Article | Intelligent Investment
Smart AI technologies you didn’t know were operating in your building
A closer look at how AI is being used across today’s buildings, properties and human spaces to deliver real results in efficiency and cost savings.
October 24, 2024
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Robots conducting security patrols, cutting-edge thermal imaging detecting how many people are in a room, and radar sensors that can remotely track the vital signs of people.
It may sound like a bonafide Hollywood sci-fi script, but it’s in fact the real-life depiction of the artificial intelligence (AI) being utilised across many of today’s buildings, properties and frequented spaces that people had no idea about.
It’s also part of a global movement which Mike Zorbas, Property Council of Australia’s CEO, forecasted back in 2023.
“AI will transform the property sector for the better. With the disruption caused by automation, artificial intelligence, smart building systems and intelligent devices at every stage of the real estate value chain, business as usual is shifting.”
While it may be taking time to gain traction - a scenario similar to the early days of the internet - the technology behind AI is far from a pipe dream.
The Property Council notes that the global AI market size was valued at US$196.63 billion in 2023 and projected it to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 37.3% between now and 2030.
For forward-thinkers like Julian Kezelman, Innovation Director for Taronga Ventures, working with real asset technology entrepreneurs to implement effective go-to-market AI strategies for the wider property industry is the key. He also understands that AI’s long-term success lies in its seamless integration into existing operational models.
“AI can be quite overwhelming for people of all different industries. What we trust our entrepreneurs to do is to embed AI into the product such that it fades into the background, as simply a piece of the technology. So all they're really focused on is delivering the customer outcome.”
With AI technology already permeating today’s diverse commercial spaces, these are the five innovations already in operation and pushing boundaries right now.
Their proprietary sensor module and AI can generate unprecedented data for dozens of industries. From occupancy and people counting to critical asset monitoring and hotspot detection, it allows users to obtain the data they need without invading the privacy of people.
“It's a little bit different to the passive infrared sensors that you see in most tenancies. This is a much higher-grade sensor that provides advanced thermal imaging at around the cost of a passive infrared sensor,” says Julian.
“What they're using AI to do is to interpret the thermal sensing data in a space to see how many people have come in, how many people have left, and what the density of people remaining is. Ultimately, they’ll be able to use that information to dial up or down lights or HVAC, thereby improving operations. That's just one simple example of AI applied at a tenancy level.”
By merging healthcare with property technology, the firm is going beyond traditional manual methods for monitoring vital signs to change the standard of both long term and acute care services in their respective operating environments.
In those specific care-based environments, studies show that changes in vital signs like heart and respiratory rate can help predict serious health events six to eight hours before they occur. This is where continuous radar-based monitoring has an advantage over traditional methods which can often be hindered by low resident compliance and overburdened clinical staff in long term care environments. The goal of Xandar Kardian’s radar sensor technology is to fundamentally improve resident care, staff satisfaction, cost-effectiveness and asset bottom line.
“WINT provides water monitoring using a very narrow form of AI where they actually listen to the pipes in a building and, after about a month of training data, they can say what is normal utilisation for the building and what is abnormal,” explains Julian.
“When they hear a hissing or gushing sound, they'll know that there's a burst pipe somewhere in the building and they can use the AI to determine exactly where that is. Once detected, the water can be automatically shut off by the system, or facility management teams can cut off the water flow, stopping the water early and reducing damage and water wastage from the leak. It's a very real and immediate building and tenant impact, and quite a good ESG outcome too.”
Kabam creates robots for automated security patrols around the clock and collecting and monitoring facilities management data.
“They'll integrate into access control, connect into lifts and take themselves around the asset noting any security issues or even things like facility management issues like spills or downed lights” explains Julian.
"I think that's a really interesting application for all commercial assets, but we're seeing even more targeted applications in places like healthcare. At an asset level, there's robotics helping to deliver bedsheets and medicines around a hospital.”
Allowing robots to take on these lower grade operational tasks essentially frees up time for administration and nursing staff to focus on higher value work like looking after patients.
While personnel can take 100 photos of every room manually on a site, there’s still a chance that the one photo required for the next step in project progression isn’t there. This is where OpenSpace steps in as a 360-degree reality capturing tool made for building sites. Simply attach a camera to a hard hat, press record and walk the site. The device is capable of capturing over 2,000 square metres in 10 minutes while allowing users to quickly access and review the footage within 15 minutes. The AI component is integrated into the platform which automatically organises the imagery and makes it easy for users to search for when information is required to make quick decisions, thus drastically reducing the chances of project delays.
Tom Broderick, Head of Office & Capital Markets Research in Australia, recently revealed in a CBRE report that AI will be a win for both office landlords and tenants.
“A simple example is robotic vacuum cleaners and their rollout in common areas. Cleaning and maintenance currently averages around 15% of outgoings for prime CBD buildings in Australia. This is in addition to cleaning of a tenancy which can cost a typical 5,000sqm occupier up to $160,000 per year.”
The positive outlook is that AI is expected to lower these outgoings through the streamlining of workplace cleaning and maintenance. Robots can learn and perform tasks autonomously, as they adapt to new environments and improve efficiency in the absence of human intervention.
The breadth of other benefits that AI is set to deliver in the decades to come will likely only be limited by the human imagination.
It may sound like a bonafide Hollywood sci-fi script, but it’s in fact the real-life depiction of the artificial intelligence (AI) being utilised across many of today’s buildings, properties and frequented spaces that people had no idea about.
It’s also part of a global movement which Mike Zorbas, Property Council of Australia’s CEO, forecasted back in 2023.
“AI will transform the property sector for the better. With the disruption caused by automation, artificial intelligence, smart building systems and intelligent devices at every stage of the real estate value chain, business as usual is shifting.”
