Regional and Urban Design Committee

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  • 1.  Less Resilient: Vulnerabilities of Smart Technology

    Posted 10-07-2024 02:20 PM

    Does Smart Technology Make Us Less Resilient? 

     "We're often easily distracted by the idea of something new and flashy, but then we learn it's quite hard to deliver on those promises, and while we're chasing something flashy, the problems become more entrenched and it becomes harder to deal with them." (Shoshanna Saxe, Civil Engineer University of Toronto)

    The oops moments of smart technology 

    • A neighbor has a NEST thermostat installed for his home with the result that his heat pump is working at all times all year long while mine remains often comfortably shut off. Why: In spring or fall when it is crisp in the morning the smart device heats his home while have the windows open to cool the house down.
      Google Nest learning thermostat

      Then, when it heats up at noon,his machine cools his house while I have close the windows and enjoy the retained coo air. My system is in the off position so it can't run at all. By tolerating a wider range of indoor temps and using old style "dumb" methods of moderating the indoor temps I saved a lot of energy plus honed a method that also works in a power outage. This may not work for everyone, the point is, though, that either the smart device or the owner isn't smart enough to achieve the desired outcome. The NEST could probably be programmed differently, but which user actually can optimize the program?
    • The condo building in which I have an apartment has all common area doors controlled by the smart Butterfly access system that allows to open them with a smart phone app, each lock with a different slider or operate the front door remotely. When downtown experienced at conduit fire over a mile away the building lost its cable access, the Internet and with it all its smartness. The phone access and remote building interface didn't work for days. (There is a backup PIN pad to get through the front door). 
      No charging without internet
    • Recently I wanted to charge my EV in an underground parking garage. For some reason the charging stations had lost their internet connection and couldn't communicate with my phone, regardless

    Read the entire discussion about how to hedge against the risks of smart technology 



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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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  • 2.  RE: Less Resilient: Vulnerabilities of Smart Technology

    Posted 10-08-2024 12:06 PM
    Interesting discussion, Phillip, I agree completely. We have too much technology controlling things we don’t need to have controlled. And this adds cost and complexity and reduces reliability and increases maintenance cost.

    A big pet peeve of mine is over complicated lighting controls. And went into a friends house, and we could never figure out how to turn on the lights in the living room. Another house I saw had about a half a dozen zones within one living room and as many in the primary bedroom.!
    What happened to the simple light switch or simple dimmer switch?

    Another example of too much tech is smart keys that come with cars now. They replaced the simple two dollar key. But now we have starting the car issues when the batteries go in the remote control unit, or if we break or lose a unit, it’s as much as $500 to get it replaced and reprogrammed by the dealer.

    And there was a case where criminals are able to buy remote control fobs online and use them to remotely start and steal cars, mostly Hyundai and Kia models. A friend of mine who owns a Hyundai was just a victim of a break-in by the thieves, trying to use the fake key fobs. They broke into her car anyway, even though it was an older one with normal key, because they were already there trying to break into it. But at least it didn’t steal it. But they cost thousands of dollars of damage.

    Thank you and Best Regards,

    Remi Tan, AIA LEED AP BD+C

    Architecture, Green Building
    Real estate investment and brokerage

    650 291 3097

    Sent from my iPhone




  • 3.  RE: Less Resilient: Vulnerabilities of Smart Technology

    Posted 30 days ago

    Well, I love my smart house. We walk in the front door and say, "Alexa, living room on" and all the lights on that zone turn on. It is fantastic. I also love not having to find the key in my purse to open or start my car. When the battery dies in the fob, it is $5 at Ace Hardware. Easy peasy. Next up is to install a smart front door lock. Now if only, "Kitchen, make dinner" worked....

     

    Regards,

    Pamela

     

     

    Pamela Patrick AIA

    Architect and Facilities Supervisor

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

     

    202-957-4401 (mobile) | www.cafc.uscourts.gov

     

     






  • 4.  RE: Less Resilient: Vulnerabilities of Smart Technology

    Posted 29 days ago

    Glad you are enjoying it. Good for you! No doubt these things are convenient while they work. My point was that the smart systems usually don't have enough back up options and are easy to hack. 



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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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