In 2012, the University of Waterloo and Cisco established an agreement to create a Cisco Systems research chair in Smart Grid to promote, support, and lead research, development and innovation within the use of technologies and solutions for smart power grids.
Since the announcement, Cisco Systems research chair and David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science professor Srinivasan Keshav has launched two initiatives with results that are set to benefit large populations. SPOT* and WeBike, both run out of the Cheriton School’s Information Systems and Science for Energy Lab, will be featured during the launch of Cisco’s IoE (Internet of Everything) Innovation Centre in Toronto, along the Queen’s Quay.
Cisco IoE Innovation Centres located around the world inspire and showcase local IoE innovation and development — both of which are at the forefront of SPOT* and WeBike. The first of its kind in North America, the Cisco IoE Innovation Centre Toronto helps organizations improve business outcomes by integrating, creating, testing, and validating IoE solutions.
For the ISS4E lab, SPOT* and WeBike are about creating a multifaceted, smart solutions to every day problems under the guiding principle of trying to reduce the carbon footprint of energy systems.
SPOT* offers a handy solution to a tricky problem. You're cold in your office but you don't have direct control of your thermostat. Do you call someone and ask to increase the heat, or do you suffer through it? With SPOT*, the answer is easy — you adjust the temperature around you without having to wait.
The Smart Personalized Office Thermal control system uses sensors and an online user interface that allows you to train the device to predict whether the temperature in your office is too hot or too cold. From there it will automatically adjust the heating or cooling in your own workspace to meet the ideal temperature. This can both increase personal comfort and decrease overall building energy use and greenhouse gas emissions that harm the environment.
"[With SPOT*] we can see that user comfort has increased. However, without being able to control the HVAC in a building, we can only guess at the net energy savings," explained Keshav when asked about the type of results the research team is seeing.
The feedback from user groups within the Cheriton School has been outstanding. Cristina Tavares, a software engineering graduate student and SPOT* user only had good things to say about the device.
"In my office specifically, it's cold sometimes. SPOT* for me brought a different kind of experience. I'm sensitive to the cold but SPOT* allowed me to stay in the office longer because I could adjust the temperature around me easily."
With the second featured project, WeBike, the ISS4E group is looking at three aspects of electric bikes:
1. Bikes can be used to model electric cars
2. Users use bikes to substitute for some car trips
3. How to improve feedback to bike users
The project has been adapted slightly since it's launch in 2014. "We have revised the software many times (we are now at version 16) and have added a discharge current sensor, and integrated the bike with a smart watch (Moto360)," explained Keshav.
With an increase in traffic congestion and single occupancy vehicles, the group is looking to use the WeBike to provide guidance on the impact of bikes and electric cars on loads on the electric grid, sustainable transportation and the carbon footprint of transportation.
The funding and support provided by Cisco has helped both projects.
To learn more about the new Cisco IoE Innovation Centre in Toronto, please visit Cisco Innovation Centre Toronto.