Mobile Sensors and Cities

Mobile Sensors and Cities are continuing to evolve. IBM developed a crowdsource app, CreekWatch, for citizens to collaborate on “watching” their urban infrastructure. The Accessible Way geo-localizes photos for the user. A development of an easy to use app can provide help with city areas such as curbs, sidewalks and more.

“That’s all it takes to play your part in helping conserve and protect your local water resources,” said Christine Robson, an IBM computer scientist who helped develop Creek Watch. “No expertise or training is required. This is an exercise in crowdsourcing, where every individual is encouraged to become a citizen scientist and get engaged with their environment.”

“One of the best ways you can use Creek Watch is to make it part of your routine,” Robson said. “If you regularly walk, jog or bike by a creek or stream, for instance, make a point of providing a regular report from the same spot each week. This way, you can keep the data fresh and note changes in the waterway.”

IBM Accessible Way App for Android allows the user to participate to make their community more accessible and inclusive. The AccessibleWay app allows users to report the accessibility of their cities, constructing a crowdsourced knowledge base about the urban mobility challenges. The project goal is to identify accessibility needs aggregating the reports uploaded to the system, providing the information to institutions that help people with disabilities.

Business Architecture becoming a chosen framework for organizations aiming to meet successful business-IT alignment and convergence challenges. According to IBM, business architecture approaches that rely solely on frameworks, guidelines or high-level content lack the ability to effectively drive innovation and business results. Many organizations are adopting improved and smarter technology to achieve greater flexibility.