A City That Recognises Your Voice? Huawei Presents New Smart City Platform
Huawei, one of the world’s largest companies in information and communications technology infrastructure and smart devices — including cell phones and tablets — has unveiled a new platform for smart cities powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The platform is comparable to a brain or a command centre. “Just like an operating system, the platform is compatible with different city sensors, creates a city digital twin, and supports diverse city applications”, said Ma Yue, VP of Huawei Enterprise Business Group. A smart city platform combines AI, IoT, Big Data, geographic information system, video, converged communications and more, and can be used for public safety, environmental protection, transportation, government services, education and agriculture.
Singapore, Dubai, Amsterdam and New York have already incorporated some of the above elements. “A smart city development race driven by the growing global digital economy is taking place around the world”, Huawei said in a statement. The company’s smart city solutions have been deployed in more than 160 cities in 40 countries, from Germany to South Africa.
Noting that the smart city adoption has already undergone three stages, including collection of mass volumes of city data, the company says that it is now at the fourth stage, “where cities are improving their management capabilities through AI-enabled data mining, achieving the integration of digital technologies and city governance to promote sustainable city development”.
Last month, Huawei announced its AI strategy and portfolio, and at the same time announced its smart city partnership with Tianjin Binhai New Area, designed with one centre, four platforms and additional innovative applications.
Imagine a city in which you are recognised simply based on the sound of your voice. That is the idea behind the Resident Voices program in Tianjin. Sensing the City, the second platform, uses image recognition for people, places and vehicles to foster security. The Resident Care city system is responsible for the coordination of appropriate personalized services for its citizens. Enterprise Services conduct a multi-dimensional and “correlation analysis to help clarify the internal relationships of industries to accurately provide service resources throughout the enterprise lifecycle,” according to Huawei.
A number of smart city projects implemented by Huawei have already proven to be successful. In the Longgang District, it set out to improve public safety by collecting, aggregating and converging data, and using innovating apps. Huawei deployed 7,000 HD cameras and connected 34,000 legacy cameras across shopping malls, parks, petrol stations and communities, used facial recognition for people and license plates, and equipped almost 7,500 officers with smart phones with specific apps for identity and vehicle checks, live camera feeds and the ability to issue summonses. As a result, theft and robbery decreased by 53%, and case solvency increased by 45% in the first half of 2017, as compared to 2016.
The race toward the most efficient smart city continues, with global players such as General Electric, Intel, Google and Microsoft in the running for inventing the technologies that solve traffic problems, improve infrastructure and services, and bring down crime rates. Regardless of which global company leads the race, it seems that citizens of smart cities are the beneficiaries.
Learn more on Asgardia.Space
