The Best Tech Products at Realcomm 2017

A roundup some of the most cutting-edge technology for multifamily, including a program that allows renters to explore a 3D space, an energy-monitoring and analytics platform and a robot concierge.

By Mallory Bulman

Realcomm 2017, held this year in San Diego, is a whirlwind of tech information, demonstrations and conversations. It’s not hard to imagine that the technology-minded conference’s exhibit floor was teeming with new solutions for data management, customer service, analytics, automation and more. Here are a few highlights of some of the most interesting and innovative products MHN learned about at Realcomm.

Bractlet building model Courtesy of bractlet.com

Bractlet building model
Courtesy of bractlet.com

Bractlet

Bractlet is an energy monitoring and analytics platform fueled by real-time environmental, building and equipment data. The platform sources its data from building automation systems, gas meters, Bractlet monitors, weather data and the electric meter as well as detailed building data. The resulting product is an easy-to-install and flexible sub-metering and building automation system in one. The platform automatically generates building models that can forecast energy consumption, monitor performance and calibrate energy simulations. The resulting data can then be used to identify and predict opportunities for energy savings.  


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Courtesy of info.aliceapp.com

ALICE

As conference attendees walked through the bustling corridors wrapping around the exhibit floor, they were shocked to hear a “Hello!” emanate from a robot seemingly unengaged with the environment around it. The screen placed on the robot was showing a human concierge in real time, ready to virtually communicate with live people in a real environment. The robot is ALICE, a software platform for hotels that facilitates communication between tenants or residents and different staff departments, was inspired by the app-driven business models of companies like Uber and OpenTable. By utilizing the software to fulfill residents’ needs and track staff progress and communication, data is collected and stored so that management can analyze trends in order to improve operations and exceed resident expectations in the future. App or messaging communication allows both residents and staff to respond quickly, conveniently and directly to the appropriate department.


Indoor Reality is a company that maps and visually documents buildings and their assets virtually, allowing people to explore a space virtually from construction to completion. The web-based 3D visualization tool allows users to explore a 3D space on a desktop, mobile or virtual reality device; tag, locate and manage assets; and measure dimensions of rooms or objects accurately. To get started, users scan the room of building using the Indoor Reality scanning handheld camera or backpack, then they upload the scan into the Indoor Reality processing cloud. Users can then view and download the 3D model and floor plans. With continuous data acquisition, quick generation of Revit models, asset detection and management capabilities and a cell-phone based indoor GPS, Indoor Reality has potential to be beneficial in the marketing of unbuilt units or buildings, tenant improvement projects, facility management, energy audits and more. 

Video courtesy of Indoor Reality


Enlightened

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Enlightened’s Internet of Things (IOT) platform, as its website claims, “is the only platform that provides the complete technology value chain that brings commercial real estate into the Internet of Things.” Solutions included in the comprehensive system include energy efficiency, space planning, HVAC optimization, safety and more. Sensors placed on light fixtures around the building are connected wirelessly to each other and to a cloud for analytics. The Enlightened network can manage more than 10,000 sensors per building, and real-time data is sent to the cloud 24/7. Applications like lighting control and HVAC optimization allows for energy use reduction, while workspace utilization monitoring can improve workflow and productivity among employees. Security is built into each system component, with tamper-proof systems, encryption in all networks and the ability to operate isolated from corporate networks or integrate with existing security systems.

Image courtesy of enlightedinc.com