Nantou Ancient Town Revitalization

Nantou Ancient Town, located in Shenzhen City’s Nanshan District, Guangdong Province, holds a significant position as a historical and cultural landmark within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With a history spanning over 1,700 years, it has merged its historical roots as a ‘county seat’ during the Ming and Qing dynasties with its modern identity as an ‘urban village.’ Acknowledged for its well-preserved urban heritage, abundant cultural resources, and historical significance, the Nantou Ancient Town Conservation and Adaptive Reuse Project, initiated in 2019 and spearheaded by the Nanshan district government in collaboration with Vanke Urban Research, is dedicated to preserving its heritage, improving living conditions, and fostering innovation and design within the ancient town.

Seeed Studio, a pivotal hardware partner for IoT innovation with strong ties to the global tech ecosystem, stands as an integral contributor to the revitalization of Nantou Ancient Town. At the invitation of Vanke Urban Research, Seeed has taken the lead in developing and implementing the Micro-city Advanced Perception and Decision-making Assistance System, which includes three different IoT solutions deployed in Nantou. Pursuing a comprehensive integration strategy to propel urban sustainable development and digital transformation, making a substantial impact on the enhancement of Nantou Ancient Town.

Nantou Ancient Town’s Challenges

1. Insufficient rooftop vegetation health due to inadequate irrigation.
2. Lack of shade on main streets, discomforting visitors during summers.
3. Central areas of the town face waterlogging threats during heavy rains.
4. Need for smart water/electricity meters and trash overflow alerts.

Solution Overview

The Micro-city Advanced Perception and Decision-making Assistance System is a state-of-the-art, comprehensive monitoring and management solution tailored to meet the unique challenges of modern urban micro-cities. Addressing the above Challenges, the system encompasses:

1. Multi-functional Intelligent Ecological Meteorological Monitoring Station

Serving as the city’s atmospheric sentinel, this station tracks real-time meteorological conditions. From monitoring air temperature, humidity, to atmospheric pressure, it collates data to provide forecasts and warnings. This assists in planning daily activities and making informed management decisions, ensuring the town’s residents and visitors are always a step ahead of changing weather patterns.

2. Soil Moisture Monitoring Station

A cornerstone for urban greenery enhancement. By employing advanced sensing technologies, this station continuously monitors soil parameters, including temperature, humidity, and conductivity. This real-time data feeds into an automated irrigation system, ensuring the town’s green spaces and rooftop vegetation receive water precisely when and where needed. Moreover, it aids in conserving water resources by preventing over-irrigation and maintaining optimal soil health, leading to vibrant and healthy plant growth that not only beautifies the town but also contributes to its ecological balance.

3. Urban Waterlogging Monitoring

Designed to combat the challenges of heavy rainfall and insufficient drainage. Positioned at crucial junctures, this station utilizes precision sensors to detect and report accumulating water in prone areas. Serving as both an immediate alert system during heavy downpours and a tool for analyzing water retention patterns, it helps city management initiate timely interventions, ensuring streets remain navigable and reducing potential damage to infrastructure.

4. Daily Management Monitoring Station

A blend of past charm and present efficiency. This station integrates cutting-edge technologies with existing infrastructures, such as water and electricity meters. Smart metering, modernizes utilities while reducing human intervention, ensuring both fairness in billing and consistency in service delivery. Additionally, with features like AI visual sensors, it can detect full waste bins, signaling for timely collection and ensuring the town remains pristine and inviting.

Phases of Implementation

The deployment of this comprehensive system is executed in two distinct phases:

• Phase 1 – Data Monitoring (Advanced Sensing and Datafication): At this foundational phase, the system harnesses advanced sensing technologies to capture high-fidelity data from different environmental aspects.
• Phase 2 – Data Application (Decision Aid and Intelligentization): This stage is an upgrade from the initial phase. It leverages sophisticated analytical and AI tools to provide actionable insights from the gathered data.

