Chicago this week began deploying sensors on light poles to monitor, photograph and listen to the city. The effort is costing as much as $7 million, and may be the largest urban data collection of its kind once all 500 nodes are in place.

The beehive-shaped nodes have an array of sensors with enough onboard computing capability to conduct data processing on the device and minimize the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit data.

Cameras will track the movement of pedestrians, vehicles and whether water is pooling on the street. Another camera will be pointed to the sky. A microphone will monitor noise levels. There will also be temperature, pressure, light and vibration sensors. Particle sensors will detect pollen. Gas sensors will check air quality, recording carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone. Even the magnetic field will be monitored.

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