BT Innovative Design Challenge
This year’s challenge is for teams of students to undertake a project to design an interactive working environment based on a range of sensors and actuators that encourages individuals to engage with their environment.
A lighting system that changes based on interaction between employees:
- When an individual is working in the space, the quantity of lights and illuminance are adjusted to fit one person’s need.
- When employees from different departments interact, the lights above them flashes their team colours, signifying an interaction.
- As they start interacting, the lights are adjusted to provide more quantity and different illuminance, which directly influence the way they collaborate.
A digital desk gadget “BiT” that’s placed on each desk to communicate the emotions\status of the workplace. “BiT” uses simple colour coding and emoji expressions to communicate the following:
-Health: Notifying the employee about their physical activity level. An example is when the employee has been sitting on the desk for too long, “Bit” would remind them to move around.
-Environment: Visually alerting the employee when their sound is loud & exceeds the limit (The limit threshold is decided, based on the office environment).
-Social: By being connected to the internet and the whole system, “Bit” notifies the employee when a colleague shares something related to their projects or requests to get involved.
Data Communication System
Sensors are important, however, they don’t mean anything to the employees if we don’t put them in a context that matters to them. Therefore, it’s important to communicate synthesized information that would directly relate to the employees; getting them involved and encouraging them to take actions.
