In the brainstorming phase, we contacted a private cleaning provider set in Udine, whose owner made us perceive the optimization of the winter salt spreading as a real problem. We thought immediately that also other providers could have the same problem.
Every winter a huge amount of salt is spread on the streets both to prevent and to remove icing. Operators usually decide the amount of salt to spread based on experience, leading to a great amount of salt being wasted. Salt can lead to potholes, especially under extreme cold and in already damaged roads. This entails not only an economic impact but also a negative environmental impact. Moreover, the proof of work during salting service is usually done in an old-fashioned way, like a simple paper declaring the work done, without any data support. Due to the poor transparency towards citizens, there is lots of extra work to do for the public administration.
Dyster is a plug-and-play control system, suitable for the majority of spreaders. It automatically adjusts the spreading in real-time based on driving conditions sensed by environmental sensors. Precise dosage enables not only to save up to 10% of salt-related costs, but also decreases road deterioration and reduces environmental impact. Furthermore, Dyster web application collects and stores anonymous data about the drivers’ work, so that municipalities can monitor the trucks during operations. The information about road conditions can also be available to citizens for increased transparency.
