Ways the Smart City of the Future Will Change Our Lives

The Internet of Things (IoT) is about to reconfigure the landscape of our modern towns and cities forever. The way we live, shop, work, travel and connect (with both things and people) is about to change dramatically. And we can expect some of the earliest technological changes by 2019, less than two years from now.

Smart cities of the future will be redesigned and reprogrammed to be fully connected to the internet. Streaming of data will be taking place between millions of devices, machines, cars and even entire A.I enable buildings that can respond to changing environments.

It’s been named the next Industrial Revolution and the rise of the IoT will affect everyone. From the homeowners to office workers, to students and citizens young and old. Here are 5 ways that the smart city of the future will change our lives.

#1. Connected Homes 

Smart homes are the future, bringing us connected devices that can make life so much more convenient and helping us run our homes more efficiently. Connected heating will ensure that we control energy usage, reducing our carbon footprint. Whilst connected security systems help to make our properties as safe as possible. And connected appliances will help us get things done quicker, with the lowest possible consumption of energy. Ultimately, the smart eco-friendly home will promote greener towns and cities.

#2. Zero Emission Flying Taxis 

Global taxi company, Uber, is in the process of preparing for the trials of on-demand flying cars in Dallas (USA)  and Dubai (UAE).

This infographic below reveals that the trials are due to begin in 2020, less than 3 years from now. With a view of rolling out to the public by 2023. These taxis will have zero emissions and will produce minimum noise, helping to tackle both carbon footprint and noise pollution in inner city spaces.

Urban transport will undergo some huge changes according to this infographic – which also tells you what technologies you can expect within your lifetime. Simply enter your age to see what other things will be happening in the next 10, 20, 30 or 40 years!

#3. Smart Roads  

In addition to the smart transport and drones mentioned in the infographic, another big change we can expect is the connectivity of roads and the streaming of data between traffic lights, streetlights and car park buildings. The Internet of Things will make our roads safer, eco-friendly and more efficient.

An example of this in action is the work being done at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute to create traffic light systems that can help blind people cross the street. The possibilities are endless…

#4. Living Buildings with In Built A.I

Imagine a building that could automatically adjust temperature settings to coordinate with the weather outside. One that could adjust lighting to your preference every time you enter a room. One that can talk to you and update you on key stats, or let you in and out of the building with voice activation.

This is the future of home, office and apartment buildings. The Urban Skyscraper Proposal for 2050 by ARUP means that this could be happening in less than 30 years’ time.