An agricultural market is not the kind of place you would usually expect to find cutting-edge internet of things (IoT) technology, but Chaoyang Agricultural Market in Wuxi's downtown Zhongshan Road has installed just that.
Many residents have noticed since March 13 that lines of digital monitors have been installed above all the booths on the first floor of the market. According to the market management, 280 upgraded high-definition monitors have been added this time after the market first installed some 100 in 2015.
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Dozens of digital monitors are newly installed above trading booths at Chaoyang Agricultural Market in Wuxi's downtown Zhongshan Road. [Photo/wxrb.com] |
The new monitors are capable of saving footage from the previous 10 days using a wider field of view and higher image quality. Grocery prices are also monitored to make sure sellers trade at reasonable prices.
Early in 2015, the market also partnered with Jiangnan University to introduce a modern integrated energy control system which uses IoT technology to manage the market's water, electricity and lighting.
More than 1,000 water and electricity meters installed in almost all booths, records usage and sends the data to a central computer system. The system then processes the data and uses it to calculate utility fees for each zone, send SMS messages reminding people to pay their outstanding fees, and even cut off the power of those who fail to pay on time.
The system is also able to control the market's 280 lighting circuits and 100 electric fans, turning each circuit on or off at a specified time.
"The application of IoT technology has made regulating the market much easier and has also had positive effects on our energy saving and environmental protection efforts," said a manager at the market.
