Nubsee on the perspective on cities: Integrating the smart network of AI powered urban mates in the city of Stuttgart

Leon Mobility
7 min readJan 14, 2021

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A modern smart city in night view

‘Smart cities today are not only about infusing new technologies into a cityscape but about carefully planning which tools are most scalable and provide maximum benefits for a liveable tomorrow. We promise them just that, the right tool.’

Previously, we talked about the target segments catered through our nubsee network i.e. digital out-of-the home advertising, urban micro-mobility and sustainability and access. Now with the launch of nubsee in the city of Stuttgart, we are ready more than ever to talk about the smart city perspective, a concept which is pivotal to our vision with sustainability as its cynosure.

Smart cities today are known to be based around the concept of ICT (information and communication technologies) using resources optimally through less wastage. They also emphasize intelligent transport systems, enhanced water supply and waste disposal services and more efficient ways to regulate energy. Not only that but an interactive and responsive city administration is equally important which ensures safer public spaces and meets the needs of all citizens.

This calls for the need for disruptive technologies which can tackle multiple city problems with smart and to-the-point scalable solutions. The key to a promising result is to be able to declutter the busy city spaces and improve the functions without huge physical intervention. Let’s elaborate how the nubsee network as an IoT device and urban city mate, can solve numerous problems of cities and positively redefine the existing infrastructure.

1. Introducing a sustainable solution to cities for smart living

It is estimated that two third of the population will shift to the cities by 2050 which puts a huge pressure on cities in terms of resource management. With exponential rise in the population and increased access to the numerous commodities, there is a danger to push the demand-supply balance off scale.

In this scenario, resource optimization seems to be the ‘elephant in the room’ everyone is concerned about. To tackle this, city dwellers all over the world are striving to maximize efficiency with technologies that add the best value to existing infrastructure. Building and maintaining a smart city can be a complex phenomenon but harmonized rules for different management systems (water, electricity, transport, waste management etc.) can lay the basic foundation as per international standards. With the first nubsees in the city of Stuttgart, our effort is to let everyone experience an overall progress in terms of infrastructure, traffic management, mobility empowerment, information and others, all striving towards a smart way of living.

Improving traffic management efficiency and flow analysis. To meet the growing conveyance needs of the urban population, the annual revenue is expected to increase to 3.2 billion euros by 2028, according to the Navigant Research estimates. Features such as smart street lighting and smart traffic controls can be a powerful advantage to the city. Our current plan as we start with Stuttgart is to deliver the live data via API to the city so it can regulate the traffic system.We provide data on a particular matter such as pollution, humidity, temperature, noise. This information can be used by the city to derive information on traffic and thereby regulate the traffic lights. One example of this would be of the city being able to extend the ‘red signal’ phases to balance the traffic and adjust the public transport tariff system (providing cheaper rail travel), or simply reduce maximum speed via digital traffic signals.

nubsee on the lamp posts — night view

Improving quality of life through better environment and health systems. The rapid growth of ICT has indeed helped new businesses to develop whilst reducing production costs and making products/services more accessible than ever. However, this has led to the society becoming more consumption oriented resulting in harmful impact on the environment. But it doesn’t seem too late to start introducing changes that would mitigate/prevent further damage.

This calls for smart technologies based on a mindset that believes in ‘less in more’ and that smart solutions can make already existing structures better. A nubsee station though small in size, can help to control environmental pollution by creating awareness on the updating air quality in a certain area. This will also guide people to avoid congested places or where the pollution is high enough to expose them to health concerns.

Enabling user interaction through the smart city IoT network. A smart city focuses on information networks which are up-to-date and help the citizens manage their plans and coordinate more smartly. Nubsee displays will be deployed overall (lampposts, bus/train stations, walls, etc.) as interactive furniture in the cities presenting information on day to day happenings, weather warnings, upcoming events, city attractions and town hall information etc. In future, citizens will also be able to use it in an interactive manner where they can choose the information they are looking for.

