DREXEL Smart House is a student-led, multidisciplinary program to renovate an urban home to serve as a “living laboratory” for exploring cutting edge design and technology, which has spun off several entrepreneur start ups. Participants conduct entrepreneurial science and technology research and develop designs in the areas of environment, energy, interaction, health, and lifestyle with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life in the urban residential setting.
Drexel Smart House assists entrepreneurial Drexel students in developing and commercializing technologies and designs to improve the environmental and social conditions in an urban residential environment.
Drexel Smart House provides students with support in the design, development, and commercialization of products that improve life in an urban residential environmentLast year, Drexel Smart House spun off its first "green" company, resulting entirely from student innovation. This company, Summalux LLC, specializes in energy efficient daylight simulation lighting, and is currently putting its creative spirit toward innovation in the manufacturing process. Summalux was the winner of the College of Engineering Senior Design Competition as well as the Baiada Center's Business Plan and Incubator Competitions.
Another student-developed technology is entering the commercialization phase. DSH members recently presented a new technology at the annual conference of the Reflective Roof Coating Institute. The new technology is a roof coating designed to selectively reflect infrared radiation to reduce the solar gain on a structure, and has been shown to effectively reflect a large portion of the sun's energy at a low formulation cost. This project was recently awarded the Environmental Protection Agency's People, Planet, Prosperity Award, and received two years of funding from the agency.
These are only a few examples of how the Drexel Smart House provides students with support in the design, development, and commercialization of products that improve life in an urban residential environment.
