2021.11.30

R&D WORKS Vol. 21

MELRemo-IPS — Air conditioning location detection system

Share worker location information with everyone.

R&D WORKS TOP

The way we work is currently undergoing a major transformation. One of the trends that is gaining attention is activity-based working (ABW). The idea is to choose an environment that suits the work you do. However, there is an issue of not being able to know who is working where. This is an obstacle to teamwork and worker management. This new location information system was developed to solve this issue, but it does not require new dedicated ports or devices. All it takes is an air conditioner, which is installed in every office, to detect the location of a computer and share the location of the worker with everyone.

The office space where the system was implemented.
The locations of workers' PC terminals are collected via air conditioners installed on the ceiling.
Basic elements displayed on a MELRemo-IPS screen.

You can't tell who is working where

ABW (activity-based working) - the idea of choosing your preferred environment to suit the work you are doing is now attracting attention. Free address systems have been tried since the 1990s. In many cases, workers shared one large, uniform table, which was sometimes seen negatively as a loss of personal space. On the other hand, ABW is a style in which many individual desks and spaces are provided, allowing workers to choose. By providing a variety of different environments, workers can find a workspace that suits them.

The challenge with the ABW style was that it was difficult to know who was working where. This made it difficult to promote communication and form teamwork. If you don't know where people are, you can't contact or meet with the people you want to. In addition, since you lose regular face-to-face opportunities, there is a lack of communication between superiors and subordinates, and between seniors and juniors, which leads to insufficient guidance, education, and evaluation.

Furthermore, as remote work has become more common in recent years, the demand to know where people are is only increasing. We took this opportunity to explore the possibility of a new location information system. Real-time location detection systems already exist. They involve installing several ports in a space and attaching devices to moving objects and people to measure their location. However, they incur large implementation costs and require workers to carry dedicated devices with them. Therefore, we focused on a location detection system that can be implemented by reusing existing equipment without installing new hardware. We will be reusing the air conditioners that are installed in every office.

This is an attempt to visualize the locations of people using magnets, which was temporarily introduced as part of the conversion to an ABW office.
The challenge was to create rules for updating information in real time and encouraging continued use.

Location detection system as an extension of the system that controls air conditioning with a smartphone

In 2019, we developed "My Remo BLE", a system that allows you to operate a multi-purpose air conditioning system for buildings with your smartphone. This system allows workers to directly operate the air conditioning in their offices using their smartphones. A Bluetooth® receiver/transmitter is built into the air conditioning unit, allowing access via smartphone. The next thing that becomes possible with the introduction of My Remo BLE is the location detection system "MELRemo-IPS" that we will introduce here. By utilizing Bluetooth® communication networked by My Remo BLE to connect the air conditioning unit to the worker's device (PC or smartphone), the location of the device can be detected.

The device carried by the worker converts the difference in strength of the Bluetooth® waves that reach it into distance and calculates the worker's location based on principles such as triangulation.

Why install Bluetooth® in air conditioners? The reason is that MyRemo BLE is being used, but there is another reason. The coverage area of one air conditioner (approximately 7.2m intervals per span) and the coverage area of Bluetooth® (approximately 10m intervals) are almost the same. You could say that this system makes good use of this similarity.

The location of workers is displayed with an icon, and the time the last measurement was taken is also displayed, so there is a trace of them being at their desk even after they have left. Indoor temperatures are color-coded by area, so each person can choose a space with their preferred temperature. Support for space selection combined with temperature information can also be used as a tool to resolve complaints about air conditioning, such as "it's too cold because it's too close to the air conditioner" or "it's too hot because it's too close to the window," and creating areas with gentle air conditioning can also lead to energy savings. In the future, there are plans to link CO2 sensors and other devices as options, to support space selection based on a variety of information.

A mechanism for collecting location information using "My Remo BLE," a system for controlling air conditioning with a smartphone.

MELRemo-IPS

Joint Demonstration | Mitsubishi Jisho Design Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Please see our website for an introduction to the MELRemo-IPS project.


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