Summer in many cities invites to visit various selected tourist attractions. Especially those which are really characteristic in certain locations. Trenčín, a historic city in Slovakia, is known for its beautiful Vodnik fountain, a favorite among locals and tourists.
However, managing this iconic fountain, and particularly in a bad weather, has been challenging and costly.
In this article we will address:
- What are the challenges of traditional fountain management?
- How can we use IoT as an innovative management tool?
- What benefits does this technology bring?
- What solution we provide using IoT on LoRaWAN?
Challenges of Traditional Fountain Management
Any fountain should operate under favorable weather conditions to enhance the aesthetic appeal and ambiance of the area. Ideally operating conditions include:
- Desired temperatures
- Low wind speeds
- No heavy rainfall or thunderstorms
- Daytime hours when there is adequate light for visibility
On the other hand, a fountain should not operate during bad weather conditions and off-peak hours due to:
- Low temperatures (to prevent damage from ice or unnecessary operation)
- High wind speeds (to avoid water splashing out of the fountain)
- Heavy rainfall or storms (to conserve water and prevent malfunction)
- Nighttime to save energy and reduce maintenance costs
Traditionally, authorized city workers of Trenčín had to physically visit the fountain to manually turn it off and on when necessary. This process was time-consuming, leading to unnecessary water and energy consumption if workers were unavailable at the time.
The traditional method was inefficient, relying heavily on accurate weather forecasting and immediate human intervention.
IoT as an Innovative Management Tool
Internet of Things (IoT) can significantly enhance the management and automation of fountains by integrating smart sensors and controllers for:
- Real-time monitoring of weather conditions
- Automated responses with weather-based control
- Scheduled operation based on specific conditions
- Remote management using app with alerts
The Benefits of the IoT Technology
By leveraging IoT technology, the management of city fountains can achieve:
- Cost savings reducing water and energy consumption through efficient operation
- Resource efficiency minimizing the need for human intervention and on-site management
- Operational efficiency ensuring the fountain operates only under optimal conditions, enhancing its longevity and performance
In the end, this means that thanks to the implementation of smart solutions, the management of city fountains can become more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable, ensuring optimal operation while reducing resource consumption and manual labor.
Use case by Heliotics
The city of Trenčín leveraging our smart IoT solution powered by Helium LoRaWAN to automate and optimize the fountain operation management.
Project description
Who: the city of Trenčín, Slovakia
What: Remote control and automation of Vodnik fountain operation
Why: Excessive water and energy consumption, unnecessary costs, in-person human intervention required, increased environmental impact
Where: In the center of Štúr square in Trenčín city, Slovakia – near the Trenčín Synagogue
When: As soon as specific threshold parameters are reached due to adverse weather conditions and day time
Solution
Installation of smart weather station nearby the Vodnik fountain and smart controller connected to the main electric controller underground the fountain, powered by Helium LoRaWAN.
These two devices combine real-time monitoring of weather conditions and automated system for fountain operation management.
Weather station is monitoring specific weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, light intensity) which are key for desired fountain operation.
Operating with the data logger, communicating with the smart controller and integrated into the fountain management application Heliotics CORE, when reaching certain threshold variables (too low temperature, too fast wind, too much rainfall, specific day time/light intensity), the system automatically turns the fountain off/on in less than 10 seconds.
The system uses Heliotics algorithm to evaluate when specific conditions are fulfilled. This logic follows fixed ranges (green, yellow, red) for individual variables. Once a variable reaches the critical range (red), the system reacts by turning the fountain off. Until it gets back to the favorable range (green), it is not turned on again. This ensures the correct operation of the fountain only under favorable weather conditions.
When specific threshold values have been exceeded (alert triggered), the main fountain manager as well as other authorized workers receive a notification within seconds (email/SMS) and thus have an overview of the state of the fountain’s operation.
In case of other unexpected circumstances, it is also possible to turn off/on the fountain as needed remotely via the Heliotics CORE app from any device (PC, phone).
This is how the city of Trenčín is utilizing our end-to-end solution – Heliotics CORE app and IoT technology on LoRaWAN, making the entire process more efficient and faster thanks to remote management and operation automation.
Solution
Installation of smart weather station nearby the Vodnik fountain and smart controller connected to the main electric controller under the fountain, powered by Helium LoRaWAN.
These two devices combine real-time monitoring of weather conditions and automated system for fountain operation management.
Weather station is monitoring specific weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall, light intensity) which are key for desired fountain operation.
Operating with the data logger, communicating with the smart controller and integrated into the fountain management application Heliotics CORE, when reaching certain threshold variables (too low temperature, too fast wind, too much rainfall, specific day time/light intensity), the system automatically turns the fountain off/on in less than 10 seconds.
When specific threshold values have been exceeded (alert triggered), the main fountain manager as well as other authorized workers receive a notification within seconds (email/SMS) and thus have an overview of the state of the fountain’s operation.
In case of other unexpected circumstances, it is also possible to turn off/on the fountain as needed remotely via the Heliotics CORE app from any device (PC, phone).
This is how the city of Trenčín is utilizing our end-to-end solution – Heliotics CORE app and IoT technology on LoRaWAN, making the entire process more efficient and faster thanks to remote management and operation automation.
Specs:
Devices: SenseCAP S1000 V2 10-in-1 Compact Weather Sensor, SenseCAP S2100 Data Logger, Milesight UC300 Controller
App: Heliotics CORE
Alerts: yes (via SMS, email)
Network: Helium LoRaWAN
Scalability: Yes
Outcome: Remote management and automated operation
Heliotics App
Our Heliotics CORE app is an excellent choice for any LoRaWAN-enabled sensor and smart solutions like this.
With ready-made dashboards, we support numerous sensors (and constantly adding more).
The app runs on any platform (web, iOS, and Android).
Main features:
- data visualization
- charts, graphs
- data table
- options filter
- alerts – push or text message, email
- data export
Why is LoRaWAN the choice for Smart City applications?
Coverage, durable devices, penetration, and pricing are the easy answers.
When discussing smart city use cases like automated fountain operation management, we need to emphasize a few factors:
- Reliable devices which can handle harsh environments
- Maintenance-free devices – no need to go there every time to switch or restart
- Remote monitoring – from everywhere, even another state
- Network coverage – easily covered huge area with great signal penetration
- Costs – infrastructure, data, hardware
Start Smart with Us
If you would like additional information about this smart solution or any other possibilities using IoT technology, we would be open to any further conversations.
You can reach out to us at info@heliotics.com