Georgia Power, Peachtree Corners, Ga. open innovative mobility, smart city lab

A national first debuted this week with the launch of the Curiosity Lab — a 1.5-mile intelligent mobility and smart city lab in Peachtree Corners, Ga, aided by Georgia Power and a host of other partners.

The publicly funded living lab will grant users access to Georgia Power’s automation solutions and experts linked to their latest smart energy technologies and solutions. Testing can be conducted on-site under the auspices of smart lighting, cameras, and an interconnected web of 5G and Internet of Things (IoT). Georgia Power intends the site to provide real-world vehicular and pedestrian traffic interaction.

“Smart ideas like the Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners are all about partnerships and how to get everyone engaged with the innovations of the future,” Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO for Georgia Power, said. “The insights and research from this facility will help Georgia Power continue to evolve our technology and ensure the needs of our customers are met.”

In all, the site — located within Technology Park Atlanta, a hub in the metro-Atlanta area — will include 40 smart LED street lights and 20 cameras designed to provide complete video coverage of the area. The latter will also come with traffic management software and analytics to provide real-time incident detection on the roadway. Startups and larger companies alike can use the area to experiment with new mobility technologies.

The corridor includes a route with a hotel complex, two high schools, hundreds of offices and a townhouse development, and is part of a public bus route.