COMFORT MONITOR to undergo tests at Deakin

Engineering researchers from Deakin have developed a “comfort monitor” to create an optimal environment for people who work in an office setting.

Named the “Baby Cube”, the monitor – which is small enough to sit on an office desk – is fitted with sensors to track temperature, humidity, air quality, light intensity and temperature as well as sound levels.

The data is collected in real time before being made available to building managers through a cloud-based web server. The monitor has been designed to deliver timely feedback about comfort levels, such as hot and cold spots in an office and noise issues.

Researchers from Deakin’s school of engineering say the Baby Cube has the potential to improve the management of building resources, particularly energy systems.

Scott Adams, a researcher with Deakin’s AIM team, said the inspirations for the Baby Cube arose in January during a heatwave when the university’s facilities services division sent out a reminder about managing temperatures at work.

“We wanted to know how temperatures and humidity levels fluctuated during that time to help us manage our cooling systems more efficiently,” he said.

“Contemporary office buildings generally have in-built monitoring systems but that’s less common in older buildings so there is a real need to improve how we monitor workplace comfort in older buildings, ensuring the heating and air
conditioning systems are working effectively, that lighting is not too bright or too dull and that the room is not too stuffy or noisy.

“The Cube Comfort Monitor can vary in size from individual desktop cubes to miniaturized whole-of-office systems
that sit in the corner of a room. It is a low-cost way of collecting data that will help building managers monitor what’s
happening in any office, or part of that office.”

The Baby Cube research team, which was led by Professor Abbas Kouzani, included Doctor Egan Doeven, Scott Adams and Josh Holland.

The team is looking to test the Baby Cube at 15 sites across Deakin, with the aim of commercialising the product later in the year.