Internet of Things sandbox opens in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is preparing itself for the Internet of Things (IoT) with a new test site at the University of Southern California (USC).

The Los Angeles Information technology Agency (ITA) is partnering with the USC Marshall School of Business and the Viterbi School of Engineering to use parts of the USC campus as a sandbox for emerging IoT technologies. The collaborative venture is called the Intelligent IoT Integrator, or I3 Consortium, and is hoped to be a launchpad for smart city technologies that will eventually be deployed by Los Angeles and by private companies.

I3 has three primary goals, according to USC Marshall’s website. The organization, which was officially launched on Nov. 16, works to promote community-based IoT networks, to offer an environment for experimentation and to be distributor of software and information for the city and smart city industry.

According to USC Marshall’s website, I3 “has the potential to play a role in protecting the city from IoT centric cyberthreats.” As it evolves, it will also “have the potential to allow the city to monetize city data as a possible source of incremental revenue … allow citizens to volunteer their data for use in city operations [and] reduce the capital required to turn Los Angeles into a smart city.”

The consortium already has a lineup of projects underway, with 13 that debuted at I3’s November launch event. The city is working on at least three of them, including one that uses IoT technologies to monitor street cleanliness, another that deploys interactive kiosks similar to those found in New York City, and another that analyzes data usage to improve the impact and accessibility of the city’s open data portal.

The city represents only one of the many members expected to join I3 and use USC’s testing grounds. Verizon has signed on and the group is now recruiting additional business and nonprofit members.