Chicago installs "urban Fitbits" to track air quality, noise levels, and traffic

2016-08-29T13:39:00-04:00

The Windy City has begun installing what sounds and looks a whole lot like a Fitbit that can measure the vitals of a bustling metropolis. Chicago, which partnered on the project with researchers at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory and several corporations, last week installed the first two of 500 modular sensor boxes. The devices will eventually allow the city and public to instantly get block-by-block data on air quality, noise levels, as well as [...] traffic.

The project, the first such initiative in the country, is called 'the Array of Things'. Affixed to light poles, the devices are equipped with sensors that monitor air and surface temperature, carbon monoxide levels, ambient sound intensity, and barometric pressure, as well as other input. A total of 50 devices will be installed this year, with 450 more coming by 2018.

The data will be used to improve public health, traffic conditions, and guide infrastructure decisions. It will also be publicly available starting in mid-October. Like with most "smart" initiatives, privacy concerns have arose, particularly over the devices' capacity to take photos. Officials have stated that any photos taken will be deleted within "tens of minutes".

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Chicago installs "urban Fitbits" to track air quality, noise levels, and traffic