see-it - Camera based, user centric daylight control system for optimized working conditions

Starting point / motivation

We already see Matrix headlights on the road today, they are state of the art in the car industry. The digital matrix sun visor "Virtual Visor", presented in 2020 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), may also soon protect us from glare in the car.

While light can be finely adjusted in the automotive sector, the sun's radiation through our large building windows can only be influenced in a relatively undifferentiated way with certain types of sunshades. At the same time, however, it is precisely this radiation through the transparent building envelope that determines the right workplace quality.

Adequate lighting leads to significantly better sleep, less sick leave, less painkillers taken. Good workplace lighting has been shown to have an impact on posture and thus musculoskeletal comfort and contact with the outside world also shows positive effects on health.

In the see-it project, we are researching the aforementioned technologies in the field of building construction and building automation for quality and performance improvements in the workplace.

Contents and goals

The project title see-it stands firstly for a sensor system that sees and detects people and secondly for the users who "see better" work tasks through ideal daylight conditions.

As a research project, see-it describes a model-predictive control ecosystem. It weighs different façade settings transdisciplinarily according to a target function. The target function includes, for example, best comfort, minimum CO2 emissions, maximum use of daylight, minimum energy demand, minimum overheating (in the room, building and neighbourhood) and maximum circadian stimulus in variable weighting.

Users will interact with the see-it system: "I'm not going to close the blinds and then switch on the light. Hey control system, is there a possible setting for the façade and artificial lighting that can satisfy my current needs, uses daylight as freely available renewable energy and has minimal CO2 emissions?"

Methods

Research, functional patterns, demonstration, and evaluation in Living Labs as proof of concept.

Expected results

The consortium is aiming for a positive result of the proof of concept. The spatial detection of people and furniture will be carried out with adequate accuracy. The conflicting interests between heat protection, glare and visibility to the outside will be solved in the best possible way by a practicable influenceability of the solar radiation.

Project management

HELLA Sonnen- und Wetterschutztechnik GmbH

Project or cooperation partners

• Emotion3D GmbH
• Universität Innsbruck Institut für Konstruktion und Materialwissenschaften
• Bartenbach GmbH

HELLA Sonnen- und Wetterschutztechnik GmbH
Mag. Robert Weitlaner, MSc.
A-9913 Abfaltersbach, Nr. 125

Tel.: +43 (4846) 65551273
E-mail: robert.weitlaner@hella.info
Web: www.hella.info