Journal
Anomaly Detection on the Edge Using Smart Cameras Under Low-Light Conditions
MDPI Sensors, 2024.
DCMS 5G Programme CoCoRE
Connected Communities in the Rural Economy (CoCoRE)
(2020-2021)
5G Networks
Edge Computing
Anomaly Detection
Deep Learning
Cybersecurity
Internet of Things (IoT)
Infrastructure / Systems (IS)
Project Overview
Rural communities face persistent digital connectivity gaps that limit economic growth and access to modern services. The Connected Communities in the Rural Economy (CoCoRE) project brings together universities, regional councils in Monmouthshire and Blaenau Gwent, and technology partners including Cisco and Utterberry to deploy 5G-enabled services across south-east Wales. With speeds up to ten times faster than 4G and greatly increased mobile capacity, 5G unlocks new opportunities for underserved rural areas. Key use cases include immersive tourism experiences that attract visitors to Welsh heritage sites and smart farming security solutions that protect agricultural assets using IoT sensor networks. The project employs emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, edge computing, and cybersecurity within an integrated innovation platform to demonstrate how next-generation connectivity can stimulate growth in regions that traditional broadband has not adequately served.
The School of Computer Science and Informatics at Cardiff University leads the edge analytics research stream within CoCoRE. This stream examines how to process data locally on resource-constrained devices while ensuring the resulting platforms remain secure and resilient against cyber threats, providing the analytical backbone for the project’s tourism and farming use cases.
Beyond tourism and agriculture, the work supports emerging applications such as autonomous vehicles and remote healthcare delivery. These use cases demonstrate how 5G infrastructure combined with edge AI can transform rural economies and improve quality of life in communities that have historically been underserved by digital networks. The project provides a replicable model for deploying next-generation connectivity services in regions where traditional broadband infrastructure remains limited.
Team
Omer Rana
Charith Perera