Japanese engineers want to make buildings smarter by filling them with little robots

We have what we call “smart” buildings – they have, for example, sensors that detect when you walk into a room and can turn lights on an off. But a group of Japanese engineers want to make buildings more like living organisms. And they plan to do this with robots.

The "e-bio" prototype robot proposed by MITA Laboratory would scan rooms and make changes to lighting and temperature based on the signals it receives from humans. Image courtesy of MITA Laboratory

The problem with the sensors for lighting and climate control built into buildings today, according to a story by the BBC, is that not long after the sensors are embedded into the building, technology advances and improved sensors are invented. Replacing built-in sensors is costly.

The solution? Don’t build sensors into the wall; put them in robots. MITA Laboratory is suggesting robots that will be something like “iPhones on wheels.” They will zip around buildings taking 3D images of their surroundings with laser sweeps. An early prototype called the “e-bio” looks something like a Roomba.

But these robots will do more than turn off the lights and maintain the thermostat. They are supposed to be able to pick up and act on more subtle signals from humans. Say the office is warm, so you fan yourself. Maybe you say, “It’s hot in here.” The robots would be able to see your body language and hear your words. Then they could change the temperature in the room.

MITA Laboratory even proposes that buildings have “swarms” of these little robots. The more robots a building has, the more intelligent the building would be. So if a robot in one part of a room sees a person who thinks the temperature is too warm, but other robots don’t get that feedback from people they’re watching, all of the robots will be able to communicate with each other and come up with a consensus as to what the temperature should be.

These robots could play a big role in the building industry. For one, they don’t have to be built into buildings – so amenities like temperature and lighting monitoring would be somewhat out of builders’ hands. Second, the robots could have a big effect on buildings’ energy efficiency, perhaps negatively and positively. They may control buildings so that we only consume as much energy as we need, but what if we’d like to consume less? Say you’re chilly but you’d rather put on a sweater than turn up the heat. If your little e-bio catches you shivering, it might turn up the heat before you realize how cold the temperature is. After all, they are supposed to work “invisibly.”

But in general, the robots are supposed to make architectural spaces more comfortable and safe. Check out a video from the researchers here.