Engineering needs to watch this trend line - - making official data public could spur lots of innovation, especially in urban environments. A paragraph to ponder from the May 18, 2013 issue of The Economist (A New Goldmine):
On May 9th Barack Obama ordered that all data created or collected by America's federal government must be made free to the public, unless this would violate privacy, confidentiality or security. "Open and machine-readable", the president said, is "the new default for government information."
This is a big moment for Big Data and engineering. Experts are speculating that all private companies will utilize and profit from some form of public sector information. Look for engineers to excel at the art of synthesis (combining multiple sources and forms of public information) for improved analytics and better decision making.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
SmartSantander
A good example of a "Sensing City" is Santander, Spain. Some 12,000 sensors are currently tracking everything from traffic to noise. The future seems clear to civil engineering and municipal planners - - using real-time data in an effort to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our urban environments while reducing the stress of city life.
More informarion on SmartSantander at this link.
Compare Hospital Charges
Very interesting data at this site. Why the price for the same procedure varies by factors over 100% is amazing. The ultimate goal of the Era of Big Data - - getting old, inefficient and closed systems (such as our medical industry) to become more transparent, market driven, and open. One would hope that more useful information in the hands of consumers produces an environment of better market-based decision making.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
When Smart Meters Meet Dumb People
Step by step, device by device, we are moving toward a more programmable world in which we're surrounded by devices that capture data about how we live and what we do. Imagine the house in the Southwest where the sprinklers take orders from moisture sensors. Reducing lawn overwatering is smart and efficient. Or the house with an A/C system that is alerted to power up when you depart the office and head home. Energy conservation is smart and efficient. Imagine a business trip where the hotel room adjusts, the lights, stereo, and the window shade are not just controlled from a central station bu adjust to you preferences before you even walk in. A simple link from the world of senses to the physical is smart and efficient.
A sensored and programmable world is a smarter and more efficient world. The rise of the smartphone is a clear example of this. From maps to traffic apps, better real-time information clearly makes our lives smarter and more efficient. In a resource constrained world, especially in the areas of water and energy, being smarter is key to a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient future.
Smart metering of energy and water resources provides the backbone of smarter world. Taking a "dumb" water or electric metering and making it "smart" represents a future where the intelligence once locked in our meters and devices flows into the real world of everyday decision making. A key to smart and more efficient is greater real-time information from devices and meters that allows for more efficient and effective decision making.
Wanting to be smarter is never easy. The status quo and dumb are extremely powerful forces. The New York Times points this out today in an article by Chris Hooks - As Towns Say No, Signs of Rising Resistance to Smart Meters. A paragraph to ponder on the world of smart meters and dumb people:
"Critics have raised concerns about health and privacy. They say they fear the cumulative effect of the meters' radiation emissions. The Public Utility Commission [Texas] found no health risks in a 2012 study that blamed social media for spreading inaccurate information. Some critics have concerns about sovereignty; Texas, unlike other states, controls its own electricity interconnections."
A sensored and programmable world is a smarter and more efficient world. The rise of the smartphone is a clear example of this. From maps to traffic apps, better real-time information clearly makes our lives smarter and more efficient. In a resource constrained world, especially in the areas of water and energy, being smarter is key to a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient future.
Smart metering of energy and water resources provides the backbone of smarter world. Taking a "dumb" water or electric metering and making it "smart" represents a future where the intelligence once locked in our meters and devices flows into the real world of everyday decision making. A key to smart and more efficient is greater real-time information from devices and meters that allows for more efficient and effective decision making.
Wanting to be smarter is never easy. The status quo and dumb are extremely powerful forces. The New York Times points this out today in an article by Chris Hooks - As Towns Say No, Signs of Rising Resistance to Smart Meters. A paragraph to ponder on the world of smart meters and dumb people:
"Critics have raised concerns about health and privacy. They say they fear the cumulative effect of the meters' radiation emissions. The Public Utility Commission [Texas] found no health risks in a 2012 study that blamed social media for spreading inaccurate information. Some critics have concerns about sovereignty; Texas, unlike other states, controls its own electricity interconnections."
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