Tag: environment

India: Cochin International Airport chooses our noise monitoring system SARA

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India’s Champion of the Earth relies on Softech to monitor aircraft noise

With numerous international awards and recognitions obtained for its operational efficiency and green commitment, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has chosen to rely on our SARA environmental monitoring system to monitor noise emissions from aircraft.

Equipped with fixed and mobile control units and the most recent version of the analysis software, the SARA system will automatically and continuously collect the acoustic data coming from the monitoring terminals and then correlate them with the aeronautical activities (radar traces), and return the fingerprint to the soil acoustic impact, reports and indices required by current regulations.

The pre-installation Noise Mapping activity and post-installation professional services complete the supply.

A great result also possible thanks to the support of our local partner Structural Solutions Private Limited

The Indian Champion of the Earth

Cochin was the first airport in the world to be completely powered by solar energy: CIAL’s solar energy systems generate approximately two hundred thousand units of energy per day, while the airport’s daily energy consumption is 1.6 hundred thousand units.
For this entrepreneurial vision and pioneering commitment to demonstrating to the world that it is possible for large energy consumers such as an airport to transition to a sustainable utility model for their energy needs, the airport won the coveted award in 2018 “Champion of the Earth“, the highest environmental honor established by the United Nations.

IoT: the paradigma that makes world smarter

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With Internet of Things (IoT) we refer to the process of connecting physical objects of daily use to the Internet; potentially, each object can acquire its own identity in the digital world.

The idea behind the IoT is to make objects “intelligent” by interconnecting them, in order to exchange information owned, collected and / or processed.

A borderless paradigma

The Internet of Things is a paradigm that does not know, potentially, application boundaries: from cars that communicate with the road infrastructure to prevent accidents (smart mobility), to household appliances that coordinate to optimize the use of power ( smart home), to the production plants that exchange data with the products for the management of their life cycle, etc.

Each object can be made intelligent, that is, connected and communicating. By becoming “talking”, things allow us to inaugurate a horizon of new services capable of improving the quality of our life and our work. Everything becomes smart: more intelligent, more comfortable and more useful.

The starring in the IoT network

The undisputed protagonists of IoT systems are sensors, that is all those devices that allow to collect data that are then analyzed and processed in order to produce the knowledge necessary to react and make decisions. Decisions that can also be made by the objects themselves (eg: Smart Building).

There is a wide range of devices that can be inserted into an IoT network: from video cameras, to light detectors, to motion and proximity sensors to sound sensors, and so on.

The data collected by the sensors are aggregated by the gateway which, through the network, transmits them to other devices; in order to “talk”, the sensors must be connected.

The connection at the base of the IoT network

Traditional networks, which we normally rely on to obtain connectivity (Wi-Fi or 3G / 4G) bring with them various problems; to better understand, we report some wireless technologies in a graph, grouping them by range of action and bandwidth.

Cellular communications (such as 2G, 3G, 4G, indicated in the orange area) transfer medium to large amounts of data over a wide range of coverage; they are certainly suitable for outdoor use. For the purposes of the IoT network, however, the cost of the technology appears excessive.

The wireless technologies (in green) are also suitable for communications of medium to large amounts of data but within a range of a few meters, therefore ideal for indoors. They do not require a subscription and therefore have a reduced cost. However they do affect the battery life which should be changed too often.

LoRa, on the other hand, is a Low power wide area technology, which facilitates the development of networks in which nodes require “low mobility” and very limited data exchange, and are characterized by very low energy consumption.

LoRa becomes LoRaWAN when to the physical layer we add the MAC (Media Access Control) layer necessary to extend the communication to the internet.

What is LoRaWAN?

The LoRa Alliance describes LoRaWan as “a Low Power, Wide Area (LPWA) network protocol designed to wirelessly connect battery-powered ‘objects’ to the Internet in regional, national or global networks and addresses the key requirements of the Internet of Things (IoT) such as two-way communication, end-to-end security, mobility and location services. “. The LoRaWAN protocol is a Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN) communication protocol that runs on LoRa. The LoRaWAN specification is open so that anyone can set up and manage a LoRa network.