2. Simplifying urban mobility and smart advertising for all the cities

In the previous article [add link], we talked in detail about the targeted markets which put urban mobility and digital out of the home marketing into focus. Even so, it is imperative to mention that these are not just individual areas of interest but also vital to a smart city concept collectively, where the mobility challenges are solved, and individual needs are met through the right kind of offers.

Sustainable mobility as a long-term solution for smart city commute. Previously, the detrimental impact of traditional battery charging on the environment was discussed, which is why we proposed nubsee as an electric filling station that can minimize the pollution caused by electric vehicle carriers. In a smart city, mobility is one of the main areas which impacts citizens’ life and choices in terms of connectivity. Therefore, the main challenge faced by city dwellers is to ensure their citizens easy access while taking care of the socio-economic and environmental costs of the mobility structure.

We have started with charging Stella scooters in Stuttgart with great anticipation, as this is our first chance to facilitate micro-mobility. Here, we see nubsee as an important companion of mobility users and providers (such as MaaS, a paradigm redefining mobility) which simplifies the use of electric vehicles, thus enabling more people to use shift to environment-friendly means of commute. With an increase in population, it is sensible to abstain from the use of pollution causing vehicles and shift to the greener alternatives.

Providing top-notch integrated advertising solutions via smart city AI network. While digitalization has invaded major fields, the communication between brands and consumers is still mainly running on conventional modes of outdoor advertising. It is like using the expression of medieval ages all in all ignoring the modern-day use of visuals and semantics. This would no longer work in a smart city where smart systems are needed instead of bulky and boring billboards.

Ads are essential to the city concept as they work to inform and inspire people while making the urban atmosphere livelier and more vibrant. Our nubsee screens will illuminate the neighbourhood while providing most advanced digital signage which is programmatic, hyperlocal and measurable. It will inspire people through exclusive brand stories and equip them with smart choices about their lifestyles.

Nubsee on the city streets — day view

3. Solving budgetary problems and city cooperation program

Shifting to the smart city paradigm requires inculcation of ideas which might seem alien and risky as their funding can be tricky. A sane choice would be to opt for smart interventions that benefit both the city planners and the infrastructure and are workable in long-term. The foundation while developing the nubsee was laid on the fact that it is space-savvy, scalable and provides benefits to both the city and community.

Devising an inexpensive yet efficient solution that solves financial challenges. In addition to the above, we enable the cities to generate extra money by installing AI screens that can easily become a part of existing infrastructure. Cities would no longer need to invest in huge billboards or traditional ineffective posters which can help cut costs. Just an inclusion of compact nubsee smart screens all through the entire city would produce excellent results. To make it easier, we assist in complete hassle-free installation of the nubsees on the chosen site.

Furthermore, the nubsees can act as free charging stations and useful information panels having multiple functions that can replace many expensive screens/devices. It’s like a universal fit for so many city problems with no huge amounts of investment or space needed.

Enabling the businesses to participate in the city cooperation program. A number of social organizations and other businesses such as shop owners, hospitality people and factory sites etc. can lead the advancement in cities. For local businesses it is also their chance to market themselves through the nubsee screens by putting most relevant offers thus inviting better customers. At the same time, it will enable them to solve mobility concerns and other issues for the city. For now, we are in discussions with private companies in Stuttgart, who are ready to implement and benefit from the concept.

Conclusion

With the rapid permeation of so many technological solutions, it is now more complex for smart cities to be able to apply concepts which would really help in the long-term. Of course, the solutions will keep on emerging, but the challenge is to be able to decide if so much installation and other effort is needed or not.

By 2022, we expect around a fair number of nubsees to be active in Stuttgart, smartening various areas explained in this article. We ascertain that nubsee cannot just be seen only as an individual fix for charging, advertising or information but it is an amalgamation of multiple smart functions acting in a concerted manner. This is what smart is all about, like a tiny pebble causing a ripple effect, we believe that the nubsee network will lead to many long-term solutions and will keep evolving as the need emerges, all for the better quality of life.

Join us on our journey to smart cities with smarter concepts on our new webpage www.nubsee.io

Link to our LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/company/leon-mobility/

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Leon Mobility

Combining charging services for micromobility with digital outdoor advertising.