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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Unlocking Sensor-Based Utilization Analysis in Smart Buildings: A Case Study at AAU Innovate

Term

4. semester

Publication year

2025

Submitted on

Pages

112

Abstract

Modern smart buildings collect large volumes of data through Internet of Things systems, yet much of this data remains unused, especially for under- standing how spaces are actually used. This project explores whether existing systems in AAU Innovate, a multi-func- tional building, can be used to generate useful insights and support informed decision-making. Five different data sources were accessed, analyzed, and integrated into a unified and hostable data graph. These sources included fa- cility management, booking calendars, building management systems, coffee machines, and entry counters. To test the value of this integration, five prac- tical questions were developed together with AAU Innovate’s management and solved by an expert using the combined data. All questions led to actionable insights. The project also tested the use of a large language model as an interface for nontechnical users. While the model showed promise in writing Python scripts for simple tasks, it struggled with more complex reason- ing. Still, the results show the potential of combining data infrastructure with artificial intelligence.