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	<title>Technologies Archives - Sustainable Avenue</title>
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	<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/category/technologies/</link>
	<description>Helping make cities greener, better</description>
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		<title>These Lego-like beams could revolutionize construction</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/these-lego-like-beams-could-revolutionize-construction/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Apr 2023 18:23:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[3D Printing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000945</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Made from plastic, they weigh up to 80% less than concrete or metallic beams, meaning that no heavy cranes or lorries are needed to carry and install them...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/these-lego-like-beams-could-revolutionize-construction/">These Lego-like beams could revolutionize construction</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One story from March 2021 caught our eye. It talks about researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) who have come up with and patented a new system for manufacturing beams that aims to revolutionize the architecture, construction and civil engineering sectors. These beams are manufactured with 3D-printed plastic pieces and can be assembled as if they were pieces of Lego, adding a high-performance layer of concrete in the most compressed area.</p>
<p>According to its creators, there are several advantages to its beams. For starters, they weigh up to 80% less than concrete or metallic beams, which means that no heavy cranes or lorries are needed to carry and install them. Also, they save time and money on labor and materials, and they can be printed and assembled &#8220;in situ&#8221; &#8212; which facilitates their installation anywhere, regardless of how difficult it is to reach. Like that&#8217;s not enough, recycled plastics are used as the raw material, giving a new life to this product and thus helping move towards more sustainable construction.</p>
<p>The development of these innovative beams is the result of almost three years of research. &#8220;Our goal was to propose an alternative to the current reinforced concrete beams. These are made using profiles built for the length of the piece, which requires the expensive installation and are hard to transport,&#8221; says José Ramón Albiol, lecturer at the Higher Technical School of Construction Engineering (ETSIE) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.</p>
<p>Following numerous hours of tests and trials, the combination of 3D printing, plastics and concrete provide optimum results.</p>
<p>The main novelty here is in the polymeric profile of the beam, which is composed of multiple longitudinal segments that can be assembled and concreted where you wish to install the structure. The beam is reinforced with elements that ensure the structure&#8217;s rigidity and which have no metallic component.</p>
<p>&#8220;This prevents corrosion, decreases the weight and simplifies the work time required,&#8221; adds Xavier Mas, from the Institute for Heritage Restoration (IRP) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia.</p>
<p>The system also removes the need for costly formwork and bending, making it possible to work without having to stop traffic at the infrastructure that is being worked on.</p>
<p>Plus, the internal (alveolar) structure of the polymeric profiles makes it possible to decrease the amount of plastic used &#8212; and therefore its weight &#8212; while maintaining structural rigidity.</p>
<p>This alveolar structure was inspired by human bones around the epiphysis, where there is a layer of cancellous bone with a trabecular disposition &#8212; the alveolar structure &#8212; and a thicker external layer of compact bone. &#8220;This is what we have transferred to these revolutionary beams, specifically to their profiles. It is a very intelligent natural system and its reproduction in these beams awards them, with the low structural weight, very high mechanical capabilities,&#8221; adds José Ramón Albiol.</p>
<p>3D printing makes it possible to manufacture customized pieces very near the area of implementation, which also simplifies transportation, saves costs and facilitates customization. &#8220;To be able to customize the beams in situ makes it possible to adapt the characteristics of each of them to the structural needs at each point of construction. The possibility to recycle polymeric materials to produce the beams significantly decreases their carbon footprint,&#8221; concludes Miguel Sánchez, from the Department of Systems and Computer Science (DISCA) of the UPV.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/these-lego-like-beams-could-revolutionize-construction/">These Lego-like beams could revolutionize construction</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>An AI-enabled robotic boat that collects marine plastic waste in rivers</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/an-ai-enabled-robotic-boat-that-collects-marine-plastic-waste-in-rivers/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Apr 2023 19:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waste Management]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000939</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The device can be remotely controlled or operated autonomously, using a LiDAR to avoid obstacles...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/an-ai-enabled-robotic-boat-that-collects-marine-plastic-waste-in-rivers/">An AI-enabled robotic boat that collects marine plastic waste in rivers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the key environmental concerns is the millions of tons of plastic waste that end up in our waters every year. A Hong Kong-based startup, Open Ocean Engineering, has developed a technology that could help solve this problem. That technology comes in the form of Clearbot Neo, an AI-enabled robotic boat that autonomously collects tons of floating garbage that otherwise would wash into the Pacific from the territory&#8217;s busy harbor.</p>
