A 400-acre site on the outskirts of Denver will be home to a mixed-use neighborhood heralded as one of the most innovative neighborhoods in development in the United States. Peña Station Next will act as a test lab for a multitude of new technology including transparent TVs, advancements in smart kitchen technology, and an intelligent bus stop with self-driving buses.
Panasonic is partnering with the city of Denver on the project and is providing the technology that will be used in the neighborhood.
The transparent television, for example, was shown off by Panasonic at CES 2017 and, essentially, transforms a clear window or an opaque surface into a TV screen, the Denver Post reports. Panasonic showed off working models of the TV technology that included the door of a sake-wine cellar refrigerator, a tabletop, and windows.
Many of the advancements Panasonic is looking to make to already intelligent kitchens are geared toward automating the process of cooking a meal as much as possible. Selecting a recipe on the sake fridge door will automatically set up the necessary appliances, such as preheating the oven to the desired temperature. Kitchen counters also double as induction stove tops with built in sensors that adjust cooking temperatures so as not to burn the food.
The smart bus stop is one of the first pieces of technology that will actually be installed at Peña Station Next. The stop is integrated with two LCD displays showing information such as bus schedules and how far away the next bus is. The stop will be powered by solar energy. The same self-driving buses that are already in use in Helsinki will also be used in the Peña Station Next development.
The neighborhood has already been equipped with 53 intelligent LED streetlights and a parking lot covered with solar panels. Blanket WiFi is expected by spring and the smart bus stop should be in place by summer. The autonomous shuttles are expected to arrive at some point in February.
Related Stories
AEC Tech Innovation | Jan 24, 2023
ConTech investment weathered last year’s shaky economy
Investment in construction technology (ConTech) hit $5.38 billion last year (less than a 1% falloff compared to 2021) from 228 deals, according to CEMEX Ventures’ estimates. The firm announced its top 50 construction technology startups of 2023.
Concrete | Jan 24, 2023
Researchers investigate ancient Roman concrete to make durable, lower carbon mortar
Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.
AEC Tech | Jan 19, 2023
Data-informed design, with Josh Fritz of LEO A DALY
Joshua Fritz, Leo A Daly's first Data Scientist, discusses how information analysis can improve building project outcomes.
AEC Tech Innovation | Jan 14, 2023
CES recognizes a Dutch firm’s wearable technology for construction management
The firm’s TokenMe product offers construction managers a real-time crowd- and asset-tracking solution via low-power, location-aware radio and RFID tags and multiple sensors through which data are processed with cloud-based artificial intelligence.
Sustainability | Jan 9, 2023
Innovative solutions emerge to address New York’s new greenhouse gas law
New York City’s Local Law 97, an ambitious climate plan that includes fines for owners of large buildings that don’t significantly reduce carbon emissions, has spawned innovations to address the law’s provisions.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Dec 14, 2022
Flood protection: What building owners need to know to protect their properties
This course from Walter P Moore examines numerous flood protection approaches and building owner needs before delving into the flood protection process. Determining the flood resilience of a property can provide a good understanding of risk associated costs.
Mass Timber | Dec 1, 2022
Cross laminated timber market forecast to more than triple by end of decade
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance as an eco-friendly building material, a trend that will propel its growth through the end of the 2020s. The CLT market is projected to more than triple from $1.11 billion in 2021 to $3.72 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research.
75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022
75 top building products for 2022
Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report.
K-12 Schools | Nov 30, 2022
School districts are prioritizing federal funds for air filtration, HVAC upgrades
U.S. school districts are widely planning to use funds from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve air filtration and heating/cooling systems, according to a report from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. The report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” says air filtration and HVAC upgrades are the top facility improvement choice for the 5,004 school districts included in the analysis.
Wood | Nov 16, 2022
5 steps to using mass timber in multifamily housing
A design-assist approach can provide the most effective delivery method for multifamily housing projects using mass timber as the primary building element.
