Wireless Sensor Network-Based Streetlight Monitoring System with Theft Detection Features

Street lighting systems are essential for rural and urban development as they provide safety for motorists and pedestrians. It is also forecasted the emergence of intelligent street lighting as part of the development of smart cities. However, streetlights are prone to infrastructure theft and electricity pilferage, especially those installed in poor urban regions where cabled streetlights are commonly used. In this study, the researchers developed a prototype application-specific device called Intelligent Monitoring System for Streetlights with Theft Identification Feature (iMoSSTIF). This device is capable of monitoring the different electrical parameters associated with the health of the street lighting it monitors. Moreover, the device can detect the following events: (a) power cable theft and its location; (b) lamp theft and its location; (c) burnt-out lamp and its location; and (d) electricity theft and the size of the overloading. This is done by deploying various sensors in the street lighting system using the wireless sensor network (WSN) technology. Moreover, the system is equipped with an alarm feature when such activities are detected. GSM module is also installed in the device so that it can text streetlight administrators responsible for streetlight monitoring when strange incidents occur. Finally, the researchers tested the device through a prototype street lighting system. The result shows that the iMoSSTIF is 100% accurate in detecting the aforementioned illegal activities.