Smart City vigilance
Case Study [Code: TC-B001] by Jorge Sanabria-Z
Twenty-one technological tipping points, which are expected to occur by 2025 and will shape our future, were outlined in a 2015 World Economic Forum report.
A global perspective of the impact of technology on society in the near future was provided by experts and professionals from the communication and technology sectors, in a survey conducted by the Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software & Society. The report, entitled Deep Shift Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact, outlines 21 tipping points that are likely to occur by 2025, and discusses the positive and negative impacts they may have on our society.
The dynamics of groundbreaking technological innovations are enabling an accelerated evolution of human interaction with objects, services, and environments, involving scenarios that were formerly only conceived of in science fiction. Nowadays, for example, it is possible to see driverless cars being tested on our streets, as well as the emergence of other futuristic devices such as autonomous drones.
Megatrends are closely related to digitization and can be found in various fields and contexts. A number of such developments are happening already underway or forecasted to take place in the near future. Adhesive manufacturing (3D printing) may soon be able to produce electronic devices, and will be further upgraded to 4D printing, utilizing materials that react to the environment; moreover, it is hoped that this technology will one day recreate human parts. Advanced robotics will improve machine-human collaboration, with adaptability functions enabling robotic response to the environment, and remote data access enabling interaction with other robots.
The ever-increasing reach of the Internet of Things (IoT) will enable communities to become more interconnected and develop their own prototyped solutions using sensors and other techno-creative accessories. The platforms of the on-demand economy (sharing economy) platforms are transforming the way we access and utilize products using our mobile devices, and many activities will be entirely reconceived in this context.
In The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Chapter 2 “Drivers”) Klaus Shwab performs a contextual analysis to better understand the megatrends related to the 21 tipping points, categorizing them in terms of the physical, digital and biological spheres.
Scenario 2025
Guadalajara, the second-largest city in Mexico, and recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as a Digital Creative City, is conceived as a meeting place and center for innovation and technologies, and is attracting an increasing number of tech-savvy developers and creators. It aims to eventually become a so-called Smart City, promoting the use of automated systems that will generate and analyze data to provide innovative ways for residents to experience the city.
Despite the numerous tourist attractions in and around the city, however, Guadalajara has been experiencing increased levels of societal insecurity, causing potential tourists to hesitate before visiting. As evidenced by the report of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), a number of chronic issues have been identified; among them, homicides, missing persons, and robbery.
Brief
As underlined by the World Economic Forum, the Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most promising technologies of the near future. It is believed that by increasing the number of portable devices connected to its urban network, a Smart City could access continual bottom-up reports that could be of great benefit in ensuring societal safety: a sort of collective intelligence composed of vigilant citizens. The government of Jalisco has hired you to develop such a wearable device, aimed at 18 to 23 y/o citizens of Guadalajara’s future as a Smart City, in order to foster trust and safety among the members of the community.
Your proposal will have to consider:
- the context presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution
- the 21 tipping points introduced by the WEF
- Guadalajara’s Digital Creative City vision
- the crime statistics cited by the OSAC report
Activity instructions
a) Become familiar with the context of the megatrends outlined in Chapter 2 (“Drivers”) of The 4th Industrial Revolution by Klaus Shwab (World Economic Forum).
b) Identify the positive and negative impacts of the 21 tipping points by reading the Deep Shift Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact.
c) Develop a conception of the 2025 Smart City scenario for the Digital Creative City of Guadalajara.
d) Answer the following six questions regarding the project.
1. To which of the 21 tipping points would you link your proposal, and why?
2. Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the INSPIRATION stage, and why?
3. Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the IDEATION stage, and why?
4. Which tools would you select from IDEO’s design kit for the IMPLEMENTATION stage, and why?
5. Describe your wearable device, including its functions and benefits according to Jalisco’s government demands.
6. What did you learn through this case study (personal and theoretical)?
The didactic materials presented here are meant for students of undergraduate or graduate school techno-creative programs, as part of basic immersion for the product or service design processes in future scenarios.
References
Gartner (7 July 2014). Gartner Says Worldwide Traditional PC, Tablet, Ultramobile, and Mobile Phone Shipments to Grow 4.2 Percent in 2014. http://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2791017.
Gobierno de Jalisco (2014). Digital Creative City, Guadalajara. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UDWfU_wDq0
IDEO (n. d.) Design kit. https://www.designkit.org/
Rodrigues, J., Segundo, D., Junqueira, H., Sabino, M., Prince, R., Muhtad, J., Albuquerque, V. (2018). Enabling Technologies for the Internet of Health Things. IEEE Access.
Schwab, Klaus (2015). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. World Economic Forum.
VIA (n.d.). It’s high-season for auto break-ins in Vancouver, here’s how to keep your possessions safe. https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/sponsored/auto-theft-downtown-vancouver-1947295
Wired (2018). What is the Internet of Things? WIRED explains. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/internet-of-things-what-is-explained-iot
World Economic Forum (2015). Deep Shift Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact. Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software & Society. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GAC15_Technological_Tipping_Points_report_2015.pdf
