High-Density and De-Densified Smart Campus Communications

6De‐densification of Spaces and Work Environments

The first part of this book dealt with High‐Density Communication (HDC) in campus environments such as airports, stadiums, convention centers, shopping malls, cruise ships, train stations and subway stations, boardwalks, and other venues. However, as the second decade of the twenty‐first century rolled along, a new requirement presented itself due to the worldwide pandemic: almost the orthogonal requirement to HDC, namely physical/desk distancing. Fortunately, the wireless technologies discussed in earlier chapters can and have been harvested to address and manage these pressing issues. Real‐Time Location systems (RTLSs) have been employed for several years to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people in real time within a building or in other constrained locations; RTLSs are now seeing renewed interest and applications.

In the COVID‐19 era, social¹ distancing in general, at the workplace in particular, has become important; additionally, there is a need to deploy a plethora of other infection containment and control measures. As depicted in Figure 6.1, various technologies can assist stakeholders in accomplishing these tasks. Available solutions range from simple to more advanced, with underlying cost implications. Emerging Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) approaches, as well as Blockchain Mechanisms (BCMs), can play a role in these solutions.

This chapter focuses ...