We started a new IoT programme to raise awareness about potentials of this technology among our community. We wanted to hear new ideas and existing challenges that can be addressed by LoRaWAN technology and through our Jisc and Digital Catapult initiatives, 9 colleges and univerisities will be receiving LoRaWAN Gateways on a long-term loan to test ideas as small-scale pilots.
The successful applicants were:
University of Glasgow – Clean Campus aims to detect the filling level of the bins placed on campus, track their usage and inform the relevant services the requirements about the bin collection/replacement in time to make the campus cleaner as well as save on the time and cost of the services by intelligent planning of their bin collection/replacement visits.
Cardiff University – Smart Facility Monitoring aims to provide a smart facility monitoring and analysis system in the university, including monitoring free chairs and desks in public forum and discuss zone in the library to help students to use and university to manage these university resources intelligently.
NMiTE Ingenuity Studio – Networked Kinetic Sculptures aims to create and site kinetic, physical sculptures at various venues across the higher, further education and skills sector within the Janet community. The sculptures will respond to physical and/or online activity of one and/or various institutions within the Janet community.
Cardiff and Vale College – LoRa Geolocated e-paper. Aggregating all of the internal challenges of running a multi-site campus, it soon became apparent that most of the frustrating issues were based around losing objects and communications – and this, despite the advantages of mobiles. Putting aside the issue of low bandwidth but given the impressive penetration, distance and low power of the LoRa signal the following idea emerges – ‘LoRaWAN Geo-located e-paper!’
University of Westminster – Realising Sustainability project proposes a new way of transforming our Campuses into unique, Internet of Things (IoT) enabled learning environments. It offers an excellent learning experience for our students, raises awareness of issue of sustainability, and contributes to better performing buildings for the well-being of all at Westminster, and provides a platform to expand our digital capabilities in IoT, data visualisation, asset digitisation and AI.
Bournemouth University – Fine-grained and efficient management of Open Work Spaces in Talbot Campus aims to provide BU staff and students with an automated means of identifying in real-time available and appropriate places/spots at the corresponding Open Spaces of the Talbot Campus thus improving their working and learning experience while increasing utilisation of the facilities.
Keele University – Understanding Library Learning Spaces will use IoT sensors to build an evidence base around library usage in three main ways, to highlight where books are in the library, gather data about book usage and collate data about space utilisation, lighting, heating, Co2 levels etc.
Morley College London – Piano Perspective aims to track and monitor usage of musical equipment to demonstrate return on investment, minimise costs of maintenance and enhance asset security.
CDN & Fife College – FifeNet will develop a multi-sensor LoRaWAN in Fife generating open data sets for educational use in local schools and colleges.
We look forward to sharing updates as these pilots commence and we can hear about the impact they are having.