We built a house in Berlin featuring the currently most advanced house automation systems. All electric appliances in the house, all lights, and the window shutters can be controlled through the Internet and using an iPhone. Several robots perform different duties in the house, from cleaning to providing security services.

These are some of the house highlights:

• Automatic control of all switches and lights in the house through the Internet or iPhone
• Remote energy consumption metering in real time
• New energy sources for heating: solar power and heat pump
• Electronic office with videoconference equipment for sending lectures to the university
• Electronic kitchen with all devices connected to a wireless control panel
• Wireless alarm system with motion, smoke, vibration detectors and remote communication
• A mowing robot takes care of the garden
• A guard robot patrols the house
• Two cleaning robots for the floor
• A computer and storage server for the house
• Two tables with embedded large LCD screens for games or reading the newspaper
• Virtual fitness room

Several students are collaborating in this project writing the software for control, and for the robots. David Seelbinder is coordinating the project. Martin Klein is writing the media server. The house is being built with private funding and company sponsoring.

IQ150, as the house has been named, features smart appliances, and the house can be controlled through the Internet.

Ein Multitouch-Tisch in Wohnzimmer ermöglicht gemeinsame Spiele oder die Zeitungslektüre

IQ150 has a central nervous system represented by a common bus, which addresses all devices in the house. Instead of having dedicated switches, any switch in the house can send a command to any address in the house.

The energy in the house is produced by a modern heat pump. Heat is transported through the floor warming uniformly all rooms (right, the picture shows the temperature of the heat counducts embedded in the floor)