numbers are passed on to citizens in real time via digital displays.
Sensors monitor streetlights - for virtually uninterrupted street lighting
In the Jesuborn district of Ilmenau, part of the street lighting is monitored by brightness sensors to detect possible defects. The sensors transmit their measurement data via a special transmission method designed for long ranges to a gateway on site and from this interface to a central computer, which evaluates the data.
The technology developed in the project is to the mutual benefit of the city and the residents: informed live, so to speak, about a defective street lamp, the city can replace the lamps as quickly as possible - without having to make the otherwise necessary regular inspection trips to the district. And the residents benefit from the almost constantly functioning street lighting through increased safety, especially in the darker months of the year.
Continuous monitoring of particulate matter levels - for a healthy urban climate
Sensors at various locations in three districts of Ilmenau continuously measure particulate matter levels and collect weather data. The measurement data, which is collected by a sensor system developed at IMMS, is then processed graphically and made available to citizens on the Internet. This means that residents and, above all, visitors to Frauenwald, Manebach and Stützerbach are always informed as to whether the particulate matter concentrations are within the normal range. Our predicatized towns in particular advertise above-average air quality, which is now available for everyone to see.
Cooperation between the city - TU Ilmenau - IMMS - for the benefit of Ilmenau's citizens
The three partners have continued their cooperation even after the end of the project. For example, they merge the data from the various sources into a central data platform developed at TU Ilmenau: "SensBee" is open-source software, i.e. a computer program whose source code is publicly accessible. The SensBee data, which has also been graphically processed by the TU Ilmenau using open source tools, can be freely accessed by all citizens on the city's website www.ilmenau.de/smartcity.
Measuring the water level of the Ilm - for early flood precautions
A new feature on the Smartcity website is the water level at the inlet of the Ilm. In addition to the current water level, the hourly and daily progression is also displayed here, i.e. the rising or falling water level. The water levels provided in real time are equally valuable information for citizens and for the Ilmenau water authority: both can take early precautions against the threat of flooding in the event of an emergency. And for a long-term evaluation of the Ilm water level, a monthly overview is available in retrospect.
Utilization reached? Visual sensor system detects free parking spaces in parking lots
Finding a free parking space quickly is a blessing for every driver in the city. A visual sensor system is currently automatically recording the capacity of a test parking space at the Ernst Abbe Center on the TU Ilmenau campus and making the data available via its own SensBee data platform. This allows the utilization of the parking lot to be displayed in real time at different times of the day. After successful testing, this or similar systems can be rolled out to other parking lots to indicate free spaces in real time.
Ilmenau's Lord Mayor Daniel Schultheiß is certain that the Smart City cooperation with TU Ilmenau and IMMS will improve the quality of life of Ilmenau's citizens:
"With the support of the University and IMMS GmbH, we are increasingly using digital technologies in Ilmenau to create small but very practical added value for our citizens. While the concept of the smart city was still abstract at the beginning, we are gradually filling it with life in our region and can thus also gradually expand our services as an administration with many small steps."
Contact
Prof. Kai-Uwe Sattler
President
+49 3677 69-5001
praesident@tu-ilmenau.de
