Pilot project for smart building services technology investigates the functionality of building services technology in the future in an everyday environment

In the future, competition for users of buildings will take place through virtual reality, for example, and traditional office buildings will not be able to respond to these encounters and experiences.

The 'Pilot project for smart building services technology', which was launched in the summer, is examining how buildings of the future will operate intelligently. The aim is to investigate questions such as how different building services technology systems can be utilised in order to reach the best possible conditions from the point of view of the employee.

The 'Pilot project for smart building services technology', which was launched in the summer, is examining how buildings of the future will operate intelligently. The aim is to investigate questions such as how different building services technology systems can be utilised in order to reach the best possible conditions from the point of view of the employee.

'With sensible building services technology we can cut the lifetime costs of a building and manage to improve its utilisation ratio. The aim is to develop the facilities so that they can be altered according to the situation at hand', says Professor of Practice Jaakko Ketomäki. 

More efficient use of space through sensible building services technology

With the use of smart  building services technology, facilities can be taken into use more efficiently: The utilisation ratio of space improves, and needs come together in everyday life. The newest technologies make it possible to ascertain how much the facilities are used and in what situations.  With the help of information measured in this way it is possible to design the space to be more functional and to gauge maintenance services according to need.

For smart solutions to be implemented, there are requirements regarding several aspects, such as building services technology systems that function in sync with each other, solutions involving the internet of things, user interfaces that are easy to use, data analytics, and guidance solutions with a capacity to learn.

'It is not only about this one project - it's actually about a process. The aim is that students, for instance, could utilise these pilot platforms in their own work', says Professor of Practice Heikki Ihasalo

The equipment used in the pilot primarily comprises products used in the project with whose help the newest technology has been made available to the facilities used in the pilot. Items installed in the facilities include: Control system for lighting, building automation, security and access monitoring, camera surveillance, indoor positioning, and IoT sensors.

The pilot project is part of the Aalto Industrial Internet Campus (AIIC), which brings together the research activities of the Aalto Internet of things and industrial digitalisation for the creation of shared research platforms and experimental set-ups, in areas such as manufacturing the process industry, as well as construction and building management.

'Smart buildings are an excellent target for the Internet of things. The pilot being set up complements the current research platforms of the industrial internet on the campus, while enabling the cross-utilisation of results and understanding from different fields', says Professor Martti Mäntylä of the  Department of Computer Science, who is the godfather of the campus of the industrial internet    

The project will be completed by the end of 2018.  The aim is to get information on how different systems in building services technology can be harmonised, and where the technical challenges lie. In addition, the project examines how different kinds of traditional user interfaces such as keys and a touch screen, and newer ones such as voice and gesture guidance, are applicable for the guidance of smart buildings.

The following companies are involved in the project: Beckhoff, Caverion, Fidelix, Granlund, Helvar, KNX-Finland, KT-interior, Mirasys, NCC, Schneider-Electric, Siemens, Swegon, Connected Finland, Soficta and Flexitila.

More information about the project:

Professor of Practice Jaakko Ketomäki
[email protected]
tel. +358 50 3000 119

Professor of Practice Heikki Ihasalo
[email protected]
tel. +358 40 8209623

Smart buildings and services (eea.aalto.fi)

Aalto Industrial Internet Campus (AIIC) (aiic.aalto.fi)