<p>Just three meters long, Clearbot Neo uses a solar battery-powered electric motor to systematically skim the surface and scoops up floating trash, all while relying on AI tech to recognize and log the types of waste it collects and where.</p>
<p>This ingenious machine is designed by computer engineers Sidhant Gupta and Utkarsh Goel; the duo got the inspiration from a trip to the Indonesian vacation island of Bali, where they witnessed local workers take out small boats to remove waste from the waters manually. Soon afterward, they developed a basic aluminum prototype in Bali, followed by a fiberglass version. Then the team collaborated with a gaming hardware brand Razer to redesign its intelligent robots, equipping them with the right tools.</p>
<p>Clearbot Neo can be remotely controlled or operated autonomously, using a LiDAR to avoid obstacles. Its battery provides enough juice to keep it working for up to 4 hours, while its collection capacity is 200 kg (about 440 lb).</p>
<p>Once the floating trash is detected, the robot will scoop it up to feed its onboard conveyor belt, fitted near the bow between its dual hulls and into a holding bin near its stern.</p>
<p>According to the company, the Clearbot can bring in as much as a metric ton of waste per day for recycling or disposal. When fitted with a bespoke boom, it can also tackle localized oil and fuel spills by collecting up to 15 liters of pollutants a day.</p>
<p>Beyond trash, the boat also collects a ton of data using a two-camera detection system. One camera surveys the water&#8217;s surface so the bot can identify rubbish and avoid marine life, navigational hazards, and other vessels, while the second one photographs each piece of plastic waste that makes its way onto the conveyor. These images are tagged with a GPS location and saved to the company&#8217;s database hosted on Microsoft&#8217;s Azure platform for subsequent analysis.</p>
<p>Initial data analysis has found that only 20% to 40% of the marine plastic recovered in Hong Kong cleanup operations can go on to be recycled. Such information, together with variables like sea current and tide information, could help environmentalists and marine authorities to identify the sources of the trash.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re finding out how the trash ends up in the water in the first place,&#8221; says Clearbot Neo&#8217;s co-creator Sidhant Gupta. &#8220;It adds a lot of transparency to the process of marine cleanup. We generate data about what&#8217;s actually in the water, what&#8217;s the make-up of the stuff that&#8217;s there, how much of it is recyclable, and what materials we should be focusing on.&#8221;</p>
<p>These days, Clearbot Neo creators are scaling up and are looking to have fleets of Clearbot Neos cleaning up and protecting waters around the globe.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/an-ai-enabled-robotic-boat-that-collects-marine-plastic-waste-in-rivers/">An AI-enabled robotic boat that collects marine plastic waste in rivers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>This AI chat tool helps municipalities craft budget books</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-ai-chat-tool-helps-municipalities-craft-budget-books/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Mar 2023 10:45:59 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000928</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The time-saving tool can even create the text narratives that accompany spending changes...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-ai-chat-tool-helps-municipalities-craft-budget-books/">This AI chat tool helps municipalities craft budget books</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Massachusetts-based GovTech vendor ClearGov launched an AI-based tool that helps local governments more easily craft their budgets. Called FirstDraft, it can help with number crunching while also producing the narratives around those numbers, potentially saving hours and hours of administrative work.</p>
<p>The best part is that the tool comes included with ClearGov&#8217;s platform, though the company&#8217;s CEO, Chris Bullock, said they &#8220;reserve the right&#8221; to charge for it in the future.</p>
<p>ClearGov has nearly 1,000 clients for which it can tap into past data and current figures to come up with future estimates.</p>
<p>&#8220;ClearGov&#8217;s FirstDraft feature uses advanced AI to generate an initial pass at several key sections of an agency&#8217;s budget book based on data that is fed automatically by the ClearGov budget cycle management platform,&#8221; Bullock said. &#8220;It is well-suited for fact-based content, such as explaining financial trends and changes. And, with a good starting point, Finance Directors or Budget Managers can quickly and easily edit the content to provide finer and more qualitative details in a fraction of the time it would have otherwise taken.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to Bullock, the training data used by FirstDraft so far spans three years, adding that ongoing feedback from clients could eventually lead to more years of data being included.</p>
<p>The included narratives can come in especially handy, as they put figures into context to help sell the budget to elected officials and citizens. This part, Bullock claims, is where AI gets a chance to shine.</p>
<p>&#8220;ChatGPT is great at writing a history of a city,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Municipalities participating in the beta testing of FirstDraft reported saving up to 25 percent of the time, or up to hundreds of hours.</p>
