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Sensorberg Smart Spaces

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About this project

True to the motto “merging the physical with the digital world” IoT startup company Sensorberg digitalizes complex buildings and physical processes within offices, coworking spaces, residential buildings, and storages. Therefore Sensorberg developed hardware and software packages compatible to pre-existing systems are installed. Users and operators of spaces share the same app, which allows them to get direct access to buildings after signing up, open doors and lockers, steer elevators, book meeting rooms and keep an overview of the space utilization. The solution is available for both outfitting new building constructions and retrofitting existing infrastructures.

Rather than focusing on the building structure, Sensorberg emphasizes a people-centric approach. The company aims to deliver meaningful value to daily users of smart building services - being the community of people as well as the building owners and administrators.

Sensorberg is built on an open platform infrastructure. To realise the potential of the smart spaces solution, we leverage our extensive ecosystem of technology partners. Our open API enables top developers of third-party smart building software and hardware to easily connect with Sensorberg.
 

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Public
Last updated
6 May 2019

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Proposal

Our Proposal

Need: which problem(s) does your proposal solve?

The major problem Sensorberg solves is the complexity of offering tenants additional services, simplified by technology. Project developers and building operators have to fulfill tenant expectations and offer the best building experience, which involves considerable HR effort.

With the digital provision of access rights, operators save dedicated administration resources for handling physical keys and documenting holders. Operators also save expenses through demand-driven lighting, heating, and cleaning. By leveraging machine learning on top of our sensor network, the building utilization and its green footprint will be improved continuously.

The problem of complex smart building systems missing interoperability is solved by our open communication standards. Sensorberg reduces copper by sand. Project developers are aiming for buildings with smart building features, but don’t wish to wire and plan the complete digitalization process at front linked with high costs. Sensorberg's solution enables to digitalize the building step by step.

Approach: how does your project solve the problem(s)?

The Sensorberg Hardware “Access Hub” is the intelligence right at the door. Users authenticate themselves and unlock doors by simply tapping their smartphone against the Access Hub. The Access Hub is lock agnostic and works with any electronic lock on the market.

To assure swift and reliable service Sensorberg applies a hybrid unlock approach, incorporating multiple location technologies such as Bluetooth, NFC, and magnetic field recognition. The Access Hubs serve distributed sensor units in the building as a gateway for data evaluation and automated service triggering.

Environmental sensors components include temperature, light, noise, air quality, humidity, and CO2.

Use cases include:

Control Access Rights:

  • Implement individual access rights for specific persons in specific spaces at specific time slots. Access rights may vary between employees, freelancers or consultants on temporary projects. Guests for workshops or events as well as 3rd party contractors, e.g. for maintenance services and repair.

Transparent Access Log:

  • Real-time log of all access requests with the time of opening, member type and opened room. Adaptable to the privacy requirements of any country and company.


Room Booking:

  • Book rooms Implement timed access to booked meeting rooms - users book and access meeting rooms via smartphone.

Get status:

  • Enable digital signage for meeting rooms on the user's smartphone without installing expensive screens at every door.

Occupancy based room offering:

  • Recognize actual physical usage of shared meeting rooms - booked but unused meeting rooms can be offered to other workspace users, e.g. 5 minutes past meeting start

IoT Gateway for environmental data from distributed sensors:

  • The Access Hub serves as an IoT Gateway for any kind of sensors in the building which are not directly connected to the internet - e.g. battery powered sensors for air quality or temperature. By implementing mesh capabilities, a powerful sensor network can be leveraged with an effective business case.

Indoor navigation:

  • The distributed organization of the Access Hubs within the building allows for advanced use cases such as indoor navigation. Thus, guests or new employees will never be late for a meeting because they could not find the right room in time.

Occupancy analytics:

  • Gather information on occupancy and space usage over time to optimize spaces for specific purposes.

Asset tracking:

  • Track valuable and/or rare assets within the building. Benefit from reduced searching times and optimized utilization of important assets, thus support the smooth execution of daily operations.
Alternatives: what other alternatives could solve the problem(s)?

Access Control alternatives:

Cards/Fobs:

  • If users in the building don't own a smartphone they are still able to open doors via NFC or Bluetooth cards or fobs.

Integration of existing access systems:

  • Existing access control solutions can be integrated into the Smart Spaces solution (e.g. Siemens Access Control Cards)


Hands-Free Access:

  • Soon users will be able to open doors without the necessity of getting their phone out of their pocket.

Access rights via Blockchain:

  • Sensorberg will use the software of a Berlin-based Startup YPTOKEY to make the assignment of digital access rights to buildings simpler, more flexible and, above all, safer. YPTOKEY has developed a solution that makes it possible to transfer digital keys through blockchain. With this solution, the access information is firmly secured. By using Blockchain as a backup mechanism, we enable portfolio owners and tenants to easily and virtually invisibly transfer virtual keys to their properties or certain areas to third parties.
Benefits: what are the benefits of your proposal?

The Sensorberg solution increases administrative efficiency by saving operating costs and reducing processing times. Furthermore, profitability is enhanced through increased tenant satisfaction and the associated increase in occupancy.

All data can be specifically evaluated in the backend platform. New uses emerge and more additional services can be offered. 

Opening up all APIs of the platform creates an ecosystem where third parties can build and integrate their services benefiting from the digital infrastructure in the building provided by Sensorberg.
 

Advantage: what gives your project the competitive edge?

While other companies are starting to digitalize buildings with often complex BMS systems, Sensorberg takes the user as the starting point for the design of its Smart Spaces solution. Our solution starts with tangible added value for the user and operator of an access control system. After the problem of access is 'solved', the installed infrastructure and additional sensors allow further application scenarios that make life in buildings easier for users.

Our coworking customers and project developers that also operate their spaces can benefit the most from efficiencies. Reduced Opex costs are possible due to reduced key handling, short onboardings and empowered users that can move flexibly through the building. The Z-Wave standard , which is cheaper and more flexible than wired solutions, adapts light, temperature & ventilation to increase the well-being of their users (90% of the times the air in our office buildings is worse than outside) and reduces energy costs, by accommodating people on a smaller footprint (average office is empty by 30-40%). This functionalities and the insightful data on the building usage allows our customers to differentiate themselves, explore new business models (stay competitive) and improve productivity when managing flexible offices and co-living concepts while putting the user first. Project developers, whose intention is to sell the objects after being built, can differentiate themselves and sell at a premium due to the digital infrastructure of the building. For corporate clients, it is not a place to work anymore, but an enabler of innovation.

Summarized the uniqueness of our solution is defined by:

  • Maximum flexibility in choosing the right proximity technology for each application
  • Maximum transparency of business processes by providing all digitized processes in one platform
  • Minimal effort need; a single, easy-to-use platform for analyzing and designing business processes
  • People-centric approach 
  • An open and scalable software & hardware solution
  • High-security standards due to building appliance compatibility
  • Flexible and customizable features
Prospective Partners: what might you expect from prospective project partners?

Product:

  • Add features or improve our solution. Inform of software of hardware.


Business Development:

  • Have joint projects and extend our customer base.


Marketing / PR:

  • Creation of joint content, or events.