Have you ever noticed the street lights that silently guard us home in the night? They have evolved from the original gas lamps and incandescent lamps to today's high-efficiency and energy-saving LED lamps. But if I tell you that the future street lamp is not only a lighting tool, it will become an omniscient "city watcher" around you. Do you believe it?

Imagine that you are walking on the streets of the city, and the street lamps beside you seem to be alive. The light it emits is no longer monotonous white, but intelligently adjusts the brightness according to time and weather. When night falls and the streets are full of traffic, it will brighten the light to ensure a clear vision; In the middle of the night, when there are few people, it will dim slowly, which not only saves energy, but also avoids light pollution. This is only the most basic function of intelligent street lamps.

"Detective" of air quality and "conductor" of traffic conditions

What is even more amazing is that these future street lamps will shoulder more "missions". They will have built-in sophisticated sensors and become "detectives" of urban air quality. They are capable of real-time monitoring of pollutant concentrations, such as PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen oxides, and can transmit the data to the city's central control system. When the air quality in a certain area is abnormal, the system will quickly issue an early warning to help city managers take timely measures. These data can also be disclosed to the public through mobile phone applications, so that you can keep abreast of the environmental conditions around you and make healthier travel choices.

At the same time, intelligent street lamps will also be the "conductor" of urban traffic. Traditional traffic cameras can only take pictures, while the sensor network of intelligent street lamps can monitor traffic flow more stereoscopically. They can accurately count the number of vehicles at each intersection, perceive the congestion situation, and link with the traffic light system to adjust the traffic light duration in real time, thus alleviating the traffic pressure to the greatest extent. Even when there is a traffic accident, the street lamp can immediately detect the abnormality and automatically send positioning information to the emergency rescue department, so as to gain precious seconds for the golden rescue time.

The "Future Hub"

Behind these powerful functions is the transformation of street lamps from a simple "urban organ" to a complex "future hub". They are no longer isolated, but closely connected through the Internet of Things technology, forming a huge network covering the whole city. This network can not only collect and analyze massive data, but also provide more imaginative services.

For example, you are driving an electric car, and the warning light of low battery is on. You don't need to look for charging piles everywhere, because your navigation system will directly tell you which smart street lamp nearby can be charged. Yes, future street lamps will have built-in charging interfaces to provide power supply for electric vehicles, electric scooters and even drones at any time. These street lamps will be distributed in every corner of the city, like energy supply stations all over the blood vessels, so that you can travel without worries.

In addition, smart street lamps may also become a hot spot of urban public WiFi, providing high-speed network connection for pedestrians; The built-in camera can also provide key evidence in the event of a crime and enhance the safety of the city.

The intelligent street lamp of the future is surpassing our traditional cognition of it. They are the product of the deep integration of science and technology and cities, and they are the "brain" and "nerve" of the efficient operation of cities. When they are endowed with more wisdom and functions, the city becomes smarter, safer and more livable.

（Writer：Wanny）