One of the technological challenges associated with the broader concept of 'smart city' is to transform urban facilities into information channels -particularly the Internet- of a flexible, registrable and universally accessible nature. iPavement, developed by the Spanish company Vía Inteligencia, is an 'intelligent' paving system designed to respond to part of these demands.

iPavement consists of natural stone tiles, 40 x 40 centimeters on each side, 7 centimeters thick and weighing 24 kilograms, inside which is integrated a plate that functions both as a transmitter/receiver of a wireless network compatible with WiFi and Bluetooth technology. The connectivity provided by the wireless network endows the system with a multitude of features, ranging from Internet services to emergency alerts and general information on city events. In addition, iPavement can incorporate multifunctional sensors, from accelerometers to measure vibrations to thermometers, so that it can work as an urban monitoring system.

The choice of natural stone (calcium carbonate) as the base material for the tiles not only ensures proper handling and durability, but also allows electromagnetic waves to propagate smoothly through the tiles. The tiles are available in two commercial formats: a conventional, non-slip one, and a grooved or 'podotactile' one, designed for blind or visually impaired people.

With an emission coverage that, depending on the environment, ranges from 350 to 580 square meters, each tile has a capacity of 5 GB, and operates in a temperature range from -10 to 45º C, up to a maximum height of 3,000.

Tested on an experimental basis with a pilot installation consisting of 375 tiles and located in Madrid's Puerta del Sol thanks to an agreement with the local government, the iPavement system has just been presented internationally.