Real-Time Data and Analysis of the Use of Office Space

Ambient Intelligent Systems have been proposed for their potential to track collaborative activities in the workplace, capture them, and in real time respond to them. The longer term goal is to develop embedded technologies that provide intelligent feedback in predictable office environments but also address the unpredictable working environments of nomadic knowledge workers and of remote workers engaged in virtual collaboration with those physically present. Some of these systems are relatively close to market and others are less immediately applicable. This paper suggests that a heterogeneous mix of such systems is likely to be necessary for some time to come. A prototype real time location system for mapping the real-time location of workers in offices has been developed by Johnson Controls. During tests it has been found to positively assist in gathering information for better management of space and support of collaborative activity. This has proved to justify the costs.