MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- VIMOC Technologies, Inc. has won a contract to expand its deployment of sensors in Palo Alto to deliver urban intelligence to city planners and citizens. The services enable the city to measure pedestrian and bicycle flow throughout public spaces and provide real-time parking availability to relieve congestion and improve mobility. After VIMOC's successful pilot programs in Palo Alto, Los Gatos and recently engaging with Redwood City, other cities in Silicon Valley are turning to the company's innovative Landscape Computing platform for managing city resources and infrastructure.
Palo Alto's contract with VIMOC includes the installation of 45 sensors to count pedestrians and bicyclists. To ensure privacy, sensors do not collect images or any other personal information. Sophisticated algorithms can translate movement into data that is amorphous and yet predictive. Data is processed in the field and then moved to the cloud so that it can be accessed and used to identify trends and make decisions.
The sensors will be mounted on streetlights and traffic poles throughout the city, concentrating placement near major school corridors as part of the county's Safe Route to School program. The expansion also includes an additional 500 sensors that will be installed downtown to monitor parking availability and measure turnover rate in real-time.
Said Palo Alto Transportation Manager Jessica Sullivan, "The success of our pilot project proves the value of Landscape Computing and we are looking forward to the expansion of the sensor network so that we may deliver higher-value services to our citizens and the thousands of visitors we serve each day."
Redwood City's pilot contract with VIMOC includes utilization of the same innovative technology as the neighboring cities to manage their own growth. Redwood City will deploy over 180 sensors for parking availability by the end of 2015.
"This investment in next-generation smart city applications is about improving the quality of life for those living in Redwood City and the region. The network of sensors will help us improve traffic congestion in Downtown Redwood City. Our long-term goal is to give both city planners and citizens the power of information and knowledge to improve the way we work and live in our community. This is a powerful next step as we continue to improve how city services are managed," said Redwood City Assistant City Manager Aaron Aknin.
"Los Gatos, Palo Alto and Redwood City are pioneers in recognizing the value and power of urban intelligence in improving life for their citizens. By extending the network of sensors across the urban landscape, city managers are able to gain valuable insight and understanding of citizen mobility and resource use that will ultimately improve the way we plan for and design city infrastructure," said Tarik Hammadou, Co-founder and CEO of VIMOC Technologies.
VIMOC's platform is integrated with Houston-based Trafficware's web-based driver information system, allowing the public to view real-time traffic conditions, video feeds and obtain current traffic data using a web browser, smart phone or tablet.
The distributed computing platform extends cloud computing towards the edge of the network, offering high-scalability, security and cost-effective management of smart city services. Global IoT connectivity is only valuable if you can gather information and process it to deliver knowledge that can be used to make better decisions. By migrating intelligence closer to the edge of the network, the very environment we live, work and play in becomes the computer.
Said Hammadou, "Landscape Computing is about learning and contextual automation. If IoT is about connecting the world, Landscape Computing is about understanding it. Landscape Computing enables us to leap from the Internet of Things to the Understanding of Things."
The network is sensor-agnostic and its open API is available to application developers seeking to design and deploy mobile and cloud-based applications for smart cities, resource management and predictive analytics.
Rich Page, former Apple Executive, Co-founder of NeXT Computer and VIMOC Board Member remarked, "We believe that the expansion of sensors into our homes, towns and cities is inevitable. The Internet of Things is here. Now it's time to take that knowledge and do something with it. Landscape Computing is the next step."
API documentation can be found at http://www.vimoctechnologies.com/documentation.html
For more details, go to http://www.vimoctechnologies.com