GeoDatKlim - Preparation of an innovation lab - IoT and geo-AI-supported data management for the climate-neutral city

In general, it is assumed that digitization will be highly beneficial for climate protection as it is supposed to lead to significant savings in global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the key question – how these reductions will actually be achieved – still lacks a comprehensive answer. This is not surprising, given that a bundle of complex digital technologies – including the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – is subject to the professional discourse. The only thing that seems certain is that a deep understanding of the (ecological) value of sensor data and its evaluation with AI techniques is required. This also applies to the area of urban development. Up to this point, no "smart city" has yet developed a robust catalog of net-green urban AI applications with a significantly better CO2-footprint compared to conventional solutions. Consequently, the question of whether and how climate-relevant use cases can be implemented through a combination of IoT and AI was the starting point of this exploration.

Among these promising digital technologies are mobile mapping systems (MMS). Mobile mapping refers to the collection of geospatial data by a vehicle or a person, usually equipped with an array of GNSS, photo, radar, laser, LiDAR, or other remote sensing systems. The City of Vienna has already been mapping its entire public space since 2017. The collected data is already speeding up approval procedures for parklets and street festivals. Additionally, virtual inspections and surveys are now possible. The first mobile mapping campaign generated around 30 million information-rich images, which are used by a high variety of people coming from different backgrounds with the app "Kappazunder". This data forms one important fundamental for creating a digital replication of a city's public space.

Whether or not and to what extent this digitized public space is helpful with greening processes in daily city operations remains to be evaluated at the use case level. In the exploration, it was hence questioned how the generation of such sensor data (especially for large urban areas as Vienna) might further develop. For this purpose, the project team went through five methodological steps in three phases. In this manner participating experts evaluated the organizational framework and developed rough operational concepts for an innovation lab. Desktop research, benchmarking interviews, an internal idea competition and a technical workshop with strategic partners were used for reflection and consolidation. Based on good practices and existing innovation vehicles in Austria and abroad, key questions for the conception and operation of an innovation lab were first identified. In a next step, the focus was on idea generation and how ideas and raw use cases find their way into the future lab. An analysis of the potential value chain transpired before the first concepts for an AI pipeline were reflected, deepened and condensed into the current project proposal.

Previously, Vienna and others relied primarily on spotty vehicle-based mobile mapping. Then aircraft-based mobile mapping (aerial imagery) was added. Therefore, consensus was achieved that an open mobile mapping innovation lab for climate-neutral cities must be equipped with the newest vehicle-bound sensor technology (MMS) (applicable with urban fleet vehicles) as its technical infrastructure as more flexible, frequent and spatially focused data generation will pave the way to the implementation of numerous potentially climate-relevant use cases. Such mobile mapping data will enable a lab to digitally extract and analyze many objects in a city. For example, geoAI could well be used to precisely detect solar roof potential or window area proportions of building facades.

In the first instance, however, technical specifications for the hardware (MMS) and its use to generate high-quality MMS (input) data for Austrian municipalities need to be consolidated – the innovation lab´s first deliverable. In addition, (open) methods, procedures and APIs are indispensable. These are also expected to be developed in this future lab. The innovation lab will thus be concerned with the best possible way, quality and structure to produce such geo data. After its preparation and storage in line with scientific standards this new data may well be merged with existing data sets and analyzed with AI at much lesser preparation costs. In order to demonstrate that the specifications, standards and APIs also work in practice, at least one full-fledged AI model should be developed with reference to pre-defined innovative use cases - and disseminated as an open source system.

On the basis of this exploratory study, the project team ((UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH; Stadt Wien, MA01 Wien Digital; AIT Austrian Institute of Technology) and additional partners intend to participate in the call for proposals for an open, multidisciplinary innovation lab within the FFG-framework „Stadt der Zukunft" in October 2022. If successful, a mobile mapping innovation lab for climate neutral cities will start operations in 2024 for at least five years. Within this framework, numerous use cases in Vienna and beyond may well be evaluated for their technical, ecological and economic potential and, if promising, implemented.

Project management

Nikolaus Summer, UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH

Project or cooperation partners

• Michael Leitner-Hickisch, UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH
• Julia Sauskojus, UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH
• Christian Habernig, Stadt Wien, MA01 – PACE Team, Digital Innovation & Fast Lane
• Bernd Pinter, Stadt Wien, MA01 – PACE Team, Digital Innovation & Fast Lane
• Sandra Stuhlhofer, Stadt Wien, MA01 – PACE Team, Digital Innovation & Fast Lane
• Martin Traunmüller, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
• Hans-Martin Neumann, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
• Ghazal Etminan, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH
• Hannes Koller, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

UIV Urban Innovation Vienna GmbH
Operngasse 17-21, 6. Stock
A-1040 Vienna
Tel.: +43 (1) 4000 84260
E-mail: office@urbaninnovation.at
Web: www.urbaninnovation.at