FEATURE will incorporate a wide range of Edge sensors and devices , ranging from those required for driving , control and safety functions , alongside what might be termed as ‘ passenger interaction ’ technology – everything from entertainment to safety instructions , route and time details .
There will need to be a massive build out of Edge infrastructure across the road network . This will serve three main functions : traffic safety at the very local level , ensuring there are no crashes or accidents with other road users or pedestrians ; traffic management across specific zones , most notably in busy urban environments ; and regional or national strategic data collection , processing and reporting , to enable analysis of traffic trends and patterns , with a view to making improvements .
More widely , autonomous vehicles , transport systems and traffic management are a key component of the rapidly developing Smart City concept . Road pricing and travel ticketing tariffs both rely on Edge devices and infrastructure to respond to varying demand . Security and surveillance are key digital services within metropolitan areas and will increasingly rely on Edge-enabled real-time reporting to flag up potential issues more quickly and more accurately than human beings scanning multiple security screens .
And the same is true in the retail sector – although , as many shops are located in city locations , one could argue that smart retailing is almost a sub-sector of the Smart City . Point of Sale ( PoS ) payment systems have existed for many years , relying on both Edge devices and , increasingly , relatively local Edge data centres , to ensure the transaction speed and reliability , as well as efficient stock management . Customer loyalty programmes are another example of Edge technology already at work .
Smart transport , smart cities , smart retail – to this list can be added smart homes , smart healthcare , smart energy , almost every activity can benefit from the addition of some kind of intelligence and / or automation . Our daily domestic and working lives , which increasingly intersect www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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