In this wired article, smart vents are discussed. As touched on in the introduction, vents are typically hidden in the home. People typically have no control over them other than opening or closing manually. All the heating or cooling power in the home is typically just determined by the thermostat. With a central control system, there is no differentiation between the different rooms of the house.
The article goes on to discuss Keen's Smart Vents. This will allow the residents to program the vents to open and close at certain hours depending on how the user programs each room. According to the article, this can lower the vents run time by about 22% on average. This technology will be able to increase home efficiency and allow different temperatures for different comfort levels. It also allows the user to visually see the difference in room temperatures on a smart device through an app. This technology could allow families or roommates to control their own comfort levels, even if there is a central unit. This technology could also be developed to be integrated into design. This will allow engineers to set standards to perform different efficiency tests based on how the vent fans open and close.
AI and Future:
The second article, from BBC, discussed how AI has been implemented since its invention and how much we should allow it to advance. AI has the ability to quickly search through data collected to learn and "make decisions" to solve a problem. AI has been applied to several areas already, such as modern medicine, car technology, and several office applications. The biggest issue with AI is how far we allow it to develop. AI always has a set of boundaries that are set by the developer. If those boundaries were taken away, AI could potentially have unlimited access to data online and be able to learn anything. Allowing AI access to anything and everything could allow for maximum internal development. But, the article does discuss the possibility of acting off stereotypical or wrong information. If AI is implementing these kinds of falsehoods, then it is not developing correctly. This could actually be detrimental to societal developments as we move towards equality.
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/2015/01/brilliant-air-vents-never-knew-needed/
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42559967
Dee Dee S. Comment:
Dee Dee,I read the same article about HVAC and sensors as you and I agree that with more development, this type of technology could really improve upon our current building energy efficiency. I also thought your take on your second article was very interesting. I feel that there will always be a human component to paleontology. Although, the new technology you discussed could be incredibly helpful to them and almost give new meaning to the job. Its amazing that inputting some data into a computer could return an immense amount information about the findings.
Brad D. Comment:
Brad,
I found your second article particularly interesting. I think it would be a major convenience for a personal assistance AI to have access to all personal accounts. As you pointed out, there would be several security risks. If someone found a way to gain access to that AI, they would not only be able to steal your money but also your whole identity. This would definitely need further development for anyone to be able to trust it.
I found your second article particularly interesting. I think it would be a major convenience for a personal assistance AI to have access to all personal accounts. As you pointed out, there would be several security risks. If someone found a way to gain access to that AI, they would not only be able to steal your money but also your whole identity. This would definitely need further development for anyone to be able to trust it.
Chris T. Comment:
Chris,
I think you are correct when addressing the security issues with the virtual assistants in terms of sensitive information, such as banking or social security. I think for them to be full fledged, they would need to be 100% safe. That being said, they are useful tools for homes. They can essentially change anything around the house using voice commands. I think that with more development they would be able to warn of household issues. This could actually become very useful, particularly to the elderly, when trying to contact emergency response teams.
Chris,
I think you are correct when addressing the security issues with the virtual assistants in terms of sensitive information, such as banking or social security. I think for them to be full fledged, they would need to be 100% safe. That being said, they are useful tools for homes. They can essentially change anything around the house using voice commands. I think that with more development they would be able to warn of household issues. This could actually become very useful, particularly to the elderly, when trying to contact emergency response teams.
Cody,
ReplyDeleteThe article you discussed about smart vent technology is absolutely user-friendly and able to meet new comfort levels, though the efficiency is something I'd like to learn more about. Most "Green Standards" out there are warranting sizable monetary incentives to get the proverbial ball rolling for energy conscious buildings and systems, but the residential market has proven much more difficult to break into. This may play a key role in the HVAC side of things since it offers numerous facets of concepts typical consumers may enjoy.
Cody,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point on the smart vents. I am big fan of them and I think they can revolutionize the way MEP design moves forward. Smart vents are also environmentally friendly, so I can see them becoming more prominent as more sustainable buildings are built in the future. I think people who use them just need to weigh the pros and cons, the vents cost a lot of money but there can be a quicker return on investment, if the cost to operate lowers.
Cody,
ReplyDeleteI agree that boundaries should be set up for AI by developer since AI is widely applied in different areas. If boundaries were set up, the AI could bring our life a lot convenience. It can be applied in customer service, online response and even autonomous driving in the future. But as you mention, if boundaries were taken away, AI could learn anything that could lead to negative direction. This is not what we want. Therefore, discipline should be set up for developer to develop AI.