<p>Of course, tools like these are not meant to replace human input in budgeting or to put software in charge of how taxpayer money is spent. Instead, they are designed to make the process more efficient, especially when building a first draft of the budget.</p>
<p>That said, we should expect more AI participation in local and state governments.</p>
<p>&#8220;I believe this is the biggest tech innovation since the Internet,&#8221; Bullock said about AI in general.</p>
<p>ClearGov is a venture-backed firm that has raised $25.2M from investors, including RiverPark Ventures, LaunchCapital, Gutbrain Ventures, Frontier Growth, Hub Angels Investment Group, and Kepha Partners.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-ai-chat-tool-helps-municipalities-craft-budget-books/">This AI chat tool helps municipalities craft budget books</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>A platform made to help prevent catastrophic wildfires</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-platform-made-to-help-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Mar 2023 19:53:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000926</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The solution uses AI and brings paper-based land management systems into the cloud...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-platform-made-to-help-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires/">A platform made to help prevent catastrophic wildfires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With climate change, wildfires are becoming a big problem in many communities. To tackle this problem, in September 2021 &#8211; the company called Vibrant Planet launched Land Tender, an app that brings paper-based land management systems into the cloud. The system also provides land managers with the integrated, dynamic, high-resolution data and modeling they need to make more agile and informed decisions.</p>
<p>In other words, the tool &#8212; which is basically a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) for forest management &#8212; enables land managers to plan, prioritize, and execute fire prevention and forest health projects in months rather than years &#8212; including thinning hazardous timber, clearing fuels from roadsides, and conducting prescribed burns.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are facing concurrent, intertwined climate, wildfire, biodiversity, water, and health crises that cross jurisdictions and affect each and every one of us. Our future depends on how quickly we adapt, cooperate, and take action. With Land Tender, we can harness the best science, technology, and data to protect and restore forests and mitigate risk, quickly and at scale,&#8221; said Vibrant Planet CEO and Land Tender&#8217;s founder Allison Wolff, an early leader at Netflix and advisor to eBay, Google, Facebook, Drawdown, Conservation International, and other organizations on vision, strategy, culture change, and user-experience design over the past two decades.</p>
<p>Land Tender kicked off with a partnership with the Tahoe Fund, a nonprofit, and the California Tahoe Conservancy &#8212; helping land managers and owners, fire districts, scientists, local NGOs, and other stakeholders update Lake Tahoe&#8217;s community wildfire protection and forest health plan for the entirety of the lake&#8217;s 500-square-mile watershed basin. Simultaneously, a second partnership with the Truckee River Watershed Council created a comprehensive fire management plan for Lake Tahoe&#8217;s outlet, the Middle Truckee River Watershed, which serves as the main water source for the City of Reno and the Paiute Tribe in Northern Nevada.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Caldor Fire made it into the Lake Tahoe Basin, and we narrowly averted catastrophe, in part because of proactive fire prevention and forest health projects,&#8221; Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry said at the time of the Land Tender announcement. &#8220;Land Tender is a unique tool that can help communities like ours dramatically speed up the timeline of critical forest management projects &#8212; some of which have previously taken up to 10 years to plan and execute. This is exactly the type of project we started our &#8216;Smartest Forest Fund&#8217; to help accomplish.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the last few years, we were witnessing intense, destructive, and costly wildfires driven by unnaturally dense forests, expanded development in fire-prone areas, and climate change &#8212; which has dried out vegetation, extended the fire season, and led to pest outbreaks that have killed millions of trees across the western U.S. In 2020 in California alone, wildfires resulted in the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>$3-4 trillion in ecosystem benefit losses at today&#8217;s market valuation, including carbon emissions and loss of carbon sequestration, water quality, recreation, and wood products;</li>
<li>$63 billion in public health impacts;</li>
<li>$2.3 billion in fire suppression costs; and</li>
<li>20 years of lost profitability for the insurance industry due to structural damage and loss.</li>
</ul>
<p>Even as these cross-jurisdictional fire threats and costs escalate, land management planning and practices have remained largely the same &#8212; siloed, paper-based, and slow &#8212; with projects often taking up to 10 years to plan and execute. As governments and land managers scramble to adapt, Land Tender is a solid option to help catalyze a swift shift to proactive, technology-driven land management, backed by the best data and science, to reduce wildfire risks, restore watersheds, and protect habitat and biodiversity.</p>
