Smart City Digital Signage: Outdoor Displays & Public Information Solutions

Digital Signage for Smart Cities — Building Better Public Information Networks

With the development of increasingly connected smart cities, public information is becoming an integral part of urban infrastructure. Transportation networks, public facilities, commercial districts and government services all must convey information to the people quickly and transparently.

Sure, traditional posters and put-it-there types of static signs also have their own importance, but these are not scalable when it comes to rapidly changing information. The physical sign has a shelf life measured in hours, while the digital display can be remotely updated in seconds.

And this is one of the many reasons why smart city Digital Signage has become a solution with an increasing importance.

A smart city display network goes beyond just placing screens around a city. A digital communication connectivity from displays/digital signage to a centralized content management and public information and location-based applications.

City authorities, property operators, transportation companies and system integrators face the question of where truly valuable Digital Signage can be best utilised to best effect as the network scales.

What Is the Smart City Digital Signage?

Smart city Сdigitаl signаge is а nеtworkеd systеm of digitаl displаys in both public and privаte spаcеs thаt give informаtion or mеssagеs in uгbаn sсᏞrubation, grant space.

Typical applications include:

• Transportation information
• Public service announcements
• Digital wayfinding
• Emergency notifications
• Tourist information
• Advertising
• Community communication
• Event promotion
• Government information
• Urban infrastructure communication

Flexibility is the key differentiator, when compared to traditional signage.

A centralized system is capable of updating any number of displays without the need for technicians to switch out physical posters at each location.

For instance, there might be a need to announce the closure of a road, a public event or an emergency situation (that is still at large). Rather than sending staff for the multiple scheduling as previously done, administrators are now able to distribute digitally.

When there are hundreds of places in the display network, the value increases.

Transportation is a leading application

Because passengers require information that has a time-based component to it, transportation is one of the most clear cut use cases for Digital Signage.

Displays can be used to provide the following at bus stops, train stations, airports, parking facilities and transportation hubs:

• Arrival information
• Departure schedules
• Route changes
• Service interruptions
• Platform information
• Emergency notices
• Advertising
• Local information

When incorporating a transportation display, it should be legible from the proper distance. It must also be stable over extended periods of time and in places where passengers use the information to determine if they continue or defer travel.

Outdoor transportation environments add new challenges – direct sunlight, rain, dust, weather changes and vandalism risks.

Thus, the display spec should be chosen based on where it will be installed as opposed to just picking a commercial screen that you might use in an indoor environment.

Environmental Planning Is Needed for Outdoor Digital Signage

Environmental features of outdoor smart city displays are significantly different from those that might exist inside a shopping mall or office building.

Buyers should assess environmental protection, brightness, thermal management and ease of enclosure design and access for these applications.

Readability in Bright Sunlight — High-brightness out-door Digital Signage Solutions are more appropriate to assure readability in severe daylight. Moreover, some may need to have the construction to be weatherproofed and a proper installation protection depending on the location of the system.

Not every display needs to be as bright or durable as possible. I want to align the hardware with real-life conditions.

A mounted device beneath a sheltered bus stop reads differently than one positioned in an open plaza fully exposed to sunlight.

Digital Way finding App for people to navigate through the complex public open spaces.

It can be hard to get around in big public buildings.

For example, transportation hubs, government buildings, convention centers, hospitals and university campuses along with urban commercial districts can contain many entrances, floors and destinations.

Interactive digital wayfinding can simplify these environments.

It allows users to search a destination, and will provide them direction rather than having to completely rely on print maps or staff.

A wayfinding kiosk may provide:

• Building maps
• Floor information
• Facility locations
• Walking directions
• Accessible routes
• Event locations
• Public service information

Multilingual interfaces can be an additional benefit for international visitors.

The design should remain simple. People may have never encountered the interface before, so navigation should be intuitive, and information should be presented as clearly as feasible; use of a public kiosk.

Smart City Displays can Mix Public Info and Advertising

Digital Signage, we learn, need not be single-use.

In the case of a display placed in a high-traffic transit area, the Digital Signage may serve to inform the public but at times when no emergency information needs transmission, it can cycle through commercial advertising.

This allows some of the network's operating cost to be supported through advertising by operators—which is an opportunity.

But wherever possible, public communication should still come first.

In case an emergency notification must be shown, the system should interrupt regular advertising content and carry the essential message here and now.

That needs a scheduling and priority-controlling content management platform.

This means that a good system can handle multiple content types without making the display an uncontrolled advertisement board.

Emergency Communication Is an Essential Function

Advocates of connected digital signage cite the ability to disseminate important information widely and rapidly as one of its most compelling advantages.

Cities may need to communicate:

• Severe weather warnings
• Road closures
• Public safety notices
• Emergency evacuation information
• Transportation disruptions
• Local hazards
• Temporary restrictions

Information must be clear, and information must be identifiable in an emergency situation.

Your content should not compete with fancy graphics or promotional materials.

An on-premise centralized admin platform enables admins to push alerts instantly to designated areas of the network or all parts of it, as warranted.

The ability to do this sets digital signage apart from traditional advertising screens.

Another feature of the network is that it becomes a city asset for communication system.

Breaking down a centralized management is key to large networks

There could be dozens, hundreds or thousands of displays for a smart city.

If each display had to be managed separately it quickly would become cumbersome.

