Samsung Electronics has announced it will provide smart homes for a new “smart city” in South Korea. The pilot Eco Delta Smart City will be the first of its kind, made up of 30,000 houses in Gangseo-gu, Busan.

Samsung will provide several smart devices to the initial Smart Village, the first complex to be built for Eco Delta Smart City. The company will supply 56 homes with smart home appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, TVs and tablets. All of the electronics will come equipped with Samsung’s SmartThings app, which allows users to control several appliances at once.

The company will also supply technology to enrich the smart city residents’ quality of life. This is to come in the form of air monitors, purifiers and ventilation devices. 

Eco Delta Smart City

The Busan Eco Delta Smart City will cost a projected 2.2 trillion South Korean won (approx. €1.6bn). The land will cover around 11.8 sq km, with a projected population of around 8,500 people. The city will be constructed by K-water, with a set of clear goals and aims for the project. 

“The National Pilot Smart City was implemented to freely demonstrate and integrate technologies”, officials said in a statement. “In addition, it is pursuing the goal of presenting the future smart city leading model by creating an innovative industrial ecosystem that can implement creative business models”.

Plans for the Smart City

Officials describe the Smart City as a “mecca of the future industry”, with the technology to improve the quality of life for citizens across education, culture, health and safety, as well as the environment. The smart city will reportedly be inspired by the theme of water, located next to the  Semulderi Waterfront Space. 

There are big ambitions to create networks based around certain industries, such as virtual and augmented reality, hydrothermal energy, automation and robotics. This is to create jobs and ensure economic sustainability for this new smart city.

In particular, there will be three operation platforms that will dictate industry and workflow in the city. These are named digital city, augmented city and robot city. Officials state that this is “to create a leading smart city model that creates innovative changes in the urban field”.

Samsung’s Role In the Smart City

Samsung’s smart home systems are intended to enhance the residents’ experience in five sectors: healthcare, robots, living environment, data and water. The smart city is intended to be a “living lab platform”, which invites consumers and partners to network and create products and services. 

The company hopes to implement technology that has a direct impact on the quality of life of its users. Air quality in the smart homes will be monitored and managed by sensors and Samsung’s air purifier. The SmartThings operating system will track the consumption of energy of its users, intended to help save on electricity and power costs. There will also be “smart farms” located in the city. These connect with kitchen devices, informing residents of recipes they can make based on produce on the farm. 

In a statement, Samsung’s Internet of Things head Park Chan-woo said “We will continue to try our best for the development of smart home solutions so that customers can enjoy their lifestyle using personalised home appliances”. 

Samsung previously implemented its smart homes in Seocho, Seoul. However, this new city will take the company’s domestic ambitions to new heights.