Smart space

By Lauren Bartlett, September 28, 2007 @ 11:46 am

Professor Olaf Diegel. Idealog September/October 2007, page 25. Photography by Matthew Williams. Manipulated by Adrian Clapperton

Want to live like a Jetson? Professor Olaf Diegel may be building your next home

Smart watch: Uses RFI (radio frequency identifier) technology to communicate with the systems in the house via the RFID sensors. Each smart watch is programmed with personal needs and preferences, and can also communicate with other smart gadgets. Fashionistas need not be concerned—smaller versions are in the works

When Bill Gates built his dream home, it seemed as if the Jetsons had landed on the shores of Lake Washington. The house features automatic lighting, music and heating that switch on when a Gates enters a room. Still, the US$23 million price tag is out of the reach of most of us.

But if you want to live like a Jetson and don’t have a Gates-sized budget, help is at hand. Professor Olaf Diegel and a collaborative team from AUT University and Massey University are working with wireless technology to deliver a smart house at an affordable price.

The system works by placing RFID (radio frequency identification) sensors at two-metre intervals in the ceiling, while the homeowner wears a watch with a wireless identifier, similar to an electronic version of a barcode. The watch is loaded with information on everything from the wearer’s music tastes to health needs. As occupants walk past the scanning system, the computer recognises them and customises the room, just as in the Gates mansion.

But it’s not just for gadget freaks and the lazy. “This system has huge potential for the elderly or people with health problems,” says Diegel, the director of AUT’s Creative Industries Research Institute. “For instance, the sensors can monitor your heart rate and if your heart stops, the house will automatically call an ambulance and tell them exactly where you are.” The sensors can also monitor diabetics’ blood sugar and even tell Alzheimer’s sufferers where items in the house are located, such as keys or glasses.

With an ageing population and limited space in hospitals and rest homes, the system has a huge potential market. However, Diegel agrees some people may struggle with the ‘big brother’ nature of the system.

“It’s really the ultimate fusion of engineering, science and the humanities,” he says. “The computer knows exactly where you are in a space at all times and can effectively make decisions about what is the best course of action to take for your welfare.”

Though it sounds like science fiction, Diegel says it’s not a large step before the RFID system will be available to the public. An automated office system is already partly built at AUT and should be finished by the end of the year.

“Because we’re working on a system that is run across the ceiling, rather than inside walls and under floors, it can be easily installed in pre-existing homes.”

Perhaps the best thing about the system is the cost—Diegel estimates wannabe Jetsons will be able to kit out a 150-square-metre house for around $20,000. Now Gates can fit out the holiday home, too.

Originally published in Idealog #11, page 25