<p>With Land Tender, parties across jurisdictions can collaborate and rapidly assess the current resilience of, and risk to, landscapes and communities, create and compare treatment scenarios at any scale, and make informed, ready-to-implement decisions in near real-time. This planning is done by utilizing high-resolution, three-dimensional datasets &#8212; including satellite imagery and aerial Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology &#8212; coupled with best-in-class infrastructure data to identify key inputs such as homes and utility infrastructure. Remote sensing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence also enable land managers to continuously monitor project progress, shift priorities and resources based on evolving conditions and threats, and gain insights on effective land management techniques to build community and wildland resilience.</p>
<p>Land Tender was designed with significant input from land managers, emergency responders, scientists, NGOs, and local and regional policy and decision-makers and built by a team of seasoned technology, ecology, and forest management leaders. It was first piloted in 2019 in collaboration with the North Yuba Forest Partnership to help bolster the resilience of a 275,000-acre, fire-prone watershed that serves as a key tributary to the Sacramento River Delta. The project, financed by Blue Forest&#8217;s Forest Resilience Bond, helped multiple landowners and collaborators assess current conditions and risks, define forest health and community protection objectives, and develop science- and data-informed treatment plans that the Yuba Water Agency and other funders could support.</p>
<p>Land Tender will generate a continuous pipeline of forest health and wildfire mitigation projects across the western U.S., supporting the development of a workforce of thousands to safeguard communities and restore western landscapes.</p>
<p>Vibrant Planet was started with $8 million in initial venture capital and philanthropic support from investors such as Earthshot Ventures, Facebook&#8217;s chief product officer Chris Cox, Netflix&#8217;s former chief product officer Neil Hunt, Elemental Excelerator, The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Halogen Ventures, and several private family foundations.</p>
<p>In June 2022, the company raised a $17 million seed round, adding more investors to the mix &#8212; including Ecosystem Integrity Fund (round lead), Valia Ventures, Cisco Foundation, and Day One Ventures, among others.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-platform-made-to-help-prevent-catastrophic-wildfires/">A platform made to help prevent catastrophic wildfires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>A solution helps cities deploy public Wi-Fi and cameras for traffic analytics and public safety</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-solution-helps-cities-deploy-public-wi-fi-and-cameras-for-traffic-analytics-and-public-safety/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2023 10:11:57 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000915</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It comes in the form of a smart Wi-Fi 6 Access Point that is meant to be plugged into a photocell socket in 30 seconds and deliver Internet and data in minutes</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-solution-helps-cities-deploy-public-wi-fi-and-cameras-for-traffic-analytics-and-public-safety/">A solution helps cities deploy public Wi-Fi and cameras for traffic analytics and public safety</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ubicquia is a company worth following if you&#8217;re in the smart cities sector; it is dedicated to making intelligent infrastructure platforms that are simple to deploy and monitor.</p>
<p>In July 2022, the company <a href="https://www.ubicquia.com/news/ubicquia-launches-ubihub-easiest-way-cities-deploy-public-wi-fi-public-safety-traffic-analytics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> <strong>UbiHub AP6</strong>, a triband Wi-Fi 6 Access Point that enables communities to enable public Wi-Fi. The platform integrates PoE, making it easy to support third-party equipment such as cameras and license plate readers. Also, at that time, they unveiled the <strong>UbiHub AP/AI</strong>, which adds dual 4K cameras, directional microphones, and a neural AI processor to the mix. The last mentioned is meant for street analytics and 15 days of video storage.</p>
<p>Both UbiHub solutions are compatible with more than 360 million streetlights worldwide and can be installed in seconds plugging into the existing streetlight photocell socket.</p>
<p>The idea to integrate multiple functions into one easy-to-install platform is sound, and according to Northeast Group &#8211; this approach reduces the total cost of ownership by 42% when compared to conventional multi-vendor solutions.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our UbiHub is the &#8216;Swiss Army Knife&#8217; of intelligent infrastructure for cities and utilities,&#8221; Ian Aaron, CEO of Ubicquia, said in a press release. &#8220;Whether you need to scale the deployment of cameras and license plate readers across multiple vendors or simply expand broadband in commercial areas and parks, UniHub is the only multi-function product in the market that installs in seconds and delivers data in minutes.&#8221;</p>
<p>UniHub platforms enable cities and law enforcement to cost-effectively scale and transform their existing streetlight infrastructure into a network of connected digital assets. Specifically, the solutions can help:</p>
<ul>
<li>Enable faster, evidence-based crime detection, investigation, and deterrence;</li>
<li>Reduce traffic congestion, improve pedestrian safety and increase bicycle lane utilization;</li>
<li>Expand city broadband deployments in commercial areas and parks.</li>
</ul>
<p>Like other Ubicquia products, UniHub is managed and monitored with UbiVu, Ubicquia&#8217;s cloud visualization and analytics management system. In addition, UbiVu supports APIs that integrate with leading third-party video management systems, evidence clearance platforms, and police real-time crime centers.</p>
