These High-Tech Offices Track Their Employees With Sensors
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Always watching
It might have a Big Brother vibe, but some companies are installing sensors in their offices to track their employees’ every move. The claim: They want to get the most out of their work space. Here’s how they’re doing it–and why.
IMAGE: Anthony Collins Photography
See and listen
When the Boston Consulting Group moved into its Manhattan offices this year, about 100 employees volunteered to wear Humanyze microphones and location trackers to shed light on how employees interact in the space.
IMAGE: Anthony Collins Photography
All by design
The data BCG collects is anonymous, and audio isn’t recorded. The company says it wants to know how the layout affects communication, and where interactions happen (and don’t happen).
IMAGE: Anthony Collins Photography
Old and new
BCG ran the same tests in its final months at its previous office. The collected data will help it determine how the new office affects work culture and collaboration overall.
IMAGE: Anthony Collins Photography
Hidden sensors
Gensler, a New York-based design firm, installed an Enlighted system, with 1,000 trackers hidden in its light fixtures. The goal is to create a more productive, energy-efficient workplace.
IMAGE: Courtesy Company
Lighting that learns
Over time, the trackers establish which parts of the Gensler office are usually occupied at which times of day, so the lighting adjusts preemptively. The warmth or coolness of the LED system changes depending on the time.
IMAGE: Courtesy Company
Climate control
The sensors also monitor carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity. An air cleaning system releases positive and negative ions to improve the air quality when necessary.
IMAGE: Courtesy Company
It’s easy being green
IMAGE: Courtesy Company
Desk monitors
Sensors made by London-based OccupEye can be placed under desks or tables to detect motion and body heat. This info is fed to the building’s HVAC system to regulate the heat and air conditioning in empty rooms.
IMAGE: Courtesy OccupEye
Fly on the wall
If tracking cubicles is too personal, the sensors can be placed on a wall to detect movement. Employees can check from their computers to see whether meeting rooms or other shared spaces are occupied.
