Set your apartment complex apart – with Foresense Technologies

Apartment living is an attractive proposition for many.

Modern apartments offer a host of benefits over a house in the suburbs – greater affordability, a ‘lock and leave’ lifestyle, less maintenance, increased security, amenities such as gym and pool and attractions close by – shopping, bars, restaurants, beaches and theatres, depending on the location.

Crucial to an apartment complex’s desirability is how it is managed and maintained.

The building that keeps inhabitants happy will not only have less turnover in residents but will gain a greater demand and competition for vacancies that can drive prices up at rental and sale negotiations.

If a building manager can reduce the negative aspects of apartment living to a minimum, residents will for the most part be content.

While smart buildings are becoming increasingly common place they are often limited to tasks of isolated automation.

Beyond keyless entry and remote access control, smart concepts such as temperature control, automated lighting - even scene setting and geofencing - are increasing in demand, especially in higher end complexes.

This now extends into ‘smart services’ – in-home laundry, cleaning, package delivery – even dog walking and pet care!

All these are great initiatives but they are not inherently ‘smart, per se.’

They are capable only of logging rudimentary data that offers limited value for immediate adjustment – and for future improvement.

And because they are not inherently smart any Artificial Intelligence, so integral to all leading technologies in the modern world, is largely underutilised – if utilised at all – to guide key decision makers and improve lifestyle and liveability.

And therein lies the problem to taking smart apartment buildings to a new level, where managers can really drill down to learn of how people interact with the building and its facilities over time.

The challenge into the future is moving beyond individual devices to develop a fully integrated management platform.

Connectivity is key.

IoT is the new buzzword.

It stands for ‘Internet of Things’ – a term that describes interconnected devices; devices that can be connected to one another, and/or to the internet.

More specifically, it describes the network of objects – or things – that contain technology such as software or sensors that connect with other devices to exchange data.

In today’s modern digitally connected world, just about everything can be connected to another device or the internet, including many aspects of apartment living.

Like automated systems and smart devices, the Foresense platform has evolved due to technological convergence, where multiple technologies have come to merge into singular entities, a new-age sum of their many parts.

At its core, the Foresense platform utilises proprietary AI to identify areas for improvement and guide commercially based decisions to increase operational KPIs and efficiencies with highly detailed, quantifiable data.

Foresense simplifies the collection of presence data and the analysis of action – and interaction – on- site in real world settings to provide real-time AI analytics of traffic inside and around any physical location with applications across government, commerce and industry for smarter, safer physical spaces.

In a similar way to how behavioural data is utilised online through careful analysis of aspects such as dwell time, session duration, and unique and return visitations, the Foresense platform collects data through a series of sensors strategically placed around the apartment complex common areas.

The scope for individual intra- apartment placement is also possible to further enhance existing smart systems.

These sensors communicate with smartphones and/or specialised smart ID cards to monitor movement and behaviour and relay this data via Wi-Fi to the internet, and on to the AI software for collation and analysis.

The resultant data is accessed via the Foresense Dashboard, an internet portal where information is obtained from the graphical user interface for building owners and maintenance managers.

This next-level connectivity allows better, swifter decisions to be made on the day-to-day running of their buildings and the efficiency and effectiveness of the services they provide. It allows accessibility in real time so highly- informed, proactive decisions and actions can be executed as trends and developments are actually emerging.

As a complete journey mapping solution, the technology presents a wide range of possibilities to understand the minutiae of how different groups of people, including residents, staff and visitors, use living spaces and any on-site retail and shared recreational facilities.

Breakdown the entire visitor/ resident day-to-day experience from time spent in elevators and foyers through to their flow between residences, gym, bbq and pool/spa facilities.

Identify unique characteristics such as if a person is a new or unique visitor, intelligently distinguishing and learning exactly who is a permanent resident and who only visits for work or social purposes.

Aggregated data is used to establish peak demand times for specific sections or facilities within the building to lessen wait times to keep movement flowing and alleviate congestion.

In this way Foresense can assist in commercially based decision- making by identifying areas where demand exceeds supply, to justify purchase of new equipment and the expansion of current facilities – or the construction of new ones.

Foresense is highly customisable and can dovetail into existing systems for maintenance tickets, rent payments, instant messaging, resident assistance and on- demand services.

The platform can also use visitor data for tailored messages on- screen or via close proximity digital signage for advertising or informational purposes – for example tell applicable residents of maintenance closures of any frequented facilities or advertise relevant products or services in the local areas based upon individual habits to create new revenue streams.

As we learn to live with COVID, Foresense can also complement existing digital tools to monitor and log residents and visitors as they move across the local area to assist contact tracers and keep everyone safer. In this way it can also be used to monitor and control the number of people gathering in any given space to address density regulations, social distancing requirements and total numbers in any given section or amenity.

Foresense can even identify those who have not recently received negative COVID testing where such laws have been introduced and those who bypass QR code scan points, sending digital reminders to scan in.

The technology can even be applied for personal safety concerns. For example where a person is not moving across an area as normal, or has been stationary for an excessive amount of time, indicating illness, injury, collapse or unconsciousness.

Foresense can also improve on existing alarm and video surveillance systems and address shortcomings, such as the need for constant monitoring and the ability for seasoned criminals to bypass them altogether.

The AI platform detects loitering, erratic behavior and unauthorised entry and can deploy security staff or notify police in real time as issues develop, when and where they are needed most, to ensure timely response and the best chance of suspect apprehension.

The sensors can even be equipped to govern automated control of other systems in the apartment complex to more efficiently manage resources such as water flow, garbage disposal and HVAC, for example.

It is well documented that the growth of IoT connectivity has also grown concerns around data privacy and security.

Foresense recognises this – and Foresense works a little differently.

In its default state, Foresense is blind to individual users, and their private data with a focus on bigger picture, rather than individual elements.

The platform sees only the signals smartphones emit; not passwords, emails, app data, GPS data or any other personal data that invades digital privacy.

It can be said that Foresense is actually innovating both interconnectivity and privacy in the age of IoT; an age where the two are so often at best uneasy bedfellows… and mutually exclusive at worst!

Apartment residents can control their own privacy levels, opting in or out of certain services and data collection at their own discretion

By coupling detailed data sets with the proprietary AI system, highly specific analytics can be utilised to move apartment living forward into a new era beyond ‘smart’ facilities and automation.

With Foresense a series of singular clever devices and ancillary services evolves into a truly smart apartment complex of IoT connectivity; a network across individual residents, visitors, management and the building itself – all driven by Foresense AI.

With highly specific information readily at hand Foresense Technology determines data driven actions to constantly improve efficiency of operations – and improve liveability, desirability and cost efficiencies for apartment living in the future.