Tokyo’s smart house
September 6, 2011
The University of Tokyo's Institute of Industrial Science, in cooperation with the Lixil Housing Corporation, have opened a totally self-sustained smart home – the COMMA house (COMfort MAnagement) – through an intelligent home energy management network that controls solar panels, provided by Sharp, and air conditioners and other devices from Toshiba.
The focus of all this, however, is very much around lifestyle. It has to be a home that people would love to live in.
The house is also fitted with energy-efficient items such as LEDs. Further enhancements under development are technologies that open and close windows, depending on sunlight, temperature and other conditions. Other research plans include improving home insulation, along with developing more earthquake-resistant features.
The goal is to maximise both comfort and energy conservation. Testing will continue until 2016 and many more companies and products will be integrated during these years. The aim is to commercialise these houses by 2020.
