Digitalisation & Physical Infrastructure

Digitalization of physical infrastructure is about connecting and streamlining the use of physical infrastructure in society, such as streets, lighting, electricity networks and water. Sensors can help to provide better control on different systems and provide the basis for decision making. The portfolio also includes leveraging the physical infrastructure, such as lighting infrastructure, for communication and powering sensors.

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Would you like to be part of the innovation portfolio where we work to understand what the changes mean for your research or your  business and at the same time gain access to groundbreaking technology, new knowledge and relevant test environments? Contact Anders Trana, anders.trana@futurebylund.se

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What?

Sensors, interconnected data sources and mobile data are shaping the foundation of the real-time society. In this new world, there is a need for interaction between the physical and digital infrastructure.

Why?

In Future by Lund, we work with solutions for the future society based on real-time information where people, organizations, infrastructure and sensor systems work together to create a sustainable environment.

Who?

Kraftringen, Lund Municipality, Ericsson, Smart Villages

Our projects in this portfolio

Pre-project to create a national test center for advanced applications to digital infrastructure

Future by Lund, Ericsson, Lund University and KTH in Stockholm have received approval for a pre-study project to investigate the possibilities of a national test centre for advanced applications to digital infrastructure. Both global players and smaller innovative companies are connected to the work. It is hoped that by the end of the year it will be possible to help create a national test centre to make Sweden a leader in advanced applications for digital infrastructure.

SOM II, sub-project: Finding parking spaces with sensors

In the autumn of 2020, a project was started in the parking house Färgaren in Lund, in which some of the parking spaces were connected using sensors. The sensors measured whether the parking space was vacant or not and then reported further. In the future, this could give those looking for parking real-time information about available parking spaces in apps or on websites.

FLOW, sub-project: LED lighting facilitates measurement with sensors

The municipality of Lund is working on replacing lighting with LED luminaires. The new technology significantly reduces environmental impact and energy consumption, but also provides completely new possibilities for connecting sensors. But how will it be done? What is good to measure and in which places is it best suited? It is hoped that the participants in the FLOW and LOSC projects will be able to investigate and test it in Veberöd.

ASIN: Smart solutions for public environments

The Smart Public Environments I (SOM I) project was a preliminary study of how to strengthen the ability of Lund and Malmö municipalities to use innovative IoT solutions to develop and streamline public environments. The goal was also to investigate how to create a testing arena for the Swedish IoT industry. The work of measuring flows of people and vehicles around Lund Central Station and personalised lighting at a nursing home in Malmö were used as two experiments, mainly in the tank, to prepare the organisations for the work with the new technology.

SOM II: Smart Public Environments

Imagine if the bin could tell you when it's full, if you could sit at home and see if the vegetables in the grow plot need watering, or if city planners could easily follow which paths cyclists prefer. This and much more was investigated in Smart Public Environments II (SOM II) through connected sensors in a free and open network in Lund and Malmö. The project aimed to find the benefits of new smart technologies in municipal operations and public environments and to implement innovative solutions to the challenges that exist. Another goal was to find opportunities to test entrepreneurs and companies' innovative solutions to public operations. Within the project, more than twenty sub-projects were carried out and a new agile project implementation model was tested with very good results.

FLOW brings new knowledge about connected traffic

In order to be able to plan, expand and manage society, data is needed, among other things, on which roads different road users choose. The same data, if it could be reported in real time, could make it easier for road users to choose the fastest route and provide the municipality with quick information on traffic problems. The FLOW project will explore how to collect data using sensor technology and then connect the data on a digital platform.

SOM II, Sub-project: Monitoring of charging points

On an unusually beautiful day in early October 2020, some of the participants in the SOM project met at Mårtenstorget in Lund to connect modules with radar sensors at two of the charging points for electric cars. With this, it is possible to determine remotely whether the parking space is occupied by a car parked without charging.

SOM II, sub-project: Electric power monitoring

Reduced downtime and fewer affected customers can result when the number of sensors in the power grid is increased. Through monitoring, Kraftringen can detect the fault more quickly and in this way the number of affected customers can be reduced and the error corrected faster than before. The way to monitor the grid was first tested through the SOM project.

SOM II, sub-project: Hidden sensors protect buildings

Sensors can measure a lot -- but can also monitor the safety of buildings. In schools, hospitals and shopping malls, there are usually a number of shell guards or burglar protectors that must always work and can therefore be monitored with sensors. An example is Högevall in Lund, where it is important to know that the roller shutters at the reception are always working - therefore there is year-round and round-the-clock surveillance.

SOM II, Sub-project: Critical Infrastructure

Cable cabinets are everywhere, yet we rarely notice them. Now that's the end of it — in Lund, doldisen has actually played the lead role in a sub-project dealing with sensors and smart technology. In the project, the cabinets were made important nodes in a new sensor network.

Intermediary actors wanted!

Future by Lund works in the gap between research, organisations and institutions, the public and private sectors, academia and business. Are you as an actor interested in working with us in the gap – get in touch!

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