Delta Controls O3 Smart Sensing Enhances Occupants' Satisfactions

The O3 Sensor Hub is one of Delta Controls' newest contributions to the building automation industry. The ceiling mounted O3 hub packs an impressive 12 sensors. The O3 can detect temperature, sound, light levels, lighting color and more. It uses infrared to take temperature readings that are more accurate than what is commonly accepted in the industry. Conventional temperature sensing is done using thermistors which take a single reading from a spot on the wall. The O3 has a thermistor as well, but the IR temp sensor takes its readings directly from surface spaces surrounding the building's occupants. In addition to taking a temperature reading of the room, it's figuring out how you feel in the space.

Advancements such as temperature sensing are what make the O3 so exciting. Delta Controls is rethinking how our industry treats building occupants. A wall thermostat can tell you the temperature at a point on the wall, but we had to move to the center of the room to really sense how an occupant feels. The vantage point of the room center allows us to create better occupancy detection, build in light level monitoring, and even interact with occupants.

The O3 was designed from the ground up to deliver a better occupant experience. Users can interact with their space using an intuitive phone app found in the Google Play store and the Apple app store. It interacts with users by providing instant feedback using a multicolored LED light ring and speakers. When users make a change to their space, they know by the light ring that their command was heard and that the system is taking action. This interaction is satisfying for users and gives them a greater feeling of control over their space.

The O3 is also an integration hub. It uses Wi-Fi, EnOcean, and Bluetooth to connect systems wirelessly. The app uses the Bluetooth beacon located in the center to figure out where users are in a building. Menus change dynamically to present the closest Hubs to the user. EnOcean integration allows integrators to add wireless access components, additional sensors, or control points such as perimeter heating or ventilation. We believe that total room integration should include anything in the space. That goes from the blinds and the doors to projectors and televisions.

It's this total integration that allows the O3 system to include technology that has never been a part of building automation before. With one swipe on the app, users can transform a meeting room into presentation mode. The O3 system can dim the lights, lower the blinds, turn on the presentation screen and monitor the number of occupants to provide the perfect amount of ventilation. It offers a truly new experience for users.

We've all learned to live with many compromises when using automated systems. For example, when working in an office with automated lighting, a conventional system uses motion detection to quickly sense when someone enters the room. The system can turn on your lights and start your ventilation, but what happens when you've been at your desk for too long? The motion detector isn't sensitive enough to see you typing at your keyboard, so the lights turn off and you are forced to wave your hands or walk around the room to find the sensor. The O3 Sensor Hub provides an alternative to this annoying industry standard. It still uses a motion sensor to detect when someone walks in the room, but it can also use IR temperature sensing to see that you haven't left. It can also use its integrated microphone to hear you typing or talking on the phone. Lights no longer turn off on you, and your workday flows that much smoother.

When we set out to design the O3 Sensor Hub, we weren't looking to make a better sensor. We wanted to improve people's lives in automated spaces. The technology helps us get there, but we had to reimagine solutions to age-old industry problems. It's this thinking that helps Delta Electronics Building Automation achieve “Smart Buildings for Better Living.”