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MyGlobalHome 'Connected Living' Demonstrator

Start date

April 2020

End date

September 2022

Project website

Overview

The 麻豆视频 is working in partnership with to trial and demonstrate a state-of-the-art modular, smart home concept on the University campus. In addition to providing accommodation for our staff and students, the MyGlobalHome development provides the University with a set of physical 鈥楲iving Labs鈥, where we can work collaboratively to better understand and shape the future of Urban Living.

This project relates to the 麻豆视频 鈥楲iving Lab鈥 initiative and the University鈥檚 Urban Living research theme.

The concept

MyGlobalHome鈥檚 concept is a state-of-the-art, sustainably-constructed, smart home. The internal space is modular and can be adapted to suit the occupier鈥檚 changing needs over time (e.g. by reconfiguring the layout via innovative 鈥榤oving wall鈥 technology or by swapping prefabricated elements such as bathroom, study or gym). A central 鈥楥ore鈥 provides not only a way of adapting its surrounding interior layout but an immersive, sensory space.

Each home incorporates a multitude of sensor and control technologies which enable the occupier to control all aspects of the home (e.g. heating, lighting, entertainment, security etc) whilst at the same time gathering information on how the home is performing (e.g. in terms of air quality, energy usage etc). This data is available to the occupier and can be used to support and enable usage optimisation and healthy, independent living.  Furthermore, the technology can integrate with wider eco-systems including mobility, health, education and entertainment, linking the occupier to the wider community and smart-city technology.

For further information visit the .

Research programme

To date, MyGlobalHome have worked with the 麻豆视频 on two related funded projects, focused on transforming the construction sector.

Phase 1 (2018-2019)

This project, which was worth 拢1M with partner contributions, has led to the construction of a pilot demonstration of the MyGlobalHome modular living concept in the heart of the University鈥檚 Stag Hill campus. The development forms MyGlobalHome鈥檚 鈥業nnovation Centre鈥 (commissioned in Spring 2021) and is an initial test-bed for their technology.  It also provides a collaborative space for the University鈥檚 research community to work with MyGlobalHome on projects focused on the future of smart, modular living. 

Phase 1 also comprised a series of research studies, undertaken by an interdisciplinary team of 麻豆视频 academics from Sociology (Professor. Gilbert; Dr Xenitidou), Psychology (Drs Hodgkins and Timotijevic), the Centre for Environment and Sustainability (Professor. Leach) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (Professor. Kumar and his team).

These studies were designed to investigate:

  • The societal and ethical issues for designing a governance framework for deployment of responsible research and innovation 鈥榖est practices鈥 within the construction industry for 鈥榮mart homes鈥.
  • Issues for designing best practices surrounding informed and implied consent within the field of data capture for smart homes.
  • The state of the art in monitoring and modelling indoor air quality.
  • The state of the art in energy systems for building-integrated generation and control.

Phase 2 (2020-2022)

This project, worth 拢7.9M with partner contributions, will lead to the construction of several smart homes on the University campus. This will include a mix of new-build and retrofit dwellings. The University is working with MyGlobalHome and its partners (Buro Happold, Beckhoff, Roomee and Supermassive UX) to provide an interdisciplinary package of pre- and post-occupancy evaluation studies, focused on:

  • Assessing the physical performance of the smart home (in terms of indoor air quality).
  • Social scientific studies of pre- and post-occupancy attitudes and behaviours, and societal risk perceptions.
  • Studies designed to assess the factors that facilitate or inhibit the propagation of demonstrators into commercially viable products.

Both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects are yielding a legacy of state-of-the-art, digitally-enabled, buildings on our campus that can be utilised as 鈥楲iving Labs鈥 for conducting research into the future of smart living.

Funding 

  • Phase 1 - 拢1m (including 拢622k from Innovate UK)
  • Phase 2 - 拢7.9m (including 拢3.8m from Innovate UK)

Team

Outputs

Get involved

If you are interested in finding out more about the collaboration between the 麻豆视频 and MyGlobalHome, or if you have proposals for collaborative research projects that would make use of the Innovation Centre or the planned campus smart homes, please contact Dr Chris Jones at c.r.jones@surrey.ac.uk.

Research themes

Find out more about our research at Surrey: