: Smart City Pilsen
Pilsen is the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic and occupies its dominant position in the western part of the country, with almost 170,000 inhabitants. It is a modern, dynamic and rapidly developing center of industry, commerce, science, information
technology, research and innovation, Pilsen also holds the title of European Capital of Culture 2015. In its strategic objectives, the city aims to increase research benefi ts for society and the development of industries with high added value, providing high-quality support infrastructure services, eliminating risks and barriers in transport, and providing services to prevent spatial exclusion.
: Visions and strategic goals
Pilsen is constantly trying to improve the lives of its citizens. The city works on smart projects, looks for modern solutions, and uses the technologies that contribute to it. Some „upgrades“ already work, another “features” is now being put into practice or are prepared. Pilsen wants to be at the top of the Czech Republic and wants to be
proud of being a city of research, development and innovation. Big ambitions, for example, in the fi eld of unmanned aviation, strive to be the number one within the Czech Republic in the development and use of drones. As the fi rst city in the Czech Republic, Pilsen has permission to carry out aerial work, has a new background for its Dronet Center, initiated the establishment of the Certifi cate Program of Unmanned Aviation Technology at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, organizes a unique DronFest unmanned fl ying festival, which was ranked among the largest events of its kind in world, and more.
: Key Smart Projects
Cameras in public transport vehicles
The public transport operator of the city have been deploying cameras in their bus, trolley and tram fl eets that are to monitor events inside the vehicles. The aim is to increase the safety of passengers and employees of the transport company and to act preventively. There will always be 5 to 8 cameras in a vehicle depending on its
size. The records will arrive at the municipal police desk, mostly with a half-hour delay. In the future, online transmission is expected to provide a direct connection with the police. The records will be processed exclusively by the police.
Smart Edu Pilsen
Pilsen has its own project, which supports the improvement of technical education. The city provides facilities for its primary and secondary schools, and new interactive teaching technology. It off ers the 17 robotics center‘s activities in the fi eld of teacher education, leisure-time technical education of children, introduces robotics teaching
at elementary schools, interconnects technical secondary schools in Pilsen with elementary schools, and technical faculty of the West Bohemian University in Pilsen with technical secondary schools. More information about the project is at http://smartedu.plzen.eu/
Network of the Internet of Things
Pilsen, as the fi rst city in the Czech Republic, built its own sensor network LoRa. It serves as a low rate data and low energy communication network. This innovative access technology can transfer data from places where there are no other connectivity options. With the network being put into operation, various applications may
arise, such as the actual state of air quality, water level in the Pilsen rivers etc. The city companies can use the network to monitor occupied parking spaces, water and heat netmetering etc. More information about the project is available at http://iot.plzen.eu
Defi brillators in the streets
Pilsen purchases external defi brillators to save lives. Many of them have already been deployed, and others are still deployed to the busiest places in the city and to the vehicles of the Municipal Police in Pilsen. The devices are located, for example, in the swimming pool, in the building of the City Hall in Pilsen, in the Great Theater, in the New Theater building and on the ground fl oor of the Town Hall. The device location overview and the follow-up rescue team navigation is operated by the medical emergency dispatch center. Every citizen can use the device to save life.
Traffic intensity map
Pilsen has its map of traffi c intensity; it is unique in the Czech Republic and Europe. Within an application, which was created as a superstructure of the classical transport model of the city, people can find the load of individual Pilsen roads at hourly intervals. The input data refl ects current closures and constraints and also other factors are
projected. The map is accessible on the web https://intenzitadopravy.plzen.eu
Pilsen Satellite to Space
PilsenCube II - this is a unique project, which is created in cooperation with the city of Pilsen and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. The university will build together with students a functional picosatellite that will be sent to space. High school students
will design experiments that will be installed inside the satellite and create a set of interest education classes in the Pilsen Center for Robotics. The city supported the project with CZK 1.5 million (cca 60 000 Euro). Detailed information is at http://pilsencube.cz
Trolleybuses with battery drive
Pilsen wants to replace all trolleybuses with auxiliary diesel gear with new trolleybuses with traction battery as an independent drive. Battery trolleybuses have been tested by Pilsen Public transport operator in the streets since February 2017 for seven vehicles. They have demonstrated great driving performance in the real operation; the testing has brought excellent results. The new type of trolleybus is even more environmentally friendly and off ers greater comfort for both passengers and drivers.
We want to be hatching talents; one story for all
Pilsen intensively cooperates with students, supports them and provides them with facilities in their own Dronet Technology Center. Many students now work on city-specific tasks, such as a project that improves the bike-sharing system, a device that monitors a maximum staying time at supply points, and an application that controls the drone the best and other grant competitions supported by the city. The collaboration
with the city for young people can be an impetus for their own business, for their own start-up.
For example, sixteen-year-old Jan Czapek spent the entire holiday in cooperation with experts from the Information Technology Administration of the City of Pilsen. He studies at the Higher Technical School and the Secondary Industrial School of Electrical Engineering in Pilsen, and he is interested in information technology. He has participated in many competitions and is currently completing an application for
bikesharing.