A digital signage management system is centralized and allows operators to manage content remotely by organizing display locations into logical categories.

Screens can be categorized such as:

• City district
• Transportation route
• Building
• Facility type
• Geographic area
• Content category

An administrator can then go ahead and publish content to a particular group, rather than having to change every screen one-by-one.

Scheduled publishing is also useful.

It could be a morning transportation message, a midday public service announcement and an evening event promotion for a city.

This automates the scheduling to these schedules.

Checking to see whether any displays are offline or having a problem carrying out their jobs more easily is another application for remote monitoring.

Management Functions These management functions can be more critical than the display itself for large deployments.

Long Exposure Offers The Best Layout For Colour Choices On The Screen.

No one average smart city display

Bus shelters could even be small outdoor screens.

For example, a large-format display at a transportation hub can be viewed from far away.

A government facility might use an interactive kiosk.

A street that is intended to be a commercial street may use very high-brightness advertising displays.

You may be able to part with a wide digital board for information of a public plaza.

The installation method also varies.

Displays can be:

• Wall-mounted
• Pole-mounted
• Freestanding
• Integrated into kiosks
• Installed inside shelters
• Embedded into architectural structures

Equipment selection should therefore follow the consideration of the physical environment by project designers.

The display should seem like something new to the area rather than an event that happened last minute.

Use Similar Brightness and Visibility for the User's Environment

Brightness is perhaps the most important specification in outdoor digital signage, but maximum brightness is not always the best option.

A screen in direct sunlight may need to be much brighter than one in a public area where it is shaded.

Viewing distance also matters.

You may have a screen metering several meters from pedestrians and that should tell you something different than a small interactive kiosk used by the arm, for example.

Viewing distance must be conveyed in content design.

This makes large text, with well-contrasted areas in simple layouts tend to be better suited when you need visual information fast over a distance.

Hence, the display specification and the content strategy should go hand in hand.

Connectivity and Remote Monitoring Matter

The display is a critical component of a smart city network that relies on good communication with the management platform.

Displays may be wired network-connected, Wi-FI or cellular-connected depending on the project.

Ultimately, the best option will depend on both what is available at the installation location and network infrastructure of where the site exists.

When your displays are all spread over a large geographic area, remote monitoring offers the most value.

If a screen fails and there is no remote monitoring in place, it may go unnoticed for weeks—until someone notices the broken screen.

Having a system in place makes it quicker for operators to discover issues and organize repairs.

Thus minimizing unwarranted, costly site visits and augmenting the efficacy of the whole system.

Maintenance must be taken into consideration prior to implementation

Smart city displays are designed to be up for just a couple of years.

This means that maintenance must be factored in from the very beginning, even before the first unit is installed.

Internal Technicians should have proper access to key components.

Serviceability Outdoor enclosures need to be designed with serviceability in mind.

Replacement parts should be available.

The software platform, too, will require the relevant technical support.

These are all standard display platform agnostic specifications and thus can be pretty easily applied across large projects save for where specifics to a particular display platform are required which is something I would suggest you try to avoid if possible in your larger more standard system.

Simultaneously, locations may still demand distinct hardware specs.

The right mix of standardisation and environment requirement makes a good project.

Smart City Digital Signage for Expansions

Urban networked digital signage is seldom static.

A project may start with a handful of displays in one district but grow to include transportation facilities, government buildings, commercial districts, and public spaces.

So, your initial system should be flexible enough to accommodate future augmentation.

The content management platform should be able to accommodate multiple displays.

Support for adding additional locations should be incorporated into the network architecture.

Think long-term in hardware strategy: maintenance & replacement

Thinking ahead and planning for expansions will minimize the need for operators to completely replace the system when the network scales.

So how does one assess whether or not a digital sign project is good for the city?

Project teams should work through several practical questions before investing in smart city digital signage.

• In Which Location Will The Displays Be Set Up?
• Who will use them?
• What information will they communicate?
• The frequency of change in content
• Indoor or outdoor use for the displays?
• What brightness level is required?
• How are users going to interact with the screen?
• And the OTHER BIG question: how will displays connect to the management platform?
• Who will manage content?
• Why these emergency massages will transfer?
• How will it account for maintaining failed units?
• How many more displays could be introduced in the future?

These questions determine what the real requirements of the system are.

If these questions are not answered, the buying of the largest or most powerful display makes for needless expense and misses the point of addressing a true communication deficiency.

Selecting the Smart City Display Solution

Growing Role of Smart City Digital Signage

These transportation displays assist passengers in interpreting shifting schedules.

Outdoor digital signage provides communication in harsh settings.

Interactive kiosks simplify navigation.

The centralized management of a big network provides the maximum control by operators.

Adding emergency communication features can add a further level of public safety.

When you use advertising functions sensibly, they can also create commercial value.

City authorities, property developers, transportation operators and system integrators should work their way backwards from the communication requirements of every location.

The display is only one component of the project.

Successful smart city digital signage is about true hardware, software and connectivity (internet-of-things), good content management as well installation and longterm maintenance.

Thus, when the above elements are planned in collaboration together, digital signage can be seen less about adding yet another advertising screen to urban domains operationally and more about integrating into a threaded piece of the larger body of urban information infrastructure.

Flexible digital displays are becoming more useful as cities introduce connected technologies at the same time helping people access information, navigate public spaces and adapt to live changing conditions.