Researchers are analyzing data collected from small sensors installed in a small area of streetlights along Wilson Avenue in the Clarendon neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia.
Sensors installed between North Fillmore Street and North Garfield Street collected data on the number of people, direction of movement, decibel levels, humidity and temperature.
“We want to understand how this type of data is collected, taking into account privacy, what it means to not use cameras, and what impact it might have on public safety,” said Holly Ha, assistant chief information officer for Arlington County, Tel.
Hartl, who was part of the team leading the pilot, knew that sensors monitoring the people below would raise privacy concerns.
The sensors use optical lenses, but instead never record video, but instead convert it into images, which are never stored. This is converted into data that the county will use to improve emergency response times.
“As long as it doesn’t impinge on civil liberties, I think that’s where I draw the line,” one county resident said.
“Traffic planning, public safety, tree canopy and all these other things sounded good from the start,” said another. “Now the real question is going to be how they’re going to handle it.”
Full deployment of these sensors is not yet complete, but some county officials say it may only be a matter of time.
“What that means and how we can ensure that it benefits not just certain areas but other areas is something we’ll be thinking about in the future,” Hartl said.
The county said it is not interested in a hamburger someone ordered on a restaurant patio, but is interested in sending an ambulance to the restaurant more quickly if sensors can detect a problem.
The Arlington County commissioner said there is still a lot of discussion about what features might ultimately be used.
The next pilot study of the sensor is underway. In Arlington, sensors are hidden under parking meters to alert an app when spaces are available.
Post time: Sep-27-2024