Denver’s ‘smart neighborhood’ will be packed with futuristic technology

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.

Rural hospitals present unique opportunities and challenges for healthcare facility operators. Oftentimes, the infrastructure and building systems have not been updated for years and require significant improvements in order to meet today’s modern medical demands. Additionally, as these smaller, more remote hospitals are acquired by larger regional and national healthcare systems, the first step by new ownership is often to update and rehabilitate the building. But how can this be done thoughtfully, economically, and efficiently in ways that allow the engineering and facility staff to adapt to the changes? And how can the updates accurately reflect the specific needs of rural communities and the afflictions with which these areas most commonly face?