Page 8 - Spring 2024

and even guide robotic systems in assembling The solution is achieved through the application of
complex structures, ensuring adherence to design
specifications with minimal waste. ‘
The author then turns to extended reality (XR),
incorporating augmented reality, virtual reality
and mixed reality. These collectively provide
immersive design and planning tools that bridge
the gap between digital models and physical
construction with engineers able to visualise and
interact with building designs pre-construction.
Digital platforms that integrate project
management tools with real-time data from the
construction site are ‘becoming a cornerstone
of efficient offsite construction’ whilst wireless
technology promises to significantly enhance
connectivity between offsite manufacturing
facilities and construction sites:
‘ Enhanced bandwidth and lower latency enable
the seamless transfer of large datasets, support
remote operations, and facilitate the use of IoT
devices, improving coordination and efficiency
across projects. ‘
Meanwhile robotics ‘heralds a shift towards more
automated and precision-driven processes’ and
IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition
of materials during transport, track inventory and
ensure that components are assembled correctly.
Finally, 3D-printing and 4D-printing ( where
objects can change shape over time ) are seen
as having the potential to revolutionise how
components are produced for offsite construction,
opening up new design possibilities that have
been hitherto unachievable.
Further information may be obtained from
ehsan.noroozinejad@westernsydney.edu.au
Wireless Technology - The Key to Smart
Buildings
This article, by Co-founder and Vice President of
Business Development at EnOcean GmBH, Ermin
Anders, in Electrical Engineering, February 2024,
p.32-33, argues the case for wireless solutions to
supersede systems that rely on wiring for their
operation, and advocates in particular battery
free installations:
‘ With a large number of wireless sensors - in an
office building this can quickly amount to several
thousand - the process of battery replacement
and disposal can easily become a full-time job
for a facility manager, from access coordination,
device localisation, battery exchange, device
testing, documentation, battery storage, and
finally to disposal. ‘
8
the concept known as energy harvesting:
‘ Products with battery free wireless technology
harness the energy available in their immediate
surroundings.’
Energy harvesting has three forms - kinetic, solar
and thermal. With kinetic energy harvesting
a single press generates enough energy for
three wireless messages. An electromechanical
energy converter inside the switch housing then
converts the button press into electrical energy
in a similar manner to a bicycle dynamo. A
small, powered magnet drives a magnetic flux
through two magnetically conductive anchor
plates, which then close inside a U-shaped
core. An induction coil is wound around the core
which can be placed in two positions in which it
touches the respective opposing anchor plates.
This movement results in a sudden change in
the magnetic field, producing a voltage pulse
in the induction coil. Application is envisaged in
miniaturised switches and sensors in building
technology and industrial automation.
Solar energy harvesting is made possible through
the use of miniaturised solar modules which can
power radio modules with electricity even with low
interior light intensity. A temperature reading that
is to be transmitted every 15 minutes needs just 3.6
hours of charging per day at a brightness of 200
lux for uninterrupted operation. At this brightness
the solar cell can produce 3V whist an additional
Poly Acenic Semiconductor charging capacitor
allows the module to work in periods with no
ambient energy. When the energy storage is fully
charged the module can operate in complete
darkness for about a week without interruption.
Miniaturised solar modules are envisaged to allow
for maintenance-free window contacts as well as
sensing devices for temperature, gas, humidity,
light and human and animal presence.
The third type of energy harvesting, thermal, is
achieved using a Peltier element in combination
with a DC/DC converter (the EnOcean ECT310
Perpetuum). Even a small input voltage of 20
millivolts, corresponding to a temperature
difference of about 2 degrees Centigrade, can be
converted into a usable voltage of over 3V. The
larger the temperature difference, the greater
the amount of energy that can be harvested and
used, for example for radio communication and
actuation changes in in radiator actuation valves.
In combination with a solar-powered room sensor
a fully energy-autonomous individual room
control can be realised.
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