Position detection and air conditioning control support the creation of new office environments

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Mitsubishi Jisho Design Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Junichi Tanisawa) is pleased to announce that its "MELRemo-IPS" won the Grand Prize at the 21st Environmental and Equipment Design Awards (sponsored by the Japan Construction Equipment Association). "MELRemo-IPS" is a system that uses existing multi-air conditioners for buildings to display people's positions and temperature environments, and is expected to be used and deployed in a variety of ways (joint demonstration: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation).

Resolving the challenges of "new ways of working" with existing office environments and newly developed technologies
Today, ABW (Activity Based Working, a way of working in which workers choose the most suitable place for efficient work depending on the nature of the work) is becoming more widespread as part of work style reform and workplace reconstruction. While this is attracting attention as a "new way of working that is not limited to a specific location," issues such as the lack of fixed seats and the spread of remote work, making it unclear whether workers are present or absent, are becoming apparent.

"MELRemo-IPS" is a tool that solves these issues in ABW offices, sharing the location of workers in real time using two newly developed technologies: 1) technology to communicate and operate the multi-air conditioners commonly found in offices, and 2) technology to identify location using the signal strength of smartphones, etc. At the same time, workers can "create" a comfortable environment by operating the air conditioners themselves. The data obtained from this can be used not only for temperature analysis, but also for improvements such as revitalizing communication in ABW offices.