January 20, 2016

Tech Preview: Sensor Network

After going through several stages of internal testing and development, the latest generation of KieranTimberlake's sensor network has been provided to select user groups.
©KieranTimberlake

KieranTimberlake kicked off the year by providing kits containing the latest generation of its sensor platform to user groups in Philadelphia and Copenhagen. Since receiving Architect Magazine's R+D Award in 2013, the network has been refined and is heading toward commercial roll-out in 2016.  
 
Each kit contains the gear to self-install a high-density sensor network and track temperature and relative humidity measurements in real-time via a custom web interface. The kits have myriad applications across many scales from walls to whole buildings to landscapes, and more.  
 
Testers at Drexel University's Dragon Hacks 2016 experimented with the network, building special purpose web applications that leverage real-time sensor data using its API.  
 
In a workshop led by Billie Faircloth and Ryan Welch at the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA), students were challenged to use sensors to measure the changes in temperature within a series of volumes designed to demonstrate types of thermal responsiveness in the outdoor climate of Copenhagen. 
 
KieranTimberlake currently uses the sensors to monitor climate conditions in its Philadelphia studio. Using data captured by the system in conjunction with passive heating and cooling strategies and comfort surveys, the firm has developed a highly nuanced understanding of the factors influencing its internal microclimates.  
 
Look for more on the sensor network developed by KieranTimberlake's affiliate, KT Innovations, in the coming year.