Automating urban safety with IoT road heating systems

Our client is a Japanese technology company that specializes in IoT systems and solutions. One of their solutions helps public-sector operators connect environmental sensors to automated control platforms, enabling the management of physical infrastructure without constant human oversight. Cities and infrastructure operators adopt their solutions to keep essential services running through difficult conditions.

Business challenge

Snow is one of those conditions, and in Japan it is a serious one. As it builds up on roads, it slows traffic, raises the risk of accidents, and puts pedestrians in danger. The standard fix is a network of underground heaters that melt the snow before it settles, and the client handles this network. The client’s biggest problem was control, since there was no single system to monitor the whole network and adjust it in real time. Besides, simply switching the heaters on was not enough, as operators also needed a live camera view of the roads to confirm the system was working and step in manually when necessary.

With the available sensor ecosystem and data, the client decided to partner with VNEXT, a software engineering partner experienced inIoT development services and real-time web application development. VNEXT took on the project, ready to help deliver this proactive road safety solution within a demanding timeline.

Solution delivered

VNEXT built a web application that works as a single command center for the road heating network. The solution allows users to link environmental sensors to the road heaters, so the system can respond to freezing temperatures on its own, while still leaving room for manual control whenever it's needed.

A strategic two-phase development approach

We split the work into two phases, starting with the data and building up from there.

Phase 1 - Core functions and data preparation

The team began with the ‘master’ management functions. This involved building the backend logic to categorize sensor data, mapping sensors to specific geographic boiler locations, and setting up the data structures required for the hardware-to-cloud connection. By solidifying the data first, our team created a stable base for the more complex integration work.

Phase 2 - Management dashboards & Live integration

With the foundation set, phase 2 focused on the user-facing management screens and the live connection to hardware. This phase enabled real-time data streaming, allowing the system to reflect actual temperature changes and sensor statuses on a live dashboard.

Key system features

• Sensor-boiler linking: By linking temperature sensors to underground boilers, the system automatically warms the road surface whenever readings drop below a set threshold.
• Real-time monitoring and remote control: Users can check the status of every unit from the web interface and switch heaters on or off remotely, which lets administrators step in during unusual weather or maintenance.
• Live camera view: The dashboard shows a grid of live camera feeds, so operators can see the real status of the road and confirm what the sensors are reporting.
• Scalable cloud integration: Using AWS, the system handles heavy image data from cameras and constant telemetry from sensors without performance degradation.

Technologies & Tools

Frontend: VueJS, Angular, ReactJS

Backend: PHP Laravel, Flutter, Swift, React Native

Server: EC2, S3, RDS (MySQL)

Team scale

VNEXT mobilized a specialized 6-person team to deliver the project. The team composition was strategically chosen to balance rapid development with rigorous quality assurance.

• Project Manager (1): planning, delivery, and technical direction for the client's requirements
• Backend & frontend developers (2): skilled in PHP, VueJS, and mobile tech, including Flutter and Swift
• QA & Testing Leader (3): Quality was overseen by a Tester Leader with 10 years of experience in test management and manual testing to keep the heaters' safety logic reliable

Process

Discovery phase

Because the client's requirements were vague at the start, our team focused on close, direct collaboration instead of a heavy process. We held regular internal reviews to share business logic across the backend, frontend, and mobile work, keeping everyone aligned as the sensor integration and management dashboard took shape. Whenever a specification was unclear, we noted it and confirmed it with the client right away, so our decisions were based on real answers and demands.

Platform implementation

The system we've developed is a centralized web application for the intelligent monitoring and control of road heating infrastructure. It connects environmental sensors directly to underground road heaters, enabling the network to respond automatically to freezing conditions and helping operators prevent hazardous, icy road surfaces while reducing unnecessary energy use.

Through a network of sensors distributed across multiple locations and a unified web interface, operators and maintenance teams can continuously monitor road and weather conditions in real time. The interface provides live visibility into sensor readings, boiler status, heating activity, and on-site camera feeds, allowing teams to confirm conditions on the ground, respond to sudden weather changes, and manage the entire heating network from one place.

AWS cloud migration

To manage the large volume of image data from the cameras and the constant readings from the sensor network without any drop in performance, we run the solution on AWS cloud infrastructure using Kubernetes, giving the client a scalable setup that can grow right alongside their expanding network of sensors.

Continuous Q&A, QA, and testing

To remove any uncertainty, we kept an ongoing Q&A log, noting and confirming anything unclear in the client's specifications. Each feature then went through careful QA and testing, from small unit checks to full system tests, making sure the hardware worked reliably across the whole sensor dashboard.

Business outcome

By combining IoT expertise with strong web app development, VNEXT has become the development enabler behind our client's intelligent road heating platform. The platform gives operators complete real-time control over the road heating network, automatically responding to freezing conditions to keep roads safe while cutting unnecessary energy use and reducing manual monitoring. With a stable, cloud-ready foundation now in place, the client is well positioned to expand their network across new locations and grow the solution alongside rising demand for smarter, safer road infrastructure.