Application of Acoustic Sensing Technology for Improving Building Energy Efficiency

AbstractBuildings are one of the leading energy consumers in Europe. To improve energy efficiency in the built environment means to optimise the operation of building systems. Acoustics potentially provide an important information source to support the assessment of the operation of buildings. Recently, different approaches to the application of acoustic sensing technology have been studied. This paper presents an overview of three on-going projects which look at how sounds can be utilized to reduce energy consumption in buildings. In the “Sounds for Energy Control of Buildings” (S4ECoB) project the primary goal is the establishment of more energy-efficient buildings through the optimization of existing BMS. The “Experimenting Acoustics in Real environment using Innovative Test-beds” (EAR-IT) project aims to develop acoustic mass flows maps which provide awareness of the flows of masses. The “Energy efficient & Cost competitive retrofitting solutions for Shopping buildings” (EcoShopping) project purpose is to increase the energy efficiency of a building and to optimize the investments necessary in building retrofitting. Diverse methodologies and technologies (wired, wireless and mobile) are tested in realistic conditions provided by each demonstrator

Emotions in context: examining pervasive affective sensing systems, applications, and analyses

Pervasive sensing has opened up new opportunities for measuring our feelings and understanding our behavior by monitoring our affective states while mobile. This review paper surveys pervasive affect sensing by examining and considering three major elements of affective pervasive systems, namely; “sensing”, “analysis”, and “application”. Sensing investigates the different sensing modalities that are used in existing real-time affective applications, Analysis explores different approaches to emotion recognition and visualization based on different types of collected data, and Application investigates different leading areas of affective applications. For each of the three aspects, the paper includes an extensive survey of the literature and finally outlines some of challenges and future research opportunities of affective sensing in the context of pervasive computing

Supporting Cyber-Physical Systems with Wireless Sensor Networks: An Outlook of Software and Services

Sensing, communication, computation and control technologies are the essential building blocks of a cyber-physical system (CPS). Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a way to support CPS as they provide fine-grained spatial-temporal sensing, communication and computation at a low premium of cost and power. In this article, we explore the fundamental concepts guiding the design and implementation of WSNs. We report the latest developments in WSN software and services for meeting existing requirements and newer demands; particularly in the areas of: operating system, simulator and emulator, programming abstraction, virtualization, IP-based communication and security, time and location, and network monitoring and management. We also reflect on the ongoing efforts in providing dependable assurances for WSN-driven CPS. Finally, we report on its applicability with a case-study on smart buildings

Scenarios for Educational and Game Activities using Internet of Things Data

Raising awareness among young people and changing their behavior and habits concerning energy usage and the environment is key to achieving a sustainable planet. The goal to address the global climate problem requires informing the population on their roles in mitigation actions and adaptation of sustainable behaviors. Addressing climate change and achieve ambitious energy and climate targets requires a change in citizen behavior and consumption practices. IoT sensing and related scenario and practices, which address school children via discovery, gamification, and educational activities, are examined in this paper. Use of seawater sensors in STEM education, that has not previously been addressed, is included in these educational scenaria