Intelligent Homes

Interview with Dr. János Levendovszky university professor

Watering our indoor plants or operating the shutter by „remote control" could seem to be a utopia just a few years ago. We have talked about intelligent homes and opportunities inherent in the system with Professor János Levendovszky, leader of the Laboratory of Networking Algorithms and Signal Processing at the Budapest University of Technology (BME).

What types of „intelligent" tools can be applied in our homes? What principles are they operated by?

There are numerous automated appliances in modern residential parks. By automation we mean intelligence that is able to communicate in addition to observing its own state as well as that of the environment. Ambient networking practically refers to equipment (be it a curtain, a light bulb or a heater) with a sensor or communication unit which sends data about its own state, enabling remote monitoring of the apartment. Information may be received by mobile phone, so we can shut the blinds, water the flowers or start the washing machine at home even while in another city.

The owner of the flat can also be alarmed in case of unusual events.

That's right. If the fire alarm or any other device that measures the state of an equipment in time senses an outstanding value somewhere and signals, the owner of the apartment automatically receives an alarm, which enables him or her to take measures to minimise the damage from far away.

How is this applied to health instruments?

When the so-called Intelligent Body Area Network (IBAN) is installed, sensors placed on or implanted in the body send data to the remote location of medical attention, where data are monitored by a computer. As soon as a critical data occur, an alarm signal is generated. This can significantly improve the quality of life for elderly people, especially in places with no medical attendance nearby.

How is a system like this developed?

Sensors are operated with standard communication protocols, and they can send data to the Internet or to a mobile network. The real challenge is algorithmic development, the elaboration of new communication protocols and algorithms for recognising critical situations, in order to guarantee the quick detection of deteriorating states, and the transfer of notifications and alarms to their destinations as fast as possible.

The research team which I lead comprises two senior lecturers and five doctoral students working on the related algorithmic developments. For example, the supply of energy to sensors implanted in the body is a critical issue, as well as a great scientific challenge. Therefore we aim to realise energy-saving communication with different methods of data transfer.

When do you think the intelligent home will be available to an average family?

It is already available in certain places, it is not a utopia. Hungary even has the adequate technological background. Large telecommunication companies are already working on introducing intelligent equipment to the market. Health care is definitely on this track, as people are willing to devote money to their health and safety.

Are there industrial cooperations in this field?

We cooperate with the Korean Electronics Technology Institute: we have prepared package classification algorithms for them, which they have utilised in the conception of the intelligent home. We also have other relations with the industry and we participate in EU projects. Improving the quality of life is a priority topic of the EU, and this is a wide concept covering more than the research we are involved in.

What kinds of courses can foreign students interested in your research themes choose from?

I am responsible for the English language program of the BME Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, and also teach the subjects Data compression, Coding techniques, and Soft computing. Only foreign students attend these, and they are from different parts of the world: we have students from the US, from Israel, from Cyprus, Nigeria, South Korea and many other countries.
I also teach in foreign countries: I have held courses at the Penn State University {USA}, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium) and the Kyungbook National University (South Korea).

What other projects does the Networking Algorithms and Signal Processing Laboratory participate in?

We have had several joint projects with Deutsche Telekom. We have worked with the University of Rennes and the College of Technology of Bremen in the framework of an S&T program.

Apart from the foreign higher education institutions mentioned before, we have academic relations with the Kyngbook National University, the University of New Hampshire, the Imperial College of London and the University of Notre Dame.