Tech News Summary:
- MIT’s Senseable City Lab uses digital technologies to map city life in motion, providing data-driven maps that can be displayed as videos or still images to show changes over time.
- The lab’s mapping style puts new information in the hands of policymakers, residents, and activists to empower them to spot and highlight problems in their communities. Dynamic mapping also has a direct policy application by showing which urban areas may lack access to transport or need pollution monitoring.
- Dynamic mapping has the potential to reveal urban landscapes and truths that were not accessible before. However, while the technology produces data, only humans have the flexibility and judgment required for forward-looking policy-making. The Atlas of the Senseable City showcases the purpose and possibilities of mapping and its evolution over time.
MIT researchers have developed a new technology that can map the movement of people and vehicles in cities in real-time. The technology, called “Dynamic Pulse,” uses laser-based sensors to detect and track the motion of objects and generate detailed maps of traffic flows and pedestrian activity.
The Dynamic Pulse system consists of a network of sensors installed on buildings, streetlights, and other structures throughout a city. The sensors emit beams of laser light that bounce off objects, allowing the system to detect their movement and location. The data collected by the sensors is then processed by a central computer, which generates highly detailed maps of traffic and pedestrian patterns in real-time.
According to the MIT researchers, the Dynamic Pulse system has many potential applications for urban planning and management. For example, the system could be used to optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion and emissions, improve public transportation, and enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
The Dynamic Pulse technology has already been tested in several cities around the world, including Boston, Singapore, and Barcelona. In Boston, the system was used to monitor traffic flows around the city’s sports stadiums and help city officials develop strategies to reduce congestion on game days.
Overall, the Dynamic Pulse system represents a major advance in the field of urban planning and management. By providing real-time data on traffic and pedestrian activity, the system could help cities become more efficient, sustainable, and livable for residents and visitors alike.