SMART VILLAGE LIVING LAB IN THE ECO DELTA CITY IN KOREA
"Smart Village" is a living lab-like demonstration complex that experiments various innovative technologies in daily life and implements technological improvements based on user feedback. Living lab operators(residents) are selected for 5 years through a contest for citizens who want to experience and feedback on smart services. The empirical data obtained through service application and living lab are used as basic data for establishing an innovative industry ecosystem related to smart cities.
Currently the Smart Village is the only place where people actually live. It is divided into a zone of 1 to 2-story houses for single people or newlyweds; and 2 to 3-story houses for families with children with a total of 56 households. In addition to the houses, there is also a community center with a health center, gym, robot cafe and a small convenience store. The Smart Village Platform where all the sensors and information of the Smart Village is monitored in real time
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SMART VILLAGE'S HOUSE DESIGN IN THE LIVING LAB
Entry to smart homes is through fingerprint or facial recognition. All the systems like air conditioning, lighting or heating are activated once they recognize the presence of someone inside the house. It is also possible to check the visitors record whenever somebody cross the door or open the door. Everything can be activated or shutted down using smart phone or voice recognition. The screen in the kitchen gives recommendations about the amount and condition of the food, and create menus according with the data collected in the mirror. Outside the house there is a control system that generates information about all waste in the house including energy and water flow. Also there is installed an air purifier in all house to remove air dust.
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The design of the houses is thought to take advantage of the power of nature. The large windows and high ceilings with many open spaces use the sunlight to reduce internal light consumption during the day and allow air to circulate throughout the house. Rainwater is collected from roofs and the permeable pavement and then used for gardening. Solar panels in the roofs is the main source of energy in the houses.
URBAN TECH HOUSE IN SMART VILLAGE
The Urban tech house is an multi-functional support space of the created to fostering Smart City innovative companies and supporting Industry-University-Research around the Smart Village project. The space is divided in four buildings: One building serves as an office and R&D institute, showcasing innovative technologies for the smart village. Another building provides spaces for employees and functions as the Urban Tech House, a living lab and education center for village residents. Additionally, a shared office supports start-up businesses and facilitates industry-academia research. Lastly, there is a dedicated 3D printing house that produces and installs street furniture using advanced additive manufacturing techniques.
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CITIZENS PARTICIPATION IN THE SMART VILLAGE
In the living lab initiative, interested citizens will be organized into three teams, each with a specific focus. One team will be responsible for providing information regarding the system's operations, another will focus on evaluating the satisfaction of the services, and the last team will actively contribute to the discovery of new services. The project involves the participation of private companies such as Samsung electronics, local residents, and a coordinating group comprising a facilitator who leads the meetings, experts from universities or consulting companies, and K-water, representing the administrative body.
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Residents who choose to live in the Smart Village for a period of five years will have access to services in exchange for sharing their personal information. Regular monthly meetings are held, gathering all stakeholders to discuss progress, satisfaction levels, potential improvements, and other relevant topics. However, an increasing number of residents have become more conscious of the extent of data they are providing and are concern about their privacy. Despite have signed a contract, some residents persists, prompting the project organizers to offer additional benefits to participants.
As the project has progressed, residents have taken the initiative to propose and implement their own smart solutions within the village. These resident-led initiatives range from community gardens with smart irrigation systems to localized renewable energy projects. This bottom-up approach empowers residents to contribute their skills, expertise, and creativity to enhance the smart village concept further.
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This condo seems to have a typical design for foreigners, however in South Korea this type of design is very unique and modern. Families are not used to living in large and modern spaces, which are usually luxury apartments in cities. Currently the citizens live in the Smart Village so visits are restricted. As construction has been halted in the surrounding area, the condo is isolated from any services offered in a city, which has made life difficult for its inhabitants. Personally, I like to see how South Korea has finally tried, for the first time, to involve and listen to citizens in an urban project, even if that involvement is for the purpose of gathering information to optimize the city. There is still a long way to go on this issue, but I think the government is on the right track.
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