SensorWeb Hub and the Birth of Florence’s Mobile Urban Network
SensorWeb Hub supported the development of the first prototype of the Mobile Urban Network (RUM) in the Florence metropolitan area—a meteorological monitoring system based on low-cost sensors connected to Arduino open-source platforms, and mounted on mobile units (public transport vehicles on wheels and rails). The goal: monitor key meteorological and environmental variables across the city in real time.
Between 2012 and 2015, over 1,180,000 data points were collected from six mobile stations. Although the analysis is still ongoing, the data gathered show a strong correlation with measurements from nearby fixed weather stations—particularly regarding temperature and humidity. This confirms the accuracy and reliability of the low-cost sensors, demonstrating that even economically accessible tools can provide robust data coverage across urban environments.
