Combining Multiple Laser Range Scanners and Sensor Networks for Real Time People Detection and its Application to An Energy Saving System for Air-Conditioning Control

摘要

Recently, a novel air-conditioning system, which can send a wind very locally and cool down or warm up only a target person, has been developed (it's called "spot-ventilation"). However, in a wide public area such as a station, airport, exhibition hall and others, the system has never been applied effectively because pedestrians change their location continuously. In this paper, combining multiple laser range scanners and sensor network technology, an energy saving system for the air-conditioning control, which sends a wind only to where and when pedestrians exist, is proposed. By using multiple laser range scanners, pedestrians' positions are detected extensively. This method has advantages against using camera or infrared sensors in terms of low occlusion and independence from lighting condition. Moreover, by scattering a lot of sensor network devices equipped temperature sensor within the target area, a temperature distribution is acquired. The sensor network devices are very easy to exploit because they use a wireless network and organize a network for themselves. In addition, the devices are robust for disconnection because the packets are relayed from node to node. Therefore, the network is composed like a "mesh". Moreover, it needs only very low energy. By integrating the two types of data, pedestrians' positions and temperature distribution, we can find where and when the spot-ventilation system should fan. Linking up with the proposed system and spot-ventilation system, the air-conditioning system will run very efficiently in a wide public area, and achieve decreasing useless energy consumption without spoiling comfort.