<p>The City of West Hollywood in California is among municipalities that have deployed UniHub, and are now collecting all kinds of data for their future planning development needs. Another client is the County of Hawai&#8217;i, which is using the solution to enable equitable internet access and close the digital divide throughout Hawai&#8217;i Island, and so has the City of Ontario, which deployed 12,500 UbiCells for smart lighting analytics and energy savings.</p>
<p>With more than 360 million street lights globally, these vertical assets are increasingly viewed by cities as critical enablers for new smart city applications, according to Ben Gardner, President of market intelligence firm Northeast Group. &#8220;Starting with well proven energy and cost savings derived from intelligent lighting controls, new solutions are now evolving to boost public safety, broadband access and the automation of municipal functions,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Aside from UniHub, Ubicquia also has other products in its portfolio, including UbiCell, which enables smart streetlight control; UbiMetro, a streetlight small cell that accelerates 4G and 5G network deployments; and UbiSmart AQM+, a sensor that monitors a city&#8217;s air quality index, noise levels, and environmental data.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-solution-helps-cities-deploy-public-wi-fi-and-cameras-for-traffic-analytics-and-public-safety/">A solution helps cities deploy public Wi-Fi and cameras for traffic analytics and public safety</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>This city uses IoT to detect open windows and clogged gutters</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-city-uses-iot-to-detect-open-windows-and-clogged-gutters/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Feb 2023 11:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet of Things]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sweden]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000906</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Battery-powered sensors are placed in select places and connected to the city's network to provide timely information</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-city-uses-iot-to-detect-open-windows-and-clogged-gutters/">This city uses IoT to detect open windows and clogged gutters</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Swedish city of Helsingborg uses Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to keep municipal properties secure and in good repair.</p>
<p>Two pilot projects have been launched &#8211; one to detect clogged gutters and another one to service flag windows that have accidentally been left open.</p>
<p>The &#8220;windows part&#8221; is relying on battery-powered sensors and is connected to the city&#8217;s network. This allows the staff to see which windows are open online and on mobile devices &#8212; meaning they don&#8217;t need to manually check them at the end of each day.</p>
<p>As a result, the city minimizes the costs of reporting and monitoring from alarm companies, according to Thomas Huldt, business developer and IoT product owner in the City of Helsingborg&#8217;s digitization department.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the city also saves energy and staff time and helps to prevent vandalism.</p>
<p>In total, it is estimated that 11 schools that are a part of the program are saving around SEK 300,000 ($29,000) per year.</p>
<p>As for the project focused on gutters, it is meant to prevent clogging that can, over time, lead to moisture-damaged facades, which is very costly.</p>
<p>The problem is that it could be difficult to detect problems with gutters as they often sit high up on buildings.</p>
<p>And so a pilot project has been set up, involving three schools, to address this issue. Leakage sensors in the gutters will warn of blockages to minimize inspections and long-term damage.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will test whether we can digitally keep track of our gutters and thus more quickly fix them if necessary before the façade and building are damaged,&#8221; said Daniel Edenström, administrative manager in the property management team.</p>
<p>Like that&#8217;s not enough, there is also a Helsingborg IoT service that alerts city staff when football fields need to be watered, saving them time and reducing water usage.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s something every municipality could learn from their Swedish colleagues, don&#8217;t you agree?</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-city-uses-iot-to-detect-open-windows-and-clogged-gutters/">This city uses IoT to detect open windows and clogged gutters</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>This first public project for wireless charging of EVs starts in Germany</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-first-public-project-for-wireless-charging-of-evs-starts-in-germany/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 2023 09:42:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Roads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000899</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It's a small project, but it has the potential to make big changes across Europe and beyond</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-first-public-project-for-wireless-charging-of-evs-starts-in-germany/">This first public project for wireless charging of EVs starts in Germany</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In mid-December 2022, Electreon &#8212; which provides wireless and in-road wireless electric vehicle (EV) charging technology &#8212; <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221215005176/en/Germany%E2%80%99s-First-Public-Project-for-Wireless-Charging-of-Electric-Vehicles-Has-Started" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it would be deploying its technology in the first-ever public wireless road project in Germany. This project will power a public electric bus.</p>
