Viktor MusilResearchers at NYC University NYU Tandon School of Engineering are pioneering a groundbreaking approach to detecting building exterior leaks using robots, AI, and drones. With a $1 million Civic Innovation Challenge award from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the project aims to support New York City’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions status for large buildings by 2030, in compliance with Local Law 97. The technology, spearheaded by Assistant Professor Chen Feng, utilizes AI-powered sensors to identify moisture and thermal irregularities without invasive procedures, significantly reducing inspection time and enhancing efficiency. Partnering with experts in sociomedical sciences at Columbia University, the research team plans to assess adoption barriers and opportunities for the technology in schools owned by the Archdiocese of New York. This collaborative effort not only advances scientific knowledge but also fosters academic-civil partnerships crucial for addressing environmental challenges and ensuring building compliance with sustainability regulations.
NYU Tandon Engineers Pioneer AI and Robotics for Net-Zero Building Leak Detection
The exteriors of buildings, such as the exterior walls, roofs, doors, and windows, have been contributing to New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to a report from the city mayor’s office of sustainability, air leakages from wall penetrations, which exhibit significantly higher rates of heat transfer than surrounding materials, lessen the impact of total thermal insulation. According to the report, more energy is required to heat and cool buildings in order to keep inside air temperatures firm.
The AI-powered technology being developed at NYU detects building envelope leaks using robots and drone scans, drawing on expertise in robot perception. Engineers wo n’t need to make as many physical visits because they can detect moisture and thermal irregularities in building envelopes without being intrusive. According to the release, the data would be sent to cloud-based servers and analyzed by AI-powered software that can produce thorough reports on building conditions.
The project’s main investigator is Chen Feng, an assistant professor in the departments of mechanical and jet engineering and civic and urban engineering at NYU. According to Feng, the technology will enable building inspection professionals to carry out more inspections than with conventional techniques, drastically reducing time, particularly for locations that are difficult to reach.
Innovative Solutions for Building Envelope Integrity
In the release, Feng stated that “our profound learning techniques will enable the tale use of innovative sensors to pinpoint several building envelope defects.
Building envelopes have a big impact on energy efficiency, individual comfort, and total structural integrity, according to Semiha Ergan, an associate professor with CUE who is working on the project with Feng. Bad air and moisture sealing inside these envelopes causes higher building emissions and may have a negative impact on people’s health, according to nbsp.
A spokesperson for the NYU Tandon School of Engineering wrote in an email to Facilities Dive,” The project not only demonstrates a new scientific approach to the building inspections needed for Local Law 97 compliance, but it also shows an unusual academic-civil collaboration.”
The research team received a first-stage award final year in collaboration with the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Office of Technology and Innovation, and the New York City District 2030, according to NYU. According to the release, the stage-one work involved using thermal-sensing drones and an early version of a mechanical data collection platform to test out buildings at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. The university noted that this$ 1 million award, which enables the team to carry out its research, was made possible by the success of the first phase.
The team plans to create and deploy an automatic mechanical data collection system through 2024 that will include optical and thermal cameras as well as sensors like ground-penetrating radar, GPS, and Lidar. It was mentioned that drones would also be used to record building exteriorthermal and color data.
In collaboration with a research team led by Diana Hernandez, an associate professor of sociomedical sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the team intends to inspect schools owned by the Archdiocese of New York in order to examine adoption barriers and opportunities for the new technology from educational, social, and political perspectives.
Summary – NYC University
- Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are creating a technique to look for leaks in building exteriors using robots, AI, and drones.
- The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded the research team $ 1 million Civic Innovation Challenge award for the entire year to support their work, according to an Oct. 12 press release.
- With the aim of achieving net-zero emissions status for massive buildings by 2030, the project aims to make it simpler to comply with New York City’s Local Law 97, which will go into effect in 2024.
