Poster Abstract: A LoRa-based Energy-Efficient Sensing System for Urban Computing

Public space architecture requires reliable data to optimize city resources and enhance their attractiveness. The feedback on acceptance of these changes by the population currently relies on subjective questionnaires or objective but cost-intensive observations, mobile data usage, or video surveillance, which does not preserve privacy. To collect data on public square utilization and usage anonymously for urban computing, this work presents a low-cost, low-power, and privacy-preserving sensing system based on low-power sensor nodes. It is capable of tracking the usage of public chairs in squares and parks by monitoring environmental noise, chair utilization, chair position, temperature, and humidity while keeping maintenance costs low. The final sensing system’s robust operation is proven by field tests at two public squares in a city, providing real-time measurements over a city-wide LoRaWAN network. The custom-developed sensor node consumes 33.65 mWh per day under worst-case conditions. Depending on the weather condition, the sensor can increase its overall battery lifetime by a minimum of 20 percent and can temporarily reach full self-sustainability which allows data collection over the time period of interest.