Deployment

Three stations are now strategically placed:

1. Multi-functional Intelligent Ecological Meteorological Monitoring Station
2. Soil Moisture Monitoring Station
3. Daily Management Monitoring Station

The deployment leverages LoRaWAN sensors and 4G gateways:

LoRaWAN Sensors: These wireless devices ensure:

• Swift Setup: No extensive cabling is needed.
• Efficiency: Low power consumption for prolonged battery life.
• Extensive Reach: Ideal for vast areas like Nantou Ancient Town.

4G Gateway Connectivity: Using 4G, these gateways guarantee uninterrupted data relay, especially where traditional internet may falter.

LoRaWAN Gateway collects data from LoRaWAN sensors and transmits it via 4G.

SenseCAP M2 Multi-Platform LoRaWAN Indoor Gateway

1. Multi-functional Intelligent Ecological Meteorological Monitoring Station:

This station utilizes advanced sensors like the SenseCAP S1000 and radiation detectors to gather a comprehensive range of environmental metrics. Its insights into air quality, solar radiation, and UV levels enhance urban ecological evaluations and weather-based decision-making.

1. SenseCAP S1000 10-in-1 Compact Weather Sensor: Measures air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, light intensity, rainfall (optical), PM2.5, PM10, wind speed, wind direction (ultrasonic) and CO2. It is ideal for applications for carbon and environment monitoring.
2. Industrial Total Solar Radiation Sensor MODBUS-RTU RS485:  Measures real-time solar total radiation from 300 to 1100 nanometers.
3. Industrial UV Radiation Sensor MODBUS-RTU RS485: Measures real-time UV radiation from 240 to 395 nanometers. Ideal for environmental monitoring and agriculture. 
4. SenseCAP Sensor Hub – 4G Data Logger: An easy-to-deploy, industrial-grade 4G cellular station, Sensor Hub uses the MODBUS-RTU RS485 protocol to communicate with sensors and is able to collect various sensor data simultaneously.

2. Soil Moisture Monitoring Station:

This station monitors soil conditions, ensuring the town’s green spaces receive optimal care.This station assesses soil conditions such as temperature, humidity, and conductivity. By doing so, it guides precise irrigation and nourishment for the town’s plants, ensuring thriving landscapes and balanced ecosystems.

SenseCAP S2105 – LoRaWAN® Soil Moisture, Temperature and EC Sensor: Measures soil volumetric water content (VWC), temperature and the electric conductivity of Soil.

3. Daily Management Monitoring Station:

Optimizing the town’s daily operations, this station blends AI visual sensors with utility monitoring tools. It not only flags full waste bins for swift collection but also oversees water usage via smart meters, ensuring leak detection and equitable billing. In essence, this station streamlines city services, fostering a cleaner and more efficient living space.

1. SenseCAP A1101 – LoRaWAN Vision AI Sensor:  A pioneering integration of long-range communication and edge AI computing, this sensor harnesses the power of TinyML for local image analysis, ensuring efficient data handling and privacy. It’s versatile for various applications, from people counting to object detection.
2. RS485 500cm Ultrasonic Level Sensor: High-precision ultrasonic distance sensor with a measuring range of 25~500cm. Suitable for various applications like Horizontal ranging, Intelligent trash can management system, Robot avoidance and automatic control.

Application Platform: Management & Monitoring Software

This platform offers a comprehensive toolset for modern urban micro-city management:

 Sensecap Portal(Website) & Sensecap Mate(App):

Local Display Kiosk:

It provides a window into the town’s environmental conditions. Making data interpretation intuitive for both residents and tourists.

---

Integrating devices and stations, the Micro-city System forms a cohesive network that elevates city operations and residents’ well-being.

For Nantou Ancient Town in Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, this isn’t just a tech enhancement—it’s a renewal beacon. Facing issues from dense populations, temporary residents, and aging facilities, this system is set to turn these challenges into opportunities for a sustainable, enriched future.

About Author