What might life in a Smart City be like in the near future? An imagined day in a European city in a few years’ time…
7 a.m.
Breakfast. On the table, there are fresh tomatoes, cultivated on a “vertical farm” inside a decommissioned underground railway tunnel just three streets away.
7.50 a.m.
After you leave, the Smart Home detects that no-one‘s in. All unneeded power consumers are automatically turned off and the house temperature is lowered by two degrees, saving energy.
8 a.m.
On the way to work – in an electric car that has been charging overnight in the garage. The photovoltaic plant on the roof supplies the power.
8.30 a.m.
Thanks to detailed information on available parking outside the office, you waste no time searching for a spot.
8.35 a.m.
The video system recognises the employees’ faces and automatically lets them in – no hold-ups entering the building or clocking-in.
8.40 a.m.
In the office. With LED lighting closely attuned to the time of day and pollutant-free air, the “green” building provides an optimum working climate.
10 a.m.
Back at home, the washer-dryer starts up. The smart meter has been notified that the grid capacity is currently high, so the electricity tariff is low.
3.30 p.m.
Alert on your smartphone! The sensors in your parents’ house signal that someone has had a fall. A short time later comes the all-clear. The telemonitoring control centre has called the house and talked to someone, everything is OK.
4.30 p.m.
On the drive home from work, there’s an accident! As the navigation system automatically receives up-to-the-minute data from the traffic infrastructure and from other vehicles, you are able to promptly amend your route.
4.50 p.m.
You stop off at the doctor for a check-up. The electronic patient record tells him exactly what treatment the specialist has carried out and what medication has been prescribed.
7 p.m.
You had arranged to go for a run in the park, but the Air app indicates that the ozone levels there are currently too high. So you head a little farther out of town. The fitness tracker monitors your heart rate and uploads your data to the cloud, enabling you to keep track of your progress.
7.10 p.m.
On the way, you spot a broken slide in the children’s play area around the corner. You use an app to notify the council. And you get feedback straight away: the damage has already been reported, and the next day it is repaired.
8 p.m.
You have some official formalities to sort out. Thanks to your electronic ID, and access to the council’s online platform, you can do it all at home.
8.30 p.m.
You quickly throw your rubbish sack down the vacuum chute. The waste gets separated at the collection centre.
9 p.m.
You head off for a beer in town – first on foot, then on an electric bus and finally by tram. All the transport modes are precisely coordinated. An app displays all scheduled departures in real time.
11.30 p.m.
You prefer to walk the last stretch home. Smart street lamps not only light up more brightly as you pass by, they also illuminate the stretch up ahead as you walk.
12:00 p.M.
Goodnight!