Move over smart cities – the Internet of Things is off to the country

Bangor University is about to take the concept of smart cities out of town.  

The Internet of Things - which enables object-to-object communication over the internet and real time data monitoring - has typically been associated with urban environments and until now the countryside has been left out in the cold.

Working with computer scientist Professor Gordon Blair of Lancaster University, on a £171,495 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded research project, Professor Davey Jones and David Chadwick from Bangor University’s School of Environment, Natural Resources & Geography will be working in the Conwy valley to investigate how the Internet of Things could work in the countryside.

Problems from flooding and agricultural pollution to animal movements and drought could all potentially benefit from smart technology in the sticks.

The Internet of Things, which takes everyday objects and hooks them up to the internet, represents a shift in the way we gather and engage with information. Applying this booming technology to the countryside presents challenges – for example how to build a network when there are mountains and trees in the way – but researchers believe the benefits could be huge.

Sheep with digital collars, sensors on riverbanks, rainfall and river flow monitors could all soon form part of the project.

Others involved in the 18 month research project are the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and The British Geological Survey and Bangor University, the project launches on December 1 and will run for 18 months.

Publication date: 6 February 2015