Learning Outcomes
After taking this course, students will be able to outline and discuss the latest advances on digital measurement techniques in the broad field of critical urban infrastructure. These include water flow/pressure metering, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors for water and energy applications, simulation of virtual sensors and sensor networks architectures, and processing of sensor data.
The technical content on new digital technologies will be coupled with content on the relevance of smart sensing techniques for better monitoring and resilience of interconnected critical urban infrastructure (e.g., water networks, electricity grid, sensor networks). The students will learn what the current research challenges in the field of digital metering are, in different scientific settings.
Students will also be able to apply qualitative and quantitative techniques of systematically analysing, summarizing and presenting scientific data and articles. They will then be able to approach the practical implementation of solutions to currently relevant problems in the field of digitalisation of critical urban infrastructure in the “Smart City Hackathon”.
Content
The course content is divided into three thematic clusters:
1) Urban Context and associated opportunities and challenges
2) Conceptual and practical tools of innovation
3) Scientific communication and methodology
Across these three areas, the block course “Smart Sensing” deals with the area of sensors, data gathering and processing in different urban critical infrastructure sectors. Moreover, it will give fundamental knowledge about data harvesting and processing (e.g., with new digital sensors and IoT technologies). In this course, the digitalization of urban critical infrastructure will be analysed, with a particular focus on its sensor components and applications.
Assessment will include a presentation, the creation of a wiki page and an online quiz.
The course will be given in English.
Description of Teaching and Learning Methods
The course is taught in lectures, workshops and through group assignments or team project work. These will be held in both synchronous and asynchronous digital formats.
This course, together with the “Smart Cities” course is leading up to the “Smart City Hackathon” and takes a problem- and project-based learning approach where groups of students work on real-life urban challenges in partnership with external organisations (city stakeholders). Group assignments are organised as a research, design and/or development project, undertaken by student teams mentored jointly by academic staff and external organisation representatives (field mentors).
The courses are going to be fully virtual, while the hackathon will take place in presence as long as pandemic circumstances permit. Further instructions will be communicated to registered
students on how to get access to the online lectures and hackathon materials for the school.
The course will be conducted in two two-day intensive teaching sessions plus a digital pre- and post-processing part which includes team activities.
