Skip to main content

Case Study – City Infrastructure Monitoring with LoRaWAN & Drones

Smart Cities & Infrastructure

How it works: From first sensor to fleet deployment - one platform to connect, simulate and control. Connect with WiseOS, control via MCP ROS2, validate in Digital Twins.

Summary

A city operator deployed LoRaWAN sensors for structural and environmental monitoring across bridges, underpasses and public spaces.

WiseVision's stack was used to:

  • Ingest and manage LoRaWAN sensor data through WiseOS
  • Trigger inspection drone missions via MCP ROS2 based on sensor events
  • Maintain a Digital Twin of critical assets for planning and incident review

Stack Used

  • WiseOS
  • MCP ROS2
  • Digital Twins
  • LoRaWAN

Key Benefits

  • Central view of sensors + mobile assets
  • Event-driven targeted inspections
  • Incident replay in Digital Twin
  • Scalable to new districts

Challenges

Many sensors across wide areas with heterogeneous connectivity

Limited ability to link sensor events to robotic inspections

No unified view of sensor data, mobile assets and geographic context

Difficult to test new operating procedures without affecting services

Solution

1. WiseOS – LoRaWAN Integration

WiseOS connected:

  • LoRaWAN sensors via ChirpStack and the WiseOS LoRaWAN↔ROS 2 bridge
  • Inspection drones (ROS 2-based or bridged)
  • Edge gateways in specific districts
  • Sensor readings as ROS 2 topics recorded in Data Black Box

2. MCP ROS2 – Event-Driven Inspections

MCP ROS2 exposed high-level tools:

  • List sensors in zone
  • Schedule drone inspections
  • Get recent events for assets
  • Correlate drone imagery with sensor alerts

3. Digital Twin – Asset Context

A Digital Twin focusing on critical infrastructure:

  • 3D models of bridges and underpasses
  • Synchronization with WiseOS telemetry
  • Playback of incidents with sensor events
  • Shared visual context for teams

Architecture Overview

  1. LoRaWAN sensors → network server → WiseOS bridge → ROS 2 topics
  2. Drones & mobile robots → ROS 2 → WiseOS & Data Black Box
  3. MCP ROS2 → tools for event detection and mission triggering
  4. Digital Twin → asset visualization and incident replay

Outcomes

City operators gained:

✅ Unified View

  • Central, ROS 2-based view of sensors + mobile assets
  • Single platform for monitoring and control

✅ Event-Driven Operations

  • Ability to link alerts directly to targeted inspections
  • Automated dispatch of drones based on sensor triggers

✅ Better Incident Understanding

  • Incident replay in Digital Twin
  • Correlation of sensor data with visual inspections

✅ Scalability

  • Same pattern applicable to additional assets and districts
  • Easy to add new sensors and platforms

Next Steps

Further extensions include integration with existing city dashboards, advanced analytics, and additional mobile platforms