Communication and “smart public space”: Opportunities, challenges and supporting IoT Technologies

Abstract

In this paper we examine communication and IoT technologies as key enablers for the “smart public space”, where communication in collaboration with IoT technologies can satisfy business needs and provide applications and services for improving essential aspects of the modern public space such as the levels of safety, accessibility and overall experience of its users. After studying the literature about the concepts of communication and public space, their characteristics and recent evolution, we investigate the concept of the “smart public space” along with the most important components and technologies of Ubiquitous Computing and the IoT ecosystem. Furthermore, we present a case study about the design and development (PoC) of a system of applications for the “smart public space”, based on computer vision and IoT technologies, and we demonstrate its features and how it can contribute to crowd management and the safety, accessibility and overall experience of public space users. The “smart public space” brings with it not only opportunities for people and communication, but also challenges, such as the need for availability, quality of service, privacy and new ways to design and manage communication and digital applications for sustainable and useful causes.