The imec/UGent HomeLab is an actual standalone house offering a unique residential test environment for IoT services and smart living. A wide range of IoT technologies are deployed innovation is supported at different stages from concept and co-creation with potential users, to early proof-of-concept testing in a real living environment.

Recently, a digital “experience” twin of this homelab was created by students of Howest-DAE (Digital Arts & Entertainment) and Industrial Design (Faculty of Engineering & Architecture), coordinated by the researchers and developers of research group imec-mict-UGent. More specifically, the Homelab and its objects were modeled with great precision and hardware was designed to make certain objects more “tangible” in the virtual world.

We believe this digital experience twin can be a great tool to conduct UX & usability research when new IoT or smart technologies are developed. Before getting to the development phase, initial prototypes can be simulated in the digital version of the homelab, allowing iterative design before going to physical prototyping. In addition, the digital “experience” twin can be used to generate dummy data or training data for all kinds of sensors, without losing the ecological validity of the human behavior.

During this showcase event on February 16th 2023, researchers from imec, Ghent University or even companies can put on a virtual reality headset and experience the digital twin for themselves. There will be ample opportunities to discuss further collaborations and to network, so don’t hesitate to pass by!