Human-Cyber-Physical Systems: Integrating User Behavior into the Design, Construction, and Operation of Built Environments

Human-Cyber-Physical Systems: Integrating User Behavior into the Design, Construction, and Operation of Built Environments

Arsalan Heydarian
Ph.D. Candidate
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
University of Southern California (USC)

Previous studies have shown that occupant behavior can significantly influence the total energy consumption in buildings. However, there exists a large gap in the current scientific approaches to quantitatively identify and model the influence of occupant behavior on the building energy consumption. To address this limitation, in my research, I introduce a systematic approach to (1) collect a large amount of occupant behavioral information through immersive virtual environments, (2) identify the influence of internal factors (i.e., preferential and psychological factors) on occupant lighting-related behavior, and (3) integrate behavioral models into building performance simulations to identify the influence of occupant behavior on the building energy consumption. By having access to occupant information and behavioral models, we can reduce the uncertainties related to building energy consumption and move towards integrating user-centered considerations into the design and operation of the future cyber-physical systems. In this presentation, I will discuss some of my current research as well as my future research plans to use Human-in-the-Loop Cyber-Physical systems in order to shift the design and construction industry towards automated sensing, decision support systems, and human-automation collaboration.