Power management company Eaton announced that it has joined the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for the Development and Application of Internet of Things Technologies (CDAIT), an Atlