Please identify and describe one technology that smart cities are adopting.
Digital literacy and smartphone penetration have improved the quality of smart cites in Southeast Asia. Basic technological infrastructures are in place with the opportunity to grow the framework with emerging technology. Intelligent traffic solutions are the technologies that are most pressing for Southeast Asia. This will improve the quality of life and gridlock traffic. If smart solutions are put into place, this will greatly alleviate a multitude of transportation problems that affect the region.
As we know Southeast Asian cities suffers from overpopulation and crippling traffic congestion. It is important that communities have access to work. A society should not fear being crushed by using public transit. In addition, owning a private vehicle can be a financial burden and lower quality of life. These vehicles also contribute to poor air pollution. The majority of these issues can be alleviated with four technological advances:
Traffic & Parking Optimization
Smooth traffic flow on the road
Intelligent synching of traffic signals
Smart parking apps
Public Traffic Optimization
Good public traffic alternatives
loT Sensors
Using data to better manage bus fleets
Digital ticketing for speed boarding
Use of the Whim app
New Transit Modes
Bikes Sharing/ Personal Mobility Devices/On-Demand Minibus Services/ E-hailing
Autonomous Vehicles
Drone Taxis
Enhanced Logistics
Central logistics hubs
Parcel load pooling
Cutting down delivery trucks on streets
Why do you think this transformation is taking place?
Populations want transparent, real-time information. I imagine these overpopulated commuters have a fear of getting to work on time; I would speculate that their commute is the dominant thought of their day. Missing a train or bus could cause the loss of a job, then the loss of income and possible displacement for individuals and their families. A Southeast Asian customer will take any opportunity to make their commute more safe, timely and cost-effective [Exhibit 1]. From a business standpoint, underserved communities are an opportunity to build businesses that serve these neighborhoods worth billions in revenue. As Kerry Quinn, says best in The Rise of Digital Disruption, “Technology drives scale, and scale drives profitability.”
The ability to move freely around a city not only affects its residents but can have a huge effect on tourism as well. Smart mobility can create up to $70 billion in more value for Southeast Asia. Tourists/ workers alike will be reducing energy consumption, GHG emissions and cutting time down.
From a consumer perspective, what are the risks of this transformation?
The biggest risk in this transition is the safety factor of digital mobility services. While Asia's homicide rate is the lowest in the world, with only 2.3 killings per 100,000 people, per year, there is still the issue of trust of getting in a vehicle with a civilian driver. It will be important that these drivers be vetted by the ride-sharing services that employ them, in addition to checking license plates for passengers entering these vehicles—all similar practices we have in the U.S. and abroad.
In the coming decade over $100 billion will be spent on autonomous cars but populations are far from sold on safety or the benefits of self-driving vehicles. There is still a deep distrust of technology and that “big brother” is always watching us. In an already overcrowded, congestion-heavy Southeast Asian countries, how will a passenger feel safe when there is no individual operating the vehicle? I imagine on a crowded street; it would be quite easy to hit a bystander since the vehicle cannot mimic human reflexes. What will the messaging be to inform this population about autonomous car safety? There are huge hurdles to cross with self-driving vehicles in the Internet 4.0 era.