The Department of Homeland Security plans to launch the second phase of an initiative that gathers industry and government experts to build Smart City and Internet-of-Things technologies for U.S. critical infrastructures and first responders.
The DHS said Tuesday the next stage of the Smart City IoT Innovation Labs will focus on testing the prototypes built in the first phase of the initiative and on commercializing the products.Â
The agency initially picked 12 developers to receive funding to build unmanned aerial systems, in-building sensors, and a sensor and communications SmartHub.Â
SCITI Labs participants gathered in Chicago in October to demonstrate their final prototypes to the DHS. The department will collect feedback from stakeholders about how each of the technologies will contribute to daily and emergency operations.
Half of the group will then be picked for the second phase of SCITI Labs to get another budget for additional enhancements on their products, for operational tests and to bring their technologies to the market.Â
The DHS hopes to see the new Smart City and IoT technologies commercially available for industry, the public and its national security partners by 2020.
