The consortium of leading technology companies, UK Technology Catapults, Milton Keynes Council and the Open University have announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build a city-wide, open access, demonstration network for Machine to Machine (M2M) communications and the Internet of Things (IoT). The network will be based on the Weightless™ communications standard. The consortium has chosen FarSite’s netBin™ technology to be the first sensor system to be deployed in the network.
netBin is an intelligent bin sensing system which monitors containers such as waste or recycling bins, so that only full bins are emptied. This reduces heavy lorry road traffic, pollution, congestion and transport costs as every collection is optimised; staff productivity is improved and the environmental problems of overflowing bins are eliminated. The low power, assured data delivery and long range attributes of the forthcoming Milton Keynes Weightless-based network makes it ideal for waste bin sensors, providing many years of maintenance free operation and flexible deployment. The netBin technology will be fitted to existing waste containers on-site, keeping the cost of installing the new technology to a minimum.
Steve Scott, Sales and Marketing Director at FarSite said “We have been working with the Milton Keynes consortium since mid 2013 to ensure that the netBin waste management system meets the needs of the city. I am delighted that the strength of our technical solution has been chosen as the first live deployment. I’m confident that the netBin system will add to the credentials of Milton Keynes as a smart and green city by reducing lorry traffic and eliminating unsightly, overflowing bins.”
