Daikin air conditioning in “living laboratory” project
8th January 2025
JAPAN: Daikin is to carry out demonstration experiments of a new air conditioning system that will create spaces where people can feel more comfortable and healthy both physically and mentally.
The Japanese air conditioning manufacturer will participate in Toyota Woven City, an experimental project being constructed by Toyota Motor Corporation in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture.
The $10bn “living laboratory” project will provide technology developers the opportunity to freely test their ideas in a secure, real-life setting. The Woven City is being built on a 700,000m2 site at the base of Mount Fuji.
The experimental city will utilise autonomous driving transportation, autonomous logistics and the latest technologies, such as artificial AI and robots. The city’s main electricity supply will be from hydrogen-powered fuel cells.
Although the city will initially be home to around 360 residents, mainly senior citizens and families, eventually the population will increase to 2,000. This number will include Toyota employees and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as artificial intelligence in a real world environment.
Daikin’s involvement, which will commence this autumn, will be based around air conditioning and ventilation systems that create pollen-free spaces and a system that links air conditioning, video, audio, etc, to create “new value in spatial experiences through multi-sensory collaboration”.
“In recent years, interest in mental and physical health, which leads to a fulfilling life, has been growing,” Daikin explains. “In particular, hay fever, fatigue due to stress, and poor quality sleep, which many people suffer from, are not only obstacles to a healthy life, but also pose social issues such as reducing labour efficiency and causing economic losses due to increased medical expenses.”
Against this background, Daikin has been working on various initiatives to realise “pollen-free spaces” that minimise pollen concentration in the air, and “personalised functional spaces” that relieve stress and improve sleep quality by controlling the air environment and audiovisual information.