Main features:

  • Long range: allows a throw of up to 50 km.
  • Low battery consumption: LoRa technology allows to obtain a sensor battery life of over 10 years.
  • Bi-directional communication.
  • Geolocation: allows localization without the need for GPS.
  • Cost reduction: infrastructure, maintenance costs, the cost of sensors.
  • Interoperability: any LoRaWan sensor can be connected to an existing network.
  • Security: data is end-to-end encrypted.

Solutions by Softech

The IoT sensors developed by Softech communicate via the LoRaWAN protocol and are equipped with specific software for analyzing the data collected from a cognitive and / or predictive point of view.

In our portfolio of IoT solutions, systems dedicated to SMART CITY, thanks to which it is possible to detect data: on traffic, on the use of a certain service, on air quality, on vibrations and noises … but also data relating to the geolocation of infrastructures (such as parking for the disabled, charging stations for electric vehicles, etc.) or on the frequency of transit of means of transport or access to a digital platform, etc.

In particular, we have devised a SMART PARKING system that is particularly innovative because it is not intended for monitoring stalls, but aimed at facilitating control by the competent authorities and making the city areas safe.

Moreover

With the appropriate adjustments, the IoT can also be used for developments with a view to SMART BUILDING: and this is exactly what our SARA IoT system does, which allows you to monitor multiple factors (not only environmental ones) inside the airports, and to activate intelligent responses when certain thresholds are reached. The system can also be applied to contexts other than the airport, such as public offices and smart buildings.

Also on the motorway, with the same technology, we have created a system for SAFETY in parking areas which is characterized by reduced costs, ease of installation and the possibility of integration with sensors for other functions (click here to find out more).

Environment & building sites: perks of widespread monitoring

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Dismantling, transformation, construction: these are some of the activities that characterize the site. By their very nature they are dynamic activities, which produce polluting emissions of a sound but also atmospheric type and whose effects affect the surrounding environment and the so-called “receptors”.

The Consolidated Safety Act (Legislative Decree 81/08) provides that the employer assesses all the risks resulting from the exposure of the so-called recipients to physical agents, including noise and vibrations.

The permanent decrease in hearing capacity or hearing loss due to noise is the best known of the effects due to prolonged exposure over time to high noise levels and is still one of the most widespread occupational diseases today.

For this reason, art. 183 of the same decree, establishes that “Taking into account technical progress and the availability of measures to control the risk at source, the risks deriving from exposure to physical agents are eliminated at source or reduced to a minimum“.

However, noise is not the only danger for the exposed subjects; Among the atmospheric pollutants, PM 10 and PM 2.5 are certainly the best known in the construction sector. It is particulate matter, or particles of more or less fine dust generated by the processes which, dispersing in the air, create a mixture (“atmospheric aerosol”) with the liquid particles there suspended.

The most serious effects of prolonged exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 include respiratory disorders such as cough and phlegm, asthma, decreased lung capacity, decreased respiratory function and chronic bronchitis; to these are added effects on the cardiovascular system and even a greater risk of respiratory tract-cancers.

Defining and implementing an adequate monitoring plan is therefore essential to know the real environmental impact of work activities, but also (and above all) to ensure a safe working environment.

The benefits of widespread monitoring

In most construction sites, the environmental monitoring plan already provides for environmental monitoring to be conducted at specific points and with specific instruments, which allow for very precise but localized information.

With the aim of making safety procedures more efficient, a capillary monitoring network would be desirable. Knowing the situation of the entire construction site area and not just some areas of it, would allow greater safety, a better perception of the working environment, but also an efficiency of time and costs, reducing the risk of sanctions, costs health, suspension of activities.

Smart solutions are currently available on the market, They integrate the certified detection network with low-cost sensors, creating a more or less widespread network according to needs.

SOFTECH has a solution

In Softech, we have developed a cloud solution, specifically designed for construction sites; the indoor / outdoor monitoring network, which can be extended according to needs, is equipped with a consultation and analysis portal and a warning-threshold exceeding and reporting system.

