Sensor technology can help solve problems like traffic congestion, pollution and issues with parking and waste.

Mosley Street in the city centre – which was the first place in the UK to pioneer electric lighting – was connected with a range of digital sensors to collect relevant data, as will Neville Street.

The project was part of the 2018 Great Exhibition of the North and involved Cisco working alongside Newcastle City Council.

We’re only just starting to learn about the potential impact of new technologies, to connect better to each other and to the city we love.

Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council

It aimed to bring together data from a range of sources to help the city solve parking problems, ease congestion, identify and reduce sources of pollution and eliminate unnecessary street lighting.

Solving the problem

Newcastle City Council partnered with Cisco, Newcastle University, Connexin, Mayflower, and Quantela to deploy smart sensors coupled with Atlantis, an artificial intelligence engine.  

The sensors gave valuable insights on:  

• Parking space availability 
• Traffic congestion patterns 
• Air quality & causes of air pollution  
• Bin capacity and waste management
• Street lighting 
• Road surface quality and vehicle usage 

Key outcomes

The showcase provided provided valuable insights on different applications of IoT sensors and how data improve day-to-day living for the people of Newcastle.

It also showed how AI and the work of data scientists can help predict and take action before any damage or incidents happen.