Korean company Blakstone utilizes smart sensors to tackle the problem of rising temperatures in “heat islands.”

Heat islands refer to urban areas that experience higher temperatures than its surrounding regions. As urban structures such as buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, cities are prone to becoming “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas.

Blakstone’s Clean Road System sprays recycled wastewater generated in subways onto asphalt roads, of which the surface temperature can rise up to 60 degrees Celsius or more during summer heat waves. Smart sensors calculate how much heat has been reduced after the water is sprayed, and automatically determines the number and volume of sprays in the event of a special heat wave or fine dust.

The company's recent achievements include the successful installation and operation of its Clean Road System across some 10 kilometers of roads in cities like Seoul, Daegu and Anseong in Gyeonggi Province.