'Big Brother' apartment will measure impact of connected sensors on human behaviour

Sensor design company Oceasoft will provide its first environmental sensors for use in a unique scientific experiment to analyse the impact of connected sensors on people’s behaviour and their daily habits over a full year.

Managed by joint CNRS and University of Montpellier research laboratories, the experiment will take place in a futuristic ‘observatory apartment’ filled with connected objects and 42 sensors that will measure temperature, humidity, noise, pollution, pollen, atmospheric pressure, position, ambient wireless radiation and more. Oceasoft will provide sensors from its Cobalt, Emerald and Atlas product lines, as well as new-generation environmental sensors.

The apartment’s occupants will be able to use an application to evaluate their ‘degree of wellbeing’ inside the apartment at any time. When an evaluation is performed, all physical parameters in the apartment are recorded and stored. Over the 12 months of observation, a group of experts comprising movement researchers, human science specialists, lawyers, linguistics and marketing experts will try to understand and analyse the impact of sensors and connected objects on the residents’ daily lives.

“This study will enable us to improve the features offered by our smart and connected sensors in order to be able to take predictive action to resolve conditions that are detrimental to people’s comfort,” said Laurent Rousseau, Oceasoft CEO.