The main innovation points of the GHOST solution include:
• Generic solution based on image processing, addressing various needs in a city environment (Lighting anomalies monitoring, Road deteriorations monitoring, Parking spaces monitoring).
• Direct exploitation of GALILEO benefits
• INS/GNSS algorithm that exploits GALILEO system.
• Scalable image processing and computer vision module with extendable algorithms supporting additional functionality and use cases.
Currently, the administration maintenance and monitoring activities are taking place mainly by inspection from relative personnel at specific places (points of interest). Although there have been some attempts to automate such procedures, these are targeting only a specific problem. There is not an integrated solution available, enabling automated infrastructure monitoring, fulfilling the main needs in a city environment. It is important to implement solutions that will allow efficient and cost effective systems to operate and maintain.
The GHOST system has the aim to benefit mostly citizens and public administrations. In this sense, several positive impacts are envisioned in the smart cities environment.
By using GHOST services, municipalities/ public administrations are able to efficiently detect illegal parking situations and deteriorations of city infrastructure (roads and lights).
This efficiency, in turn, translates into a timely reaction in the provision of solutions to the identified problems.
More in detail, the better detection of illegal parking situations helps reducing the traffic congestions and accidents and in the particular cases of disabled-reserved and residents-reserved parking slots/ areas, it helps in providing a better quality of life for the citizens.
The better detection of deteriorations on a city’s road and the anomalies on public lighting help on reducing accidents and also provides a better quality of life for the citizens.
From the economic standpoint, it is expected that the implementation and thorough usage of GHOST within a city, would help the public administration and the public and/ or private companies to which the services are contracted (e.g. garbage collection) on reducing the expenditures on their patrols used for the control of their activities. For example, a municipality could have a contract with the provider of public lighting, to which the payment is based on an agreed service level; the public administration could easily and affordably assess whether this service levels are met.
Although the current application of the GHOST concept is in road public transportation, the solution is generic enough and applicable for other markets and location based services including rail infrastructures management, airport platforms, industrial sites and others.
