Smart home with smart security
The DFAB House was recently officially opened on the Nest building of Empa and Eawag in Dübendorf. It is the world's first inhabited "house" that has not only been digitally planned, but also largely digitally built - using robots and 3D printers. It is also equipped with intelligent security technology.
A delicate concrete ceiling - cast in 3D-printed formwork - and a curved concrete wall created by a construction robot characterize the architecture of the living room. When called, the blinds open as if by magic and the kettle prepares the tea water. What sounds like a science fiction movie is reality in Dübendorf: The smart and at the same time largely digitally planned and built DFAB House opened its doors a few days ago. DFAB stands for digital fabrication.
From the laboratory to architectural application
The three-storey "dwelling house" perches on the uppermost of three platforms in the nest. On this modular research and innovation building of Empa and Eawag, researchers together with industrial partners can test new construction and energy technologies under real conditions. Nest consists of a central building core to which different building modules - known as units - can be docked. For the construction of the DFAB House unit, researchers from eight ETH Zurich professorships, in collaboration with industry partners, have for the first time transferred several novel, digital construction technologies from the laboratory to real applications as part of the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) "Digital Fabrication". The digital technologies aim to make planning and construction not only more efficient, but also more sustainable. For example, the digitally planned floor slab is statically and structurally optimized in such a way that considerable amounts of material can be saved compared to a conventional concrete slab.
Security provider tests burglar alarm system
In about two months, the first residents will move into DFAB House. These are academic guests of Empa and Eawag. These residents will live in a smart home. A consortium of companies led by Digitalstrom AG has built the first smart homes in the futuristic unit. Smart Home Solutions built in. These include, among other things, an intelligent and multi-level burglar alarm system. Securiton is testing the integration of the "SecuriSafe" intrusion alarm system in new types of smart home technology systems at DFAB House. Together with Digitalstrom, the provider has developed a gateway that enables communication between "SecuriSafe" and Digitalstrom. The burglar alarm system is connected to various sensors that provide information about the presence of uninvited guests. In addition, the networking with lamps and blinds is used to automatically simulate presence in case of absence. When coming or going, the voice output informs about the status of the alarm system. For the resident, the operation is to be made more intuitive in the future. The security provider uses the DFAB House to test and implement a smart and secure intrusion alarm system.
Research and business learn from each other
The sixth unit in the Nest research and innovation building is a good example of how collaboration between researchers and industry produces forward-looking solutions. "In the realization of a construction project like the DFAB House, traditional construction methods and new concepts of the digital world meet. The journey from digital drawing board to real construction has challenged scientists and experts. Through constructive dialogue, visionary things became practically feasible and hopefully will soon be used in the construction industry," says Gian-Luca Bona, Director of Empa.
