Aveva creating the Heat Sensor prototype
Meet the ProtoTeam!
At the heart of AVEVA’s Cambridge Science Park office, a group of volunteers has come together to form the ProtoTeam!
- Abi Kinard – Graduate Software Engineer
- Alli Orton – R&D Development Manager
- Martin Downey – Software Engineer
- Ollie Ryland – Software Engineer Intern
- Sean O’Sullivan – Principal Software Engineer
- Somayeh Touranian – Product Owner
Their skills are mostly rooted in software engineering, and due to limited hands-on expertise in sensors and control systems, there were early discussions about the feasibility and scope of what could realistically be achieved in a prototype.
Project Overview!
The team was excited by the idea of energy-saving tech, which is perfectly in line with AVEVA’s sustainability goals. They discussed ideas involving Raspberry Pis, electronic kits, and fancy sensors, but time and tools were limited. Sean O’Sullivan then suggested using the IKEA smart home kit, which includes a programmable API. This opened up the possibility of writing custom code to control heating and air conditioning, so we decided to investigate that solution further.
This opened the door to writing custom software to control heating and air conditioning. Since their devices weren’t hooked into central heating, but instead plugged in separately, IKEA’s smart plugs turned out to be the perfect fit. Unfortunately, the IKEA Home app couldn’t automatically link door sensors to smart plugs. So, the team had to roll up their sleeves and build their own software to bridge that gap.
Starting the prototype!
Another key consideration was how to effectively demonstrate the concept, simply running software on a laptop didn’t seem engaging enough. The idea of building a prototype house quickly took shape. The team were initially excited about using a LEGO house, but the sensors were too large to fit behind the small doors and windows, and even Duplo didn’t offer the space they needed. The team also looked into using a dollhouse, a Playmobil set, or other toy houses, but none matched the scale or layout they required. In the end, they chose to build a cardboard house, which offered the flexibility to design around the sensors and proved to be the most practical and customizable solution for their demo.
Getting Down to Business
Once Alli got the green light to buy the necessary equipment, the setup began! This included configuring the system to run on a local network, which was key for in-office demos. The team naturally split into two overlapping ProtoTeams:
- House Builders: Ollie, Alli, and Somayeh took charge of building the cardboard masterpiece. Alli even got hands-on with papier-mâché to reinforce the structure!
- Software Developers: Abi and Martin have been busy learning Python, guided by Sean. While Martin focused on shaping the user experience for the software.
A Chat with Veda
Early in the project, the team got to meet the inventor of the Heat Sensor, Veda, in a Teams call with her teacher. At first, Veda seemed a little shy, but she quickly warmed up and impressed everyone with her clear vision for the system.
One of her smart ideas? A manual override so heating can stay on even if a door or window is open. The team loved this and added it to the project! Since then, they’ve shared photos of their progress with the school and are now prepping for a student visit to their office in June!