CitySense

CitySense is a pilot project that redefines how cities collect and use data. Rather than relying on costly and fixed sensor infrastructure, CitySense equips public service vehicles such as buses and waste trucks with compact, modular sensor units. These vehicles, already moving throughout the city daily, become mobile data collectors, offering real-time, cost-effective insights into urban conditions like air quality, road safety and infrastructure maintenance. 

Challenge 

Modern cities face growing challenges in monitoring their environments efficiently and equitably. Traditional sensor networks are expensive to install and maintain, and they often leave gaps in coverage as some areas are densely monitored while others are overlooked. In addition, data collected from static systems often suffer from integration issues, inconsistent formats and privacy concerns that make sharing and analysis difficult. 

CitySense tackles these problems head-on with a mobile and modular platform. By turning public vehicles into moving sensor hubs, the system improves data coverage, reduces infrastructure costs and simplifies deployment. Built-in AI capabilities allow for local data processing, ensuring relevant insights are delivered quickly and securely without relying on a large, fixed network of devices. 

Solution 

CitySense introduces a scalable, flexible and more inclusive approach to smart city sensing. Its goal is to demonstrate how cities can use mobile data collection to achieve better outcomes in areas like road safety, air quality and infrastructure maintenance. 

Each sensor unit is modular and plug-and-play, allowing it to be tailored to specific use cases with tools like cameras, air quality monitors or other environmental sensors. Onboard AI processes the data locally before transmitting it to a secure cloud environment. From there, insights are made accessible through the CitySense Portal, a web-based platform offering visualization tools for city planners, researchers and other stakeholders. 

Key benefits of CitySense include: 

• Improved traffic safety through monitoring road signs and conditions 
• Real-time environmental tracking for healthier urban living 
• Predictive maintenance that helps cities act before problems escalate 

The success of the project will be measured through improvements in data coverage, cost efficiency, data quality and stakeholder engagement. Over the long term, CitySense supports data-driven urban development aligned with goals such as Estonia 2035 and the New European Bauhaus. 

Pilot cities 

The pilot phase is being implemented in partnership with three European cities, each focusing on a specific use case aligned with local needs: 

• Tallinn (Estonia) – Detection of damaged or missing traffic signs to improve traffic safety and support autonomous mobility 
• Dublin (Ireland) – Monitoring air quality and allergen levels to inform public health and urban environmental strategies 
• Pula (Croatia) – Mapping and identifying road surface defects to support predictive maintenance and improve ride comfort 

These cities are working closely with research teams and technology partners to test and refine the system in real-world conditions. The modular units are installed on city vehicles and use AI-powered edge computing to process and transmit data securely, showcasing the flexibility and effectiveness of the CitySense model. 

Want to get involved? 

CitySense is open for collaboration: 

• Cities can join as future pilot sites or early adopters of the technology 
• Technology companies can contribute by developing new sensor modules and tools for the system 
• Researchers can access valuable urban data for studies on mobility, infrastructure and the environment 

For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, get in touch with the CitySense team. 

Duration of the pilot project: June 2025 – May 2028
Total budget: €1.2M (TalTech budget)

The implementation of pilot projects is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research through the project “FinEst Targa Linna tippkeskuse piloodiprogramm“.