In the past, tracking assets across one or more facilities was a time-consuming process. That’s changed a bit over the last couple of decades as developers created software solutions, mobile devices, and other smart technologies to help facility managers get the job done more efficiently. Now, a report is highlighting the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in newer generations of industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices and software that will optimize the process even further.
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The Industrial Internet Consortium® (IIC™) announced results for the Deep Learning Facility Testbed. IIC-member participants Dell EMC and Toshiba co-developed an application to explore deep learning through neural networks within an IoT platform to optimize asset utilization in an office building.
The Deep Learning Facility Testbed, located in a Toshiba facility in Kawasaki, Japan, analyzes 35,000 measured data points per minute, working to optimize the maintenance of monitored assets of the building. With this amount of data collected, the testbed relies on artificial intelligence to detect anomalies in order to improve the overall experience for workers at or visitors to the facility with things like prioritized elevator scheduling and automated temperature and lighting controls.
Building structures vary, and it’s costly to design an anomaly detection system to fit the building. The testbed application learns what a normal condition would be using data aggregated from many sensors installed in the facility. The team has been able to use the data to determine an unusual condition, locate the suspected device and let staff check if the inference is correct. For example, the testbed detected the unusual state of the air conditioning equipment in the kitchen, and building facility management staff found out that the air intake ducts in the kitchen had been closed to avoid odor by kitchen staff.
“IoT is an important enabler for energy efficiency, but a large building complex requires thousands of sensors to track ambient conditions, traffic flow, and occupancy,” said Ken Hatano, Chief Specialist in Deep Learning Technology Department of Software and AI Technology Center, Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation. “Buildings also have HVAC systems, fans, lights, and elevators that consume energy. Monitoring all of these sensors and assets is no small task.”
“The deployment of an IoT system for a smart building will maximize the value of big data collection through deep learning analytics,” said Dr. Said Tabet, IIC Deep Learning Testbed lead, and Lead Technologist for IoT Strategy, Dell EMC. “A smart building will improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and maximize the use of assets.”
According to the Navigant Research Smart Buildings and Smart Cities Q3, 2017 report, the global smart buildings for smart cities market is expected to grow from $3.6 billion in 2017 to $10.2 billion by 2026.
About Industrial Internet Consortium
The Industrial Internet Consortium™ (IIC) is the world’s leading membership program transforming business and society by accelerating the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The IIC delivers a trustworthy IIoT in which the world’s systems and devices are securely connected and controlled to deliver transformational outcomes. The Industrial Internet Consortium is a program of the Object Management Group (OMG). For more information, visit www.iiconsortium.org.