A new system of sensors distributed over the urban landscape may soon takeover running a city altogether. The system called Urban OS relies on a network of sensors placed across a metropolis to gain data and analyze it.
The Urban OS is capable of analyzing events to keep buildings, traffic and other utility services running smoothly. The sensors that the system uses were developed by McLaren Electronic Systems, the company that creates sensors for Formula One cars. McLaren partnered with Living PlanIT for the project.
The company claims that the network sensor-based system will make cities more efficient and environmentally sensitive. John Stenlake, chief technology officer at Living PlanIT, said that they were a technology company producing a software platform that enabled an ecosystem to deliver better results, such as more sustainable buildings and infrastructure.
Steve Lewis, the head of Living PlanIT said that if you were using an anatomy analogy, the city has a network like the nervous system, talking to a whole bunch of sensors gathering the data and causing actions. We distribute that nervous system into the parts of the body - the buildings, the streets and other things.