The advent of digital technology in the lives of each individual continues to shake up codes in order to improve everyday life. In the midst of a transformation, real estate is seeing the evolution of its buildings no longer carried out according to the traditional criteria of development, equipment, and location. From now on, the smart building is a necessity to meet the needs of users. It takes into account all available digital services in order to ensure perfect connectivity of network architecture and equipment. An ideal way to promote the comfort of everyone, the safety of the place, energy management, as well as the processing of information related to the building.

Smart Building Definition: Digital at the Service of Humans

It is in collaboration with the HQE-GBC Alliance and the Smart Building Alliance that the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion has established a framework to assist building and real estate professionals in the digital transition. It aims to determine a collaborative concept for a common definition of the intelligent building through different themes:

• Promoting quality of life: making digital services interoperable to meet users’ demands and expectations.
• Digital environment: build buildings configured to integrate a growing number of users connected objects into everyday life.
• Comfort and productivity: offer adapted facilities to avoid internet connection problems in both the workplace and individuals.
• Computer security: protecting personal data, as well as building technical systems against possible cyber attacks.
• Evolution and update: to promote the development of scalable digital infrastructure within buildings to combat the risk of obsolescence and reduce upgrade costs.

How does it work?

With the interconnectivity of digital and the concept of a smart building, the emblematic asset of the building of the future is undoubtedly remote control, also called home automation. Different devices communicate with each other within a dwelling, allowing them to be controlled and programmed from a smartphone or tablet. In the event of an anomaly or on request, the system sends a notification like an alarm during an intrusion into its owner.

Very convenient when you forget to turn off the light, switch on the washing machine or other, the connected home offers a wide selection of options for a perfectly controlled environment:

• Lighting
• Heating and air conditioning
• Alarms
• Electric shutters
• Portals
• Computers
• Televisions
• Appliances…

Connected building: the solution to sustainable energy savings?

Perfect control of a building’s infrastructure is also a key factor in reducing energy expenditure and promoting a greener approach. It provides real-time information on consumption habits and makes it easier to make adjustments to reduce them. During the winter, it is very easy to program your heating to turn off during the day and restart a few minutes before the children return from work or school.

Many startups are working with real estate professionals to integrate new digital services and technologies into the infrastructure of tomorrow. In terms of safety, the smart green building offers a level never before seen. Between remotely set alarms and notifications, it becomes easy to keep an eye on your home in real-time. In case of prolonged absence, it is also possible to simulate its presence through activation of the lighting and shutters.

The smart building, better than a classic anti-virus?

The only shadow in the picture is the threat of cybercrime and the protection of individual data. Can we be sure that personal information, consumer habits, and others are not used for profit or advertising purposes through connected objects? But most importantly, what would happen if a criminal took control of the system that governs the place?

This is something that application designers and construction professionals are working on to provide sustainable and effective solutions.

Both in the workplace and in the private sector, the intelligent building is emerging as a sustainable and scalable solution to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. The wide choice and interconnectivity of digital products and services create perfect control over the environment for optimal customization. Safety, comfort, ecology, energy management, all of which will continue to be refined over the next few years.

What about smart cars?

Smart cars are everywhere nowadays. If you’re living in a smart building and your car is still a manual 1990s model, you have a problem. Smart cars are not available anywhere in both North America and Europe. You can find used smart cars sold at Zemotor.com. 

Smart car: its features

The smart car can be defined by a vehicle with autonomous functions, regardless of the driver’s will, who assists or supplants it.

The energy used can be pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric.

The gain of these equipment brings more driving comfort, comfort for the occupants, passive safety, and active safety.

According to our definition, the smart car dates: in fact, chronologically, several innovations determine steps in the progression of the smart car and its exponential innovations

The first driving aids

In 1921, Renault filed a patent for the servo brake; if this system cannot yet be called intelligent, it is already an autonomous pneumatic system that starts up without the will of the driver: succinctly, the action on the brake pedal allows, with the help of the air depression present in the intake circuit, to create an additional pressing force increasing the braking force.

In the same vein, we can mention the power steering (first patent in 1932), which implements hydraulic energy: the action of the steering wheel controls hydraulic drawers supplying a dual-effect hydraulic jack, which assists the effort at the wheel.

Electronic management

Its principle is always based on the same pattern: a calculator collects information from sensors that transform physical sizes (temperature, speed, pressure, etc.) into variable electrical signals. It processes these signals to properly control actuators (injectors, EGR valves, etc.).

The first function that used this mode of operation was motor management: indeed, from the 1990s, this system can be described as intelligent insofar as it is capable:

Apply strategies defined by mapping

• self-diagnosis
• to apply procedures accordingly (degraded mode).
• It also automatically resets organs such as an injection butterfly case. All these actions are carried out without human intervention.

Multiplexing

Democratized in the 2000s, this evolution has excited the emergence of the smart car: it is a data exchange protocol that allows to simultaneously circulate an enormous amount of information, and to interconnect, by a bridge box (Intelligent Servitude Box) all the electronic systems of the vehicle:

Engine management

• passive safety (airbag…) and active (ABS, ESP…);
• comfort and air conditioning
• body (electric windows, electric mirrors…)
• Interconnectivity enables data collection and pooling: for example, “water temperature” information serves several functions such as engine management, air conditioning, and gearbox.

Without the driver’s awareness, the vehicle can initiate emergency procedures (braking, stopping lights, track control, etc.) or manage automated operations (active suspension, automatic headlight control, wiping, etc.).

The list of current non-exhaustive equipment

• Parking assistance
• blind-spot detection
• Braking aids
• Pedestrian airbag;
• Drowsiness detector;
• crossing the middle line;
• Traffic alert
• Autonomous driving
• Emergency call system
• stop and start, etc.

Why do people with money buy smart buildings and smart cars?

Right now, this technology is available only to people who can afford it. Rich people are always busy, that’s why they became rich. Their time is precious and in order to facilitate their daily lives faster, this intelligent technology can help them multiply their time.