The cutting edge of construction technology is only going to improve as the IoT continues to evolve.
Businesses are taking a cue from the smart home phenomenon and integrating new technology to make their businesses into smart buildings. Much of this technology is meant to increase security while also increasing convenience and efficiency. These functions are slowly being converted into analogous systems that make an interconnected network.
Internet of things
If you’re interested in smart buildings, it’s important to understand what the internet of things (IoT) is. In general, it’s the idea of an interconnected system of computers, devices and people. It involves the use of devices and technology with the embedded ability to be connected to a network. The major benefit to IoT is the ability to streamline certain processes.
For example, in a smart home scenario, a refrigerator connected to the internet can send alerts that you’re low on milk to your phone when you’re on your way home from work, according to analytics company SAS. Likewise, a transportation company with connected devices can keep track of its fleet, monitoring vehicle maintenance schedules and fuel usage.
CANDI is a company that specializes in building the IoT at your business, allowing you to control and automate several functions from one interface. Its interface, called PowerTools, connects with hundreds of different smart building devices through the cloud. You don’t have to construct a smart building from the ground up. According to CANDI, special gateways allow you to connect legacy devices to the network.
Wireless sensors and data collection is a big part of IoT. Sensors placed in a variety of spots for different devices can feed you data about your building, including sound, light, temperature and occupancy of different rooms. This is useful for determining certain usage of rooms, energy, water and other analytics to help you make decisions about resource use.
This interconnected nature of every aspect of the building almost turns it into a living, breathing being that runs itself efficiently. Saving energy is a big part of this status; smart buildings are often green buildings as well. Comprehensive information on how your building uses energy will be invaluable to cutting down on electricity and gas. You can further automate the process by linking switches or actuators to the IoT. For instance, they can switch lights off when no one is in a room. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning can all be part of IoT too. A sensor developed by Carnegie Mellon University, if placed in a break room, can even determine how many sheets of paper towels are left, just by sound, and will automatically order new rolls when they begin to run out.
