Are talking streetlights in our future?

Imagine a world where talking streetlights and lampposts can double as 911 operators. This urban prophecy could be here sooner than you think.
In my blog post about smart kitchens that can help sell a home, I uncovered the latest and greatest state-of-the-art appliances and other high-end kitchen accouterments that can attract buyers and clinch a sale. While the idea of making every room in your home smart attracts more homeowners and buyers everyday, Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest mobile provider, has cast its eye towards a loftier prize. Through its Verizon Innovation Program, a subdivision whose mission is to bring wireless connectivity to non-traditional devices, the company is laying an innovative infrastructure for the smart cities of tomorrow. Part of that infrastructure is creating talking streetlights.
Intellistreets include wirelessly connected lampposts that can create visual, audio and interactive cues for commuters. Digital screens can be affixed to the motion-sensor light fixtures to showcase ads or direct traffic. Additionally, embedded speakers can play music, broadcast announcements and even serve as emergency call stations for endangered pedestrians. Verizon ultimately envisions that such devices could bring sustainability and orderliness to downtown areas, universities and sporting venues across the country.
Verizon is also developing solar-powered trash cans designed to compact waste on city streets, public park benches that serve as phone-charging stations and robots that go to school on behalf of ailing children.
While talking streetlights might be in the future for some Santa Barbara area communities, if you are presently considering buying or selling your home in Montecito, then let me help. Just give me a call at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com and I’ll happily put my more than 20 years in the industry, consistently rated in the top 1% of Sotheby’s International Realty nationwide, to work on your behalf. I have the experience, contacts and enthusiasm to help you find or sell the perfect home.