Amey installs sensors in bins as part of Sheffield’s ‘smart city’ initiative

Thousands of sensors in bins, drains, and beneath trees are being installed by Amey throughout Sheffield to transform it into a “smart city”.

The sensors are all being hooked up to a network and feed into tech company Connexin’s CityOS platform, which will allow Sheffield City Council to monitor the way in which city infrastructure is performing.

Sensors will be placed in public bins to determine when they need to be emptied, grit bins to signal when they need to be refilled, at the base of trees to tell when they need to be watered, and in drains to detect floods and blockages.

Amey said it hoped the technology would eventually enable the city council to predict where maintenance services would be required.

James Haluch, managing director of transport infrastructure at Amey, said: “Technology is becoming more and more part of our everyday lives. Working with our partners in the public and private sector, we have to make radical changes to the way we deliver services.

“I’m delighted that we’re embracing Connexin’s technology, which is one of the first times it’s been used in a city environment, that will benefit our service delivery and help to improve local communities. It will also offer a more environmentally sustainable solution to reduce our carbon footprint and maximise the use of resources, allowing us to provide a continually evolving service for Sheffield residents.”

Cabinet member for environment, street scene and climate change at Sheffield City Council, councillor Mark Jones, added: “By investing in this new initiative, our contractors will be undertaking fewer journeys, which in turn will result in a reduction in energy consumption, pollution and congestion, whilst ensuring our streets are kept clean and our bins are emptied using a more efficient and effective approach.

“Using technology in this pioneering way will help the Council in its efforts to tackle the climate crisis, whilst improving standards. Following installation, those who live and work in our city should see a positive impact in their neighbourhoods fairly quickly.”