A virtual thermostat developed through research at SAIT Polytechnic could allow building managers to have wireless control of heat throughout large facilities.
Kalen-Hudson Group is a manufacturer and importer of small electronic devices, especially thermostats and other control devices. Having previously worked with Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) at SAIT to test and validate technologies, Kalen-Hudson knew where to turn when it needed to design a smart-control thermostat and a smaller, cost-effective consumer model.
“In order to develop the technology, having access to a facility like SAIT and the research grant gives us the chance to develop something new and be competitive with the major players. Without that ability, I don’t know that I’d be able to compete with them,” says Irfan Dhanani, owner of the Kalen-Hudson Group.
While researchers in the ARIS RADLab (RFID Application Development Lab) were working with Kalen-Hudson to design the software to support its new WiFi-enabled thermostat, its supplier in Asia ran into problems. In order to carry on the development of the device, a student researcher developed an application that could stand in as a virtual thermostat. This kept the project on time and on budget so a cloud-based client interface platform for the system could be developed.
At the end of the project, the SaaS engine developed by the RADLab was able to communicate to a large number of these new, wireless thermostats. This new technology will allow facilities managers and landlords to wirelessly control the various rooms in a larger building through a user-friendly interface.
