Hilson Moran, in collaboration with DIREK and the University of Surrey, has been granted funding by the UK Government’s Sustainable Innovation Fund, to develop a Smart Indoor Management System (SIMS) to help the UK’s COVID response.
This experimental monitoring technology is designed to work seamlessly across a wide variety of building types and provides a unique, non-invasive insight into occupant behaviour.
The compact transmitters use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to monitor occupant movement patterns, feeding location and quantity data back to Hilson Moran’s research and development experts.
Unlike similar COVID monitoring technology, seen in countries like South Korea, no handsets, transmitters or mobile apps are required to be carried for effective monitoring to take place. This not only creates a universally compatible monitoring system, but allows user data to remain anonymous; respecting privacy and EU data laws.
When analysed, this data grants a unique insight into building operations during the global pandemic, helping users to maintain social distancing and, ultimately, helping businesses to maximise the number of employees able to safely return to work.
The technology also has significant implications for advancing sustainability credentials, helping building owners to understand user behaviour and subsequently optimise energy consumption, reducing the overall carbon footprint of an operational building.