Learning socio-organizational network structure in buildings with ambient sensing data

Abstract

We develop a model that successfully learns social and organizational human network structure using ambient sensing data from distributed plug load energy sensors in commercial buildings. A key goal for the design and operation of commercial buildings is to support the success of organizations within them. In modern workspaces, a particularly important goal is collaboration, which relies on physical interactions among individuals. Learning the true socio-organizational relational ties among workers can therefore help managers of buildings and organizations make decisions that improve collaboration. In this paper, we introduce the Interaction Model, a method for inferring human network structure that leverages data from distributed plug load energy sensors. In a case study, we benchmark our method against network data obtained through a survey and compare its performance to other data-driven tools. We find that unlike previous methods, our method infers a network that is correlated with the survey network to a statistically significant degree (graph correlation of 0.46, significant at the 0.01 confidence level). We additionally find that our method requires only 10 weeks of sensing data, enabling dynamic network measurement. Learning human network structure through data-driven means can enable the design and operation of spaces that encourage, rather than inhibit, the success of organizations.

Utilizing wearable technology to characterize and facilitate occupant collaborations in flexible workspaces

“…The occurrence of occupant interactions has previously been studied and predicted using sensor data. The activity state of the plug-in devices at one's desk can be used to infer whether someone is at their workstation [1]. When more than one occupant is away from their desk, interactions can occur, creating a model that reflects potential employee interactions.…”

“…Human-to-human interactions play an essential role in defining our society. Within the office, collaboration and interactions among employees are key determining factors for productivity and success [1]. Specifically, unplanned, spontaneous interactions can provide opportunities for unexpected collaboration and discovery.…”