Researchers, partners in the ANR CoSWoT project and the Henri Fayol Institute, along with students from ISTP and the ICM program, met from March 24 to March 26, 2021. They worked on a digital twin project for the Espace Fauriel building within the Territoire platform. Ultimately, this project can raise various issues such as interoperable and distributed management of assets, energy efficiency, ‘low-tech’ innovation, etc.
The project offers tremendous potential for teaching, overarching projects, and research, while also having an ethical dimension linked to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
A testing ground for education
Students from the “Big Data Challenge” learned about the data (from the building, but not only), sensors, and actuators potentially accessible in the Espace Fauriel building. In groups, they considered measures to counter or mitigate the risks posed by the proliferation of personal data, Artificial Intelligence systems, and Internet of Things devices, by imagining scenarios of malicious use of this data and these services.
A practical field for student internships and projects
Students from ISTP, specializing in Energy Valorization Engineering (IVE), are studying the Espace Fauriel building. Their working hypothesis is that the various information systems of Mines Saint-Étienne, the different IoT devices deployed in the building, and the historical building management system could be used jointly. The students have already identified recommendations to optimize heating and ventilation management.
Industrial projects for 3rd-year engineering students have also been proposed in conjunction with the School’s FabLab. Their objectives include controlling window openings or automating the detection of window openings using a camera mounted on a mobile robot. Through these projects, students combine skills in programming, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence.
An interest in research
Regarding research, projects are examples of possible uses for the digital twin of the Espace Fauriel building as an experimentation pilot for a collaborative project. Notably, the ANR CoSWoT (Constrained Semantic Web of Things) project, in which the Henri Fayol Institute is a partner, aims to improve the state of the art in semantic interoperability and symbolic artificial intelligence. In this project, applicability to different verticals is demonstrated with pilots in both Smart Buildings and Digital Agriculture.
The Henri Fayol Institute wishes to thank the General Services of Mines Saint-Étienne, particularly the Heritage Department and the IT Systems Department, for their involvement, availability, and support.
