An Analysis of an Autonomous Smart House as an Organism: An Alternative Pattern of Organization

Abstract

This paper examines the current state of smart homes and proposes an alternative model based on biomimicry. It is argued that a house that is modeled on a basic living organism will be more efficient for the inhabitants, and more effective to insulate them from the unpredictable effects of climate change in the near future. By using an organism as a model, the house will be able to self-organize its systems, and adapt to both its inhabitants as well as environmental perturbations. This can be accomplished with the use of sensors and actuators in a decentralized configuration with artificial life programming. Since organisms are autonomous by definition, off-grid housing systems are infused to create a new housing model that is zero-emission, zerowaste, and can serve as a model for other forms of infrastructure at greater scales.