Essay

Emerging technology is now able to monitor an environment’s conditions — to alert occupants should certain qualities change: like temperature, light, noise, or humidity. Such technology is being called a “CubeSensor” in that it acts as a monitoring device to help occupants regulate their surroundings —- after all, slight changes in temperature, light, or even noise can drastically affect an occupant’s performance. (1)

Such innovations, like the CubeSensor, are a step in the right direction. But, I must ask, how we can push such innovations further. For example, what if an innovation like the CubeSensor could do more than monitor and send alerts to occupants about their environment? What if such an innovation could also detect patterns and correlations between occupant behavior and their surrounding environmental conditions? In doing this, environments can tune to occupant need — finely matching occupant activity with appropriate environmental conditions.

An investment in the CubeSensor seems minimal compared to the benefits that it would provide. Imagine being able to fine tune your surroundings while trying to work, exercise, cook, or even sleep. Each activity may call for slight adjustments in environmental quality — adjustments that the next version of the CubeSensor may help to communicate. Thus, such innovations can actually boost occupant performance — particularly when taken to the next level.

Reference:

Reference:Stone, Zac. (2013) This Indoor Weather Station Will Make Your Workplace More Productive. Fast Company.

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