Research Areas
Our group has decided to focus on five research areas. These five categories address all of the different elements of the "Smart" mindset.

Environment
Smart House plans to decrease the environmental footprint of the residents through intelligent planning, use of novel materials, and alternative energy. We intend to implement sustainable and environmentally friendly products to produce a livable house with no negative environmental impact. Extra care must be taken due to the urban Philadelphia setting.

Energy
Energy is becoming an increasingly important issue in today's society. People have come to realize that resources are finite. Smart House will investigate alternative energy sources, such as solar and geothermal, and will also utilize low energy devices and energy recovery systems. The ultimate goal is to generate all energy on site.

Interaction
Technology should be easy to use and benefit your daily activities. Smart House will be addressing the way in which people interact with technology by improving existing and creating new methods of interacting with computers and other technologies. Additionally, technologies will be networked to create an intelligent and aware living environment.

Health
The importance of a healthy home is usually overlooked, yet this should be an integral part of any home design. Indoor air quality and the ability to remotely (and non-invasively) monitor one's health are examples of projects that will be incorporated into the Smart House.

Lifestyle
In today's world people spend more time working than ever before, so it has become more important than ever to increase the efficiency of our day-to-day living. Smart House will provide more efficient living and work spaces through smart design, automation, and improved computer access. Smart House also plans to improve the quality of leisure time spent in the home.