CS/ECE 5780/6780 » CS/ECE 5780/6780 Spring'12 » ECE 5780 S12 Groups » Smart Facilities

Our project is geared toward improving technologies in high-density housing, in the context of enhancing convenience for residents in apartment buildings.

A fully integrated system would give each resident an update on a variety of things in or around the apartment building. Through internet access or a hard-wired visual display, residents would be able to see who’s at the front door (in buildings where a visitor needs to be buzzed in), the status of in-house facilities (laundry room, rec room, pool), the outside temperature, or utility usage.

To narrow the scope of the project, we are focusing on helping to inform the residents of the status of shared laundry facilities — which are often on the ground floor — to save people unnecessary trips back and forth to determine if the washers or dryers are available. This is a common frustration for apartment dwellers, and can lead to lost revenue for the owners if the residents simply decide to go to a laundromat instead.