While it may be taking time to gain traction - a scenario similar to the early days of the internet - the technology behind AI is far from a pipe dream.
The Property Council notes that the global AI market size was valued at US$196.63 billion in 2023 and projected it to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 37.3% between now and 2030.
For forward-thinkers like Julian Kezelman, Innovation Director for Taronga Ventures, working with real asset technology entrepreneurs to implement effective go-to-market AI strategies for the wider property industry is the key. He also understands that AI’s long-term success lies in its seamless integration into existing operational models.
“AI can be quite overwhelming for people of all different industries. What we trust our entrepreneurs to do is to embed AI into the product such that it fades into the background, as simply a piece of the technology. So all they're really focused on is delivering the customer outcome.”
With AI technology already permeating today’s diverse commercial spaces, these are the five innovations already in operation and pushing boundaries right now.
AI occupancy detection
Thermal imaging may have been commonly used for military operations and space and aeronautical projects, but its arrival in the commercial property space is just as impactful while remaining at a fraction of the cost. Tech firm, Calumino, is the developer of the world’s first thermal sensor for mass-market applications.Their proprietary sensor module and AI can generate unprecedented data for dozens of industries. From occupancy and people counting to critical asset monitoring and hotspot detection, it allows users to obtain the data they need without invading the privacy of people.
“It's a little bit different to the passive infrared sensors that you see in most tenancies. This is a much higher-grade sensor that provides advanced thermal imaging at around the cost of a passive infrared sensor,” says Julian.
“What they're using AI to do is to interpret the thermal sensing data in a space to see how many people have come in, how many people have left, and what the density of people remaining is. Ultimately, they’ll be able to use that information to dial up or down lights or HVAC, thereby improving operations. That's just one simple example of AI applied at a tenancy level.”
Real-time remote health monitoring
Healthcare and aged care assets form an integral part of society. Xandar Kardian is the firm ensuring that these services remain at peak effectiveness with innovative, FDA-approved radar sensors designed to passively monitor the vital signs of patients in real-time with zero physical contact.By merging healthcare with property technology, the firm is going beyond traditional manual methods for monitoring vital signs to change the standard of both long term and acute care services in their respective operating environments.
In those specific care-based environments, studies show that changes in vital signs like heart and respiratory rate can help predict serious health events six to eight hours before they occur. This is where continuous radar-based monitoring has an advantage over traditional methods which can often be hindered by low resident compliance and overburdened clinical staff in long term care environments. The goal of Xandar Kardian’s radar sensor technology is to fundamentally improve resident care, staff satisfaction, cost-effectiveness and asset bottom line.
Intuitive water leak detection
Water leaks and damaged pipes can drastically affect a property’s long term sustainability goals as well as its outgoings. WINT Water Intelligence is a company providing water monitoring sensors coupled with AI software to directly tackle the common issue of preventing water leaks and damage to properties.“WINT provides water monitoring using a very narrow form of AI where they actually listen to the pipes in a building and, after about a month of training data, they can say what is normal utilisation for the building and what is abnormal,” explains Julian.
“When they hear a hissing or gushing sound, they'll know that there's a burst pipe somewhere in the building and they can use the AI to determine exactly where that is. Once detected, the water can be automatically shut off by the system, or facility management teams can cut off the water flow, stopping the water early and reducing damage and water wastage from the leak. It's a very real and immediate building and tenant impact, and quite a good ESG outcome too.”
24/7 robot security
Fictional Skynet once offered a dystopian view of global domination via self-aware robots, but companies like Kabam Robotics are certainly pushing the limits in this space while changing the perception of how robots can instead keep humans safe within their own assets and cities.Kabam creates robots for automated security patrols around the clock and collecting and monitoring facilities management data.
“They'll integrate into access control, connect into lifts and take themselves around the asset noting any security issues or even things like facility management issues like spills or downed lights” explains Julian.
"I think that's a really interesting application for all commercial assets, but we're seeing even more targeted applications in places like healthcare. At an asset level, there's robotics helping to deliver bedsheets and medicines around a hospital.”
Allowing robots to take on these lower grade operational tasks essentially frees up time for administration and nursing staff to focus on higher value work like looking after patients.
Building faster minus the risks
Large scale project developments are challenging at the best of times, and now there are AI-backed tools designed specifically to assist in delivering major construction results on time.While personnel can take 100 photos of every room manually on a site, there’s still a chance that the one photo required for the next step in project progression isn’t there. This is where OpenSpace steps in as a 360-degree reality capturing tool made for building sites. Simply attach a camera to a hard hat, press record and walk the site. The device is capable of capturing over 2,000 square metres in 10 minutes while allowing users to quickly access and review the footage within 15 minutes. The AI component is integrated into the platform which automatically organises the imagery and makes it easy for users to search for when information is required to make quick decisions, thus drastically reducing the chances of project delays.
Cost savings generated by AI
With the right innovations already making their mark in the commercial property sector, one important question remains: Can AI actually deliver cost savings?Tom Broderick, Head of Office & Capital Markets Research in Australia, recently revealed in a CBRE report that AI will be a win for both office landlords and tenants.
“A simple example is robotic vacuum cleaners and their rollout in common areas. Cleaning and maintenance currently averages around 15% of outgoings for prime CBD buildings in Australia. This is in addition to cleaning of a tenancy which can cost a typical 5,000sqm occupier up to $160,000 per year.”
The positive outlook is that AI is expected to lower these outgoings through the streamlining of workplace cleaning and maintenance. Robots can learn and perform tasks autonomously, as they adapt to new environments and improve efficiency in the absence of human intervention.
The breadth of other benefits that AI is set to deliver in the decades to come will likely only be limited by the human imagination.