Smart cities are happening. Digital technologies used to enable smart cities need a holistic approach to infrastructure development for more intelligent, interconnected, and efficient (sustainable) networks. A new Edge Computing approach is necessary to develop new business models and ecosystems. Researchers are required to build the necessary software (and hardware) that supports the ecosystem, controls data collection, sensors, big data and internet of things (IoT), manages the digital security and protect privacy. Exponential rate growth in data processing as well as the use of information and communication technologies have turned Artificial Intelligence (AI) into one of the most strategic practices and future projections.

To create a European framework for developing and using AI in areas of public interest, and to  build low latency and cost efficient infrastructures, the EU-funded  three-year  project BRAINE (Big data pRocessing and Artificial Intelligence at the Network Edge) aims develop an  Edge Computing Framework as a decentralized (vs. centralized cloud computing) computing architecture, that process data to optimize operations, improve safety, reduce energy consumption and increase productivity.

The Sant’Anna School TeCIP Institute for Communication, Information and Perception Technologies is among the 27 partners of the H2020 ECSEL Joint Undertaking (JU) which received funding for 16,3 million euro.  As the demands on the Internet of Everything grow, the BRAINE project encompasses simplicity, scalability, and agility essential for the end user experiences with devices, services, and content that are closer to human or machine subscribers.

BRAINE will provide the infrastructure services needed for interconnected administration, education, healthcare, public safety, transportation, and utilities. Four different edge computing use cases for Healthcare Assisted Living, Hyper-connected Smart City, Robotics for Industry 4.0, and Supply chain for Industry 4.0 will be deployed for real-time analysis as well as the processing of data being created at the edge.

The four use cases will deliver value to help enhance the healthcare sector from automation to machine learning moving all data to a central location for analysis and caregiving. Managing data at the edge can help organizations and governors better monitor conditions at remote sites in real time – i.e. companies and authorities (the Pisa city council) may use locational data to support security, data privacy and sovereignty.

In Industry 4.0, the BRAINE platform will integrate edge technologies within existing infrastructures to take full advantage of Digital Twin tools in the manufacturing for risk control and prevention expanding workplace safety applications while mitigating the environmental impact of human activity. The BRAINE project’s overall aim is to boost the development of the Edge framework and, specifically, energy efficient hardware and AI empowered software systems.

The TeCIP Institute department for networking technology under the supervision of Luca Valcarenghi, professor of Telecommunications at the INRETE Lab., will implement  more reliable and much higher speed 5G network gateway nodesenable instantaneous connectivity to billions of dev enabling instantaneous connectivity. The research team will be responsible for carrying out measurement procedures on the 5G key performance indicators KPI requirements in gNB – 5G base station. The measure of capability and density for 5G networks will be determined on a smart city use case.

Check for updates at https://www.braine-project.eu/

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