Officials check information at the operation center of the "PutuoCity Brain" system.

The "Putuo City Brain"Shanghai is a pioneer in the global trend toward smart cities.Putuo District, as the city's western gateway, is committed to becoming a region of innovation.

Putuo has launched a high-tech smart urban management system in a trial operation to improve urban management and better ensure community safety.

The "Putuo City Brain" comprehensive management system can detect smoke from fire hazards, test the quality of waterways and send alerts for any potential dangers automatically. It can help crack down on illegal structures and unlicensed night markets as well as better prevent illegal posters and piles of items on stairways.

More than 90,000 Internet of Things devices, including sensors and monitors used in the public security, transportation, urban management, market supervision, urban image and sanitation sectors have been put in place.

"Putuo will ... extend the smart system to all kinds of fields relating to residents' life and urban operations," said Cao Liqiang, the Party secretary of Putuo.

More government authorities dealing with environmental protection, flood prevention, greenery and construction issues will be connected into the system to share data.

"The information system of various government departments will be connected to the smart system more quickly to coordinate resources and further expand government services," saidZhou Minhao, the director of Putuo.

Internet of Things sensors have been installed to cover the 55.5 square kilometers of Putuo, collecting various data around the clock, the Putuo government said.

The data is transmitted to the "PutuoCity Brain" system for real-time analysis and evaluation. It will send orders to related departments automatically.

On a large screen at the system's operation center, each of the sensors is displayed along with 23 various kinds of alerts in different colors. The number of alerts, orders and completed tasks are also marked on the screen.

In the Shiquan community, where more than 35 percent of the population is elderly, sensors have been installed on the doors, beds and ceilings of seniors living alone.

The sensors on the door can check whether the elderly residents have left home, while an infrared detector can monitor indoor activities.

Sensors on beds can monitor heart beats and breathing. Amoke and gas detectors have also been installed.

Local authorities will be alerted to any problems.

TheTaibangxiang community has renovated its garage for electric bikes and sensors can detect and report any sign of overheating during a bike's recharging.

In the Zhenping community, residents can enter apartment buildings using facial recognition.

The district's advancements also allow the detection of rubbish being thrown from high-rises, new illegal structures and group renting.

Urban management officials can access the system through abig screen at the operation center, as well as personal computers and mobile phones.

After the smart system was initially launched in the Zhenping community, the number of thefts and burglaries dropped 23 percent.

In the next step, the Putuo government will develop a big data system and enhance data sharing and collection. More urban management authorities will be connected into the core "City Brain" system to share resources across the district.