<p>In collaboration with German provider of EV charging infrastructure EnBW, Electreon will be deploying 1 km of Electric Road System (ERS) along a stretch of road, as well as two static charging stations &#8212; which are determined based on the bus route and where the bus stops during its operational schedule.</p>
<p>The technology will be deployed in the city of Balingen in two phases. In the first phase, a 400-meter-long route with two static charging stations will be deployed. In the second phase, the electric road will be expanded by another 600 meters. The project will charge an electric bus en route to the city.</p>
<p>This project comes on the heels of a successful pilot of Electreon&#8217;s technology in the city of Karlsruhe, again in partnership with EnBW. For that pilot, an electrified road was installed at the EnBW training center &#8212; powering a local public bus at peak hours. As part of the agreement for this latest project in Balingen, Electreon will receive up to €3.2 million to deploy the dynamic and static wireless charging infrastructure.</p>
<p>&#8220;The project in Balingen shows how innovatively and consistently we are promoting e-mobility in Germany. We have a holistic approach and want to make wireless charging technically fit for German public transport. This also includes convincing authorities, energy network operators, bus operators, and the general public of the opportunities,&#8221; said tDr. Maximilian Arnold, who is overseeing the project at the EnBW research division. &#8220;As a leading provider and innovation driver in the field of charging infrastructure, we are pleased to be part of this promising project with partners such as Electreon, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The aim of this project is not only to open up wireless charging to the public in Germany,&#8221; added Dr. Andreas Wendt, CEO of Electreon Germany GmbH. &#8220;Other significant aspects include the development and use of a tool that will assist public transportation planners in where to install the inductive infrastructure for a specific town or region. We have already shown in our joint Karlsruhe project with EnBW how effective, safe, and easy to deploy wireless dynamic charging is. We hope this is the start of many more projects on public and private roads in Germany.&#8221;</p>
<p>Electreon Germany GmbH is a subsidiary of Israel-based Electreon Wireless, which award-winning inductive technology dynamically (while in motion) and statically (while stopped) charges EVs quickly and safely, eliminating range anxiety, lowering total costs of EV ownership, and reducing battery capacity needs. The company works with cities and fleet operators on charging as a service (CaaS) platform that enables cost-effective electrification of public, commercial, and autonomous fleets for smooth and continuous operation.</p>
<p>Previously, we <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/smart-road-technology-can-charge-electric-vehicles-as-they-travel/">discussed</a> Electreon&#8217;s smart road technology being tested in Sweden.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-first-public-project-for-wireless-charging-of-evs-starts-in-germany/">This first public project for wireless charging of EVs starts in Germany</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>A pilot project allows city residents to control their street lighting</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-pilot-project-allows-city-residents-to-control-their-street-lighting/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Dec 2022 15:35:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Germany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000891</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The idea is not only inclusive but also helps save money and protects the climate...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-pilot-project-allows-city-residents-to-control-their-street-lighting/">A pilot project allows city residents to control their street lighting</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We have recently caught a cool idea coming from Germany that allows citizens to literally be involved in how their city works. Well, at least a part of it.</p>
<p>The pilot project involves a smartphone app using which citizens can control the city&#8217;s street lighting, like brightening the lights in a dark storm or dimming them when the days get longer. This isn&#8217;t only cool in a gimmicky way but could also reduce the city&#8217;s energy consumption.</p>
<p>The story comes from Bad Hersfeld, the 30,000-population spa town in Germany that has teamed up with [ui!] Urban Lighting Innovations &#8212; which constructs and modernizes street lighting systems for smart cities. Other project supporters include Microsoft, Deutsche Bank, and the Berlin Institute of Technology.</p>
<p>The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) and works even without interference from residents, relying on sensors to collect data on traffic, ambient light and weather conditions to adapt the lighting accordingly. For example, lights are dimmed on empty streets, causing less light pollution.</p>
<p>These are all energy-efficient LED lights that have a much longer lifespan than normal streetlights and, with this adaptive use of dimming and brightening, can actually save a city like Bad Hersfeld up to 90% of its energy consumption while significantly reducing its carbon footprint.</p>
<p>This is fairly important because cities are major sources of CO2 emissions, consuming 78% of the world&#8217;s energy and producing more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions. Street lighting accounts for the largest energy costs in a public budget of many cities &#8212; in European cities, up to 50%.</p>
<p>&#8220;Cities need individual, decentralized solutions for street lighting if they want to move to a more sustainable model,&#8221; explained Lutz Heuser, [ui!] CEO. &#8220;Light in public spaces should be energy-efficient, safe for traffic, and it should meet climate protection goals but also the needs of citizens. It can be a challenging proposition, but it&#8217;s one we set out to meet with Smart-City-as-a-Service.&#8221;</p>
