The Satellite Systems & Applications Network recently organised a daytime seminar on “Space systems, Services and Applications for Cities of the Future” to consider how space systems, services and applications could address the challenges likely to be faced by cities of the future’.
The main themes of the event were personal navigation and localisation, urban applications for the Internet of Things and autonomous personal transport vehicles.
A programme of speakers from ESA, Google, TRL, UK Government Office for Science – Future cities, Airbus Defence and Space amongst others, delivered an excellent series of presentations:
Here are some facts that popped up during the seminar:
- 3/5ths of 22-30 year olds in the UKs largest cities move to London – therefore how can cities influence graduate migration patterns?
- The next generation won’t know what it is to be lost in terms of navigation as technology will always be present
- The Zephyr 8 High Altitude Platform is 40% lighter, 305 more efficient than he 7 series and can fly for 3 months without intervention and is designed for year round operations.
- The Road Research Laboratory developed an autonomous vehicle in the 1960s equipped with radar/speed control units that could avoid obstacles
- The Meridan shuttle Trial 1 will cover a 2.2m/3.5km route.
- Cisco forecast that there will be 12bn internet connected devices worldwide by 2013 and 50bn by 2020
- An estimate 5.8m Sat M2M and SaT will be connected globally by 2023.
- Citizens want real-time reporting to help with Traffic Congestion, Air Quality, Weather forecasting
- By 2030 space will being Earth Observation Constellations such as Planet Labs, Spire etc, SatComs Constellations i.e. Inmarstat GX, ViaSat, HAPS and SatNav Constellations such as GPN, GLONASS
If you weren't able to come to Harwell for the seminar, then don't miss the opportunity to view the presentations from the event here on our IET.tv channel.