Designed for non-technical personnel, it guarantees ease of use thanks to the simple and intuitive man / machine interface.

–> The “LIVE” module

it allows the real-time visualization of: 

  • Noise and Air Quality level
  • Weather condition graphs 
  • Detail of the monitoring stations with real-time graphs  
  • With an adequately equipped station, it is possible to listen to the noise measurements live 

It can take on the characteristics of an info sharing module with the client, employees and / or territorial stakeholders.

–> Analysis module

It allows a detailed analysis of the situation and can be used by specialized personnel in order to identify critical situations (even if only potential) to be monitored in detail and / or to activate timely and adequate countermeasures. Among the functions:

  • Time- History of noise / air and weather events 
  • Sonogram and frequency graphs  
  • Graphic analysis of environmental air quality parameters 
  • Average graphs 
  • Time-history of positioning and relocation of the control units 
–> Report & Alert module

Lastly, the system allows the setting of alert-thresholds exceeded and the automatic and personalized creation of detailed reports.

The reports can also be shared directly with the Contracting Authority or the control body in charge.

It is composed by: 

  • Standard and customizable reports creating tool
  • Report tabs: Events, Alarms, Calibration, Indices 
  • Tabular and calendar display
  • Data, reports and graphs can be exported in the most common formats (xlsx, PDF, PNG, etc.) 

The alert function, on the other hand, when predefined thresholds for the detected levels are exceeded (thresholds that can be defined during the configuration phase and in agreement with the Contracting Authority), sends alerts to the personnel in charge via SMS or email, allowing timely intervention.

So, what’s stopping you?

Download the brochure and email to marketing@softechweb.it  or sales@softechweb.it to require a free demo!

SMART PARKING: KEYDRIVER FOR SMART CITIES

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A smart city is an urban area in which, thanks to the use of digital technologies and more generally of technological innovation, it is possible to optimize and improve the infrastructures and services to citizens, making them more efficient.

According to a classification made by the University of Vienna, there are 6 factors that distinguish a smart city, that is:

  • Smart economy
  • Smart living
  • Smart environment
  • Smart mobility
  • Smart people
  • Smart governance

KEYWORD: CONNECTIVITY

The combination of smart city and connectivity will lead to a new frontier of mobility in which data-driven technologies will make the difference.

Technological innovation and, in particular, the Internet of Things (IoT) has opened the doors to countless possibilities; Sensor networks and Long Range technologies (LoRaWAN) are the basis of the smart revolution in every area of city management (think of smart lighting systems, smart metering, etc.).

But intelligence also means guaranteeing the inhabitants a more sustainable city and infrastructures capable of improving the quality of their life, which means greater attention to the environment, but also to mobility.

According to the EPA (European Parking Association), 30% of urban pollution depends on traffic due to the search for parking. Not only CO2 emissions are increasing but also the stress of motorists who are estimated to spend between 2.5 and 10 days a year looking for a parking space, with an average annual waste of diesel fuel of about € 310.

SMART PARKING is the solution

To cope with the situation, it is possible to use one of the many smart parking systems available on the market, some of which are also very complex and able to integrate with parking surveillance and payment systems, with a consequent financial commitment on the part of the buyer.

But the benefits are significant and can already be obtained with a low cost but technologically advanced system such as our Open Parking.

Born in collaboration with some municipal bodies, the project involves the installation on the stalls of special magnetic technology sensors, able to read the presence or absence of a vehicle on the stall and send the communication to a central platform using the low range network ( LoRa).

The information is provided to users in charge of control, but also to surveillance and to citizens who, through an app, will be able to easily identify free stalls and be guided along the route. They will also be able to report any dangerous conditions on the stall, infringements by other users or malfunction of the app.

The advantages deriving from the installation of Open Parking are even more relevant if related to the economic investment required: low consumption, low maintenance required, and long battery life mean that in addition to being smart, Open Parking is also a solution low cost.

Download the Brochure