AURA project centers on the development of “Green & Smart Urban Furniture,” a new generation of urban furniture that transcends traditional roles by incorporating eco-friendly and intelligent features. These urban elements are designed with bioabsorbent vegetation capable of mitigating atmospheric pollutants, making them environmentally sustainable. Furthermore, they are outfitted with advanced IoT sensors that monitor a range of environmental parameters, including climate data, urban pollution, and vehicular traffic.
These smart urban furniture units not only establish an extensive urban monitoring network but also actively combat pollution through the sequestration and reduction of harmful substances via the integrated vegetation. The embedded IoT sensors provide innovative capabilities for tracking the impact of these elements on the surrounding urban environment, such as monitoring air pollution levels and assessing the effects of heat islands. Each furniture piece is equipped with a “smart box,” a hardware system constructed using low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. This system includes climate and environmental sensors, gas measurement devices, a processing unit, and a data transmission module. The accompanying software, developed from scratch, delivers localized information—such as CO2 sequestration, temperature, and humidity—and contributes to a comprehensive environmental monitoring network aimed at predictive analysis, including weather risks, heat wave alerts, and health risks associated with air pollution. The presentation will delve into the custom-developed software and its ability to meet the field-level requirements of the AURA Architecture, encompassing individual sensors, sensor nodes (smart-boxes within the furniture), and the broader network of these nodes. It will highlight the significant impact and benefits of utilizing free and open-source technologies throughout the development process. Key focus areas include the creation of drivers for individual sensors, with emphasis on the most representative examples, the development of software for sensor nodes—covering features like self-testing, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and MQTT communication—and the design of a dynamic web app for data presentation, leveraging JavaScript, Bootstrap, and a JSON Data Lake. This comprehensive approach underscores the importance of open technologies in accelerating innovation, ensuring flexibility, and delivering robust, scalable solutions for smart urban environments.