<p>The project has been awarded the Smart 50 Award by the US-based Smart City organization, and Bad Hersfeld is the only German city &#8212; and one out of only two European cities &#8212; to receive the award this year. Heuser believes that if every city in Germany followed Bad Hersfeld&#8217;s lead, the country could achieve the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2050 net-zero target. &#8220;It has been proven and it works,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>In phase two of the project, the citizens of Bad Hersfeld are taking control of their street lighting. Using a mobile app, they can dim lights that, for example, reflect off wet streets, causing a safety hazard, or shine directly into bedrooms.</p>
<p>Finally, to make this sort of smart lighting available to more cities throughout Europe and elsewhere, [ui!] created the light-as-a-service model. This means that a city can pay for lighting annually for the term of the contract without paying a hefty fee upfront.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/a-pilot-project-allows-city-residents-to-control-their-street-lighting/">A pilot project allows city residents to control their street lighting</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>New technology promises to reduce potholes</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/new-technology-promises-to-reduce-potholes/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Dec 2022 08:34:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000870</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It uses a machine-learning technique that applies the so-called Goldilocks principle to road compaction quality.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/new-technology-promises-to-reduce-potholes/">New technology promises to reduce potholes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After every period of heavy rains, let alone floods, we yet again see that road quality matters &#8212; with poor construction leading to potholes and road subsidence. This can cause tire blowouts and structural damage to cars and trucks, as well as increase the chance of serious accidents.</p>
<p>To tackle this problem, researchers from the University of Technology Sydney have developed new &#8220;intelligent compaction&#8221; technology, which can be integrated into a road roller to assess in real-time the quality of road base compaction. As a result, it can reduce potholes and maintenance costs, leading to safer and more resilient roads.</p>
<p>Said technology uses an innovative machine-learning technique to process data from a sensor attached to a construction roller. The study was led by Associate Professor Behzad Fatahi, head of geotechnical and transport engineering, together with Professor Hadi Kahbbaz, Dr Di Wu, and Ph.D. student Zhengheng Xu.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have developed an advanced computer model that incorporates machine learning and big data from construction sites to predict the stiffness of compacted soil with a high degree of accuracy in a fraction of a second, so roller operators can make adjustments,&#8221; said Associate Professor Fatahi.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, roads are made up of three or more layers, which are rolled and compacted. The subgrade layer is usually soil, followed by natural materials like crushed rock and then asphalt or concrete on top. The variable nature of soil and moisture conditions can result in under or over-compacted material.</p>
<p>The adopted machine learning method incorporating Gaussian Kernel and Generalised Gegenbauer Kernel functions can reasonably predict the double-layered soil modulus during roller compaction. Researchers conducted additional analyses to observe the proper training size and number of iterations to achieve real-time quality control to be used by site engineers.</p>
<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-100000872 size-full" src="https://sustainableavenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/roller.jpg" alt="New technology promises to reduce potholes" width="825" height="615" srcset="https://sustainableavenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/roller.jpg 825w, https://sustainableavenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/roller-300x224.jpg 300w, https://sustainableavenue.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/roller-768x573.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px" /></p>
<p>&#8220;Like Goldilocks, the compaction needs to be &#8216;just right&#8217; to provide the correct structural integrity and strength. Over-compaction can break down the material and change its composition, and under-compaction can lead to uneven settlement,&#8221; added Associate Professor Fatahi. &#8220;A well-compacted multi-layer road base provides a stable foundation and increases the capacity of a road to bear heavy loads. Trucks can weigh up to 40 tonnes, so a poor quality base can quickly lead to cracks and weak spots in the asphalt surface.&#8221;</p>
<p>Researchers have published their paper in the peer-reviewed journal Engineering Structures, suggesting the application of this technology could help build longer-lasting roads that can better withstand severe weather conditions.</p>
<p>Now, the team is looking to test the technology onsite for various ground and roller conditions for road, railway and dam construction projects. Also, they want to explore techniques to measure the density and moisture content of the compacted soil in real time during construction.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/new-technology-promises-to-reduce-potholes/">New technology promises to reduce potholes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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		<title>This company&#8217;s tech aims to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities</title>
