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Digital, energy self-sufficient extension for existing advertising pillars informs
and warns citizens of dangers and in the event of a crisis
The classic advertising pillar, a cylindrical column that has been around in Germany for more than 170 years, is experiencing a renaissance as a warning multiplier. The idea: if other communication media such as mobile phones, the Internet or television fail during a blackout, the energy self-sufficient advertising pillar 4.0 can continue to inform people.
On Thursday, the LOEWE center emergenCITY, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the media company Ströer put the prototype, which was developed in a joint research cooperation, into operation on Riegerplatz in Darmstadt. In addition to the technical testing, scientific studies will subsequently show how the people of Darmstadt perceive the warning pillar.
Hessian Science Minister Timon Gremmels and Hessian Digital Minister Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus emphasized the importance of this innovation in their opening speeches. “At the LOEWE center emergenCITY, researchers are working on solutions that will ensure emergency operation in the event of a crisis and enable rapid assistance and a return to normality,” Gremmels said. “The advertising pillar 4.0 uses an everyday object that we are all familiar with for crisis communication in an innovative way. The project thus impressively demonstrates the important role our universities and non-university research institutions play in overcoming the challenges of our time.”
“All around well informed, even in a crisis - that is the principle of the advertising pillar 4.0,” Digital Minister Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus emphasized. “In an increasingly digitalized world, we must ensure that our infrastructures remain functional even in the event of a crisis. emergenCITY's research work makes an important contribution to this, which we want to build on with a new center for digital resilience in catastrophes.”
“Pioneer in resilient digital emergency communication”
Darmstadt's Mayor Hanno Benz explained: “As the City of Science Darmstadt, we are delighted to be a pioneer in resilient digital emergency communication with the advertising pillar 4.0. With this innovative solution, we can reliably warn and inform people in our city in special situations.” Paul Georg Wandrey, Head of the building and public order department, emphasized the role for disaster and civil protection: “The 21st century is characterized by crises. We should be prepared for the next disaster. In an emergency, we must be able to ensure that we can reliably reach all city residents. Resilient emergency communication is a key component of this.”
“Lighthouse project under the leadership of TU Darmstadt”
Since 2020, researchers at the LOEWE center emergenCITY have been working on the question of how resilient information and communication systems can help people to be better prepared for disasters. “It is a lighthouse project under the leadership of TU Darmstadt that focuses on the future-relevant topic of digital resilience, from basic research to transfer,” said Prof. Dr. Matthias Oechsner, Vice President of TU Darmstadt.
“Digital technologies must support our society in becoming more resilient,” added
Prof. Dr. Matthias Hollick, scientific coordinator of emergenCITY. “With LOEWE emergenCITY, we are working towards this aim, and I am delighted that with the advertising pillar 4.0 we are bringing part of our research to the people on the street.”
Critical infrastructures are vulnerable Blackouts, i.e. large-scale, long-lasting power outages, are extremely rare. However, given the increasing threats of natural disasters or geopolitical conflicts, and due to digitalization and networking, critical infrastructures in particular are vulnerable. If the power lasts for an extended period, neither mobile networks, landline telephony, internet, nor television can be adequately supplied with emergency power. They would no longer be available for crisis communication.
In his search for suitable media, architect and emergenCITY scientist Dr. Joachim Schulze came across a classic part of outdoor advertising, the advertising pillar. "Evenly distributed throughout cities, these pillars offer several advantages: They are an integral part of the cityscape. There are 155 in Darmstadt alone, and around 65,000 across Germany. Unlike other digital outdoor media, they are located in residential areas, just a 300-meter walk away throughout the city center,” said Schulze, who is also the initiator of the advertising pillar 4.0.
Outdoor media already part of the warning and security infrastructure nowadays
Alexander Stotz, CEO of Ströer Media Deutschland GmbH, added: "The advertising pillar is a piece of street furniture with a very long history, high public acceptance, and a distinctive presence in our cities." The role of the advertising column has always been to inform citizens about official announcements or important and urgent news. Thanks to the new possibility of displaying motifs digitally, outdoor media can communicate in real time. They are therefore increasingly taking on additional tasks and, thanks to their connection to the warning system of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, are now part of the warning and security infrastructure in public spaces. Many thousands of screens nationwide are already connected to the system and can thus be interrupted by warning messages – for example, from local crisis teams – to inform
the population in real time and with a wide reach.
"The advertising pillar 4.0 is the next evolution of this iconic medium and an important additional building block for providing services and infrastructure in public spaces for cities, municipalities, and their residents in the event of a blackout," said Stotz. As one of Germany's leading media companies, the company sees itself as having a societal duty to its citizens to implement these added values in the media.
Energy self-sufficient thanks to photovoltaics and fuel cells
"Advertising pillars also offer the structural prerequisites for integrating the technology," Schulze emphasized. The emergenCITY researchers developed the prototype together with Ströer as part of a research collaboration that began in October 2023. Other partners, such as the Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt, Darmstadt Marketing GmbH, and the Darmstadt fire department, were also involved.
The advertising pillar 4.0 is an extension for existing advertising columns. The existing capital is replaced by a new top equipped with three LED displays that can show information and warnings from authorities. The digital display is powered by a methanol fuel cell from SFC Energy AG, which was also acquired as a sponsoring partner. Two photovoltaic modules on the roof ensure the standby operation of the receiver, which the fire department can control. In the event of a power outage, the advertising pillar can be operated for up to 72 hours. In the future, the new warning multiplier could also be integrated into the federal government’s modular warning system.
Scientific studies and technical testing
Over the next six months, scientists from emergenCITY and the Digital Resilience Xchange (DiReX) transfer and application center, which is also affiliated with TU Darmstadt and is currently being founded, will initially investigate how the advertising pillar 4.0 will be accepted by city residents.
Surveys, censuses and human-computer interaction studies are planned for this purpose. Further tests will be conducted in collaboration with Ströer, the fire department, the city of Darmstadt, and Darmstadt Marketing GmbH.
With regard to the long-term goal, Alexander Stotz from Ströer concluded: “If safety
communication is to work and reach everyone, a project like this must be rolled out and
implemented on a large scale - ideally across Germany. In the long term, this will only work in collaboration with the cities.”
http://Press contact
http://Angela Zimmerling
http://Communications and
http://Public Relations Officer
http://press@emergencity.de
http://tel. +496151 16-25489
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