Chicago introducing new smart technology into the city

Chicago faces a huge problem when any new construction involves digging within the city. Chicago was incorporated in 1837 and many records of the network of underground pipes is hopelessly outdated.

Construction crews often find something unexpected and have to phone the city which then sends out a specialist who ascertains if the pipe is still being used. This can often cause significant delays in construction. The problems are so prevalent that the city even has an Office of Underground Coordination to pour over old maps in an attempt to find out what is underground before a crew digs.

The city is now using new technology to create a digital blueprint of Chicago's underground network of sewer, water, electricity, gas, and other services delivered by about 30 different companies. The construction manager will be able to access the data through his or her phone. This effort along with others is being done through a public-private partnership UI Labs (University industry). According to its website the partnership is designed to "address problems too big for any one organization to solve on its own". The company will create a 3D map of Chicago's underground infrastructure. It was started last October. UI labs is using a program Cityzenith that has already been used in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and even San Francisco in the US. When completed the digital map could replace the outdated paper maps.

The city is also using technology to map where rodents are likely to be so they can be controlled before complaints start to pour in. It uses reports on where garbage is overflowing, where there are planned sewer repairs and other happenings that are likely to increase the number of rodents. The effort to collect more data on rodent infestation started several years back. Chicago also put tracking devices on all its snowplows so that citizens will know where snowplows are. The city also has GPS in every bus that provides the city not only with information about the arrival time of buses but also allows the city to estimate where there will be traffic congestion.

Chicago is also to introduce free wifi described as follows: "The new internet kiosks coming soon to downtown Chicago will be way bigger than the iPad-sized screens dotting New York — they'll be 55-inch touchscreens, the project's developer says. As part of a AT&T Smart Cities pilot in Chicago, Civiq Smartscapes will install five interactive Civiq Waypoint touchscreen kiosks on Michigan Avenue and in other locations downtown." While the kiosks will provide free Wi-Fi, the screens will also provide information about attractions, activities, and points of interest. Some analysts have criticized the system as discussed in this article. George Burciaga who is managing director of global development at Civiq Smartscapes said: "It's geared to instigate citizen engagement. We're providing a device that connects people with different services and information." The appended video discusses other aspects of Chicago's use of new technology and data collection.

Chicago is hosting a Smart Cities Summit Conference on October 16, and 17th this year. The agenda can be found here.

The several meanings of "digital transformation"

In general the term "digital transformation" refers to the transformation of business including processes, activities and models, through the use of developing digital technologies

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Wikipedia refers to digital transformation even more widely as the change associated with the application of digital technology to all aspects of human society. The use of new digital technology enables new types of innovation and creativity in different areas rather than just enhancing traditional methods. However,Wikipedia also recognizes a narrower sense of "digital transformation" which may just mean "going paperless" and can apply to government, art, medicine and science.

The narrower sense is perhaps closely related to the process of digitization. Wikipedia defines digitization as follows:Digitizing or digitization is the representation of an object, image, sound, document or signal (usually an analog signal) by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of its points or samples. The result is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image, for the object, and digital form, for the signal. In modern practice, the digitized data is in the form of binary numbers, which facilitate computer processing and other operations, but, strictly speaking, digitizing simply means the conversion of analog source material into a numerical format; the decimal or any other number system that can be used instead.

Going paperless is just one example of digitization. Documents on paper are scanned to create text files that are digital representations of the original. Of course if a paper document is required a copy can be produced through a printer. Instead of creating a paper document as on a typewriter, text can be typed into a computer creating a digitized file which using a printer can be converted to a paper form. The Gutenberg Project digitizes books so that you do not need to go to the library or buy a paper copy of a book but can access it on line in digitized form and read it on line or download it in a form that can be read on devices such as Amazon's Kindle.

However, digitizing can take many other forms. One can change the music on your cassette tape or vinyl record into digitized forms through computer software. Or one can record not on tape but on your computer in different formats such as .mp3 or the better quality .flac and many others. The same is true of video usually combined with audio in formats such as .mp4 or .mkv and many others. You no longer need VHS tapes or vinyl records, as you can simply go on line and hear any music you want in digitized form or you can subscribe to streaming services. You can go on You Tube and watch whatever you want and download it if you wish to keep it. You can put it on a USB stick, burn it to a DVD and play it back whenever you want without ever having to worry about having a copy as a tape or vinyl record. Even when you watch a TV nowadays you are watching a digitized signal rather than an analog one as used to be the case.

While digitization does transform business and everyday life, digital transformation is usually used to refer to use of digital technology going far beyond digitization. What exactly it means is not clear. Perhaps it can be understood as a series of processes that have what the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein called family resemblances. A good way to understand the term is to look at what are regarded as digital transformations in different areas. Digital Journal features an article on digital transformation in power generation and another in health care.

The development of the smart home gives an example of what could be called digital transformation. Home automation or domotics as it is termed technically, involves the control and automation of such functions as lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, but also washers, dryers, ovens and refrigerators. These devices are all connected and controlled remotely often using WI-Fi. All the devices can be controlled remotely using a computer or a smart phone with access to the network to which the devices are all attached. You can turn on your lights or your sprinkler system when you are in another city or country. You can watch what your home security camera sees on your screen. Such a development in technology is transforming far beyond mere digitizing. The home automation market in the U.S. was estimated to be worth $5.77 billion dollars in 2015 and is expected to reach $10 billion by 2020. Some descriptions of digital transformation are quite general and promotional rather than giving any detailed information of what it involves as in the appended video.