		<link>https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-companys-tech-aims-to-reduce-pedestrian-and-cyclist-fatalities/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[dusan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:40:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://sustainableavenue.com/?post_type=project&#038;p=100000854</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The solution uses real-time AI analytics to predict danger and save lives...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-companys-tech-aims-to-reduce-pedestrian-and-cyclist-fatalities/">This company&#8217;s tech aims to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic fatalities are at a 16-year high, with nearly 43,000 roadway fatalities in 2021 &#8212; which has increased by 10.5% from 2020. In addition, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are up 13% and 5%, respectively, compared to 2020.</p>
<p>Derq, an award-winning MIT spin-off, is looking to address burning needs in pedestrian and cyclist safety with a novel, AI-based solution. It has already been <a href="https://en.derq.com/press-coverage/derq-demonstrates-industry-leading-ai-solution-to-tackle-spike-in-pedestrian-and-cyclist-fatalities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrated</a> in Florida during the first half of 2022 &#8212; in collaboration with Control Technologies, Danlaw, and CēVē.</p>
<p>At that time, Derq showed its ability to prevent collisions between drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists using a variety of approaches &#8212; including connected vehicle messages, flashing pedestrian signs, actuating traffic signals, and smartphone alerts. The solution also reports advanced safety insights, helping agencies better understand and improve road safety performance.</p>
<p>Derq&#8217;s real-time perception and connectivity AI platform ingests and aggregates data from various sources, such as traffic cameras, signal controllers, connected vehicles, smartphone apps, and other cloud-based services.</p>
<p>&#8220;Over the years, we&#8217;ve partnered with various leading ITS technology providers across the US and have deployed thousands of intelligent sensor-based solutions,&#8221; said Pete Ganci, VP at Control Technologies, &#8220;the Derq AI Platform is the only one on the market that we have seen capable of powering a fully integrated pedestrian and cyclist safety solution on the market, allowing vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists to communicate with each other and the infrastructure, while also delivering real-time adaptive traffic management and reporting advanced safety analytics, such as pedestrian compliance issues and near-miss reporting.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Derq solution is able to detect, track, and predict the intent of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles as they approach crossings in real time through its AI-powered computer vision algorithms. By fusing this detection data with data ingested from traffic signal controllers, connected car messages (C-V2X), and smartphone apps &#8211; it can generate real-time alerts and set off decisions to protect pedestrians and cyclists from hazardous conflicts with vehicles.</p>
<p>&#8220;Driver, pedestrian, and cyclist safety are paramount to everything we do,&#8221; said Karl Jeanbart, COO of Derq. &#8220;Our proven third-party-tested solution can be deployed immediately to alert drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists about potential hazards in their environment, avoid collisions, and save lives.&#8221;</p>
<p>During the mentioned demonstration in Florida, several use cases were highlighted, including:</p>
<ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 15px;">Placing a call within a traffic signal controller to activate the desired pedestrian phase by utilizing the data generated from the fusion of passive pedestrian detection and a smartphone app.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 15px;">Activating flashing pedestrian signs (such as RRFBs) at mid-clock crossings for an approaching pedestrian by utilizing the data generated from the fusion of passive pedestrian detection and a smartphone app.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 15px;">Alerting approaching vehicles both audibly and visually of pedestrian or cyclist presence based upon a potential conflict prediction made possible by the broadcasting of C-V2X messages such as Basic Safety Messages (BSM) and Personal Safety Messages (PSM) generated by the fusion of passive pedestrian detection and a smartphone app.</li>
<li>Alerting pedestrians and cyclists using a smartphone app at crossings of approaching vehicles based upon a potential conflict prediction made possible by the fusion of advanced vehicle detection and C-V2X messages (BSMs) broadcasted by the vehicle.</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition, the platform also generated an array of real-time safety and traffic insights, such as the detection of traffic violations, pedestrian compliance issues, and road-user conflict (near-miss) data &#8212; providing up-to-date, granular data to enable the analysis of safety issues.</p>
<p>For the demonstration, Danlaw provided its RouteLink C-V2X Roadside Unit and AutoLink C-V2X Onboard Unit for this demonstration; while CēVē chipped in with iOS and Android apps that connect drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to transportation infrastructure. Ultra Engineering and Precision Contracting Services (PCS) also supported the technology team during the demonstration.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com/project/this-companys-tech-aims-to-reduce-pedestrian-and-cyclist-fatalities/">This company&#8217;s tech aims to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities</a> appeared first on <a href="https://sustainableavenue.com">Sustainable Avenue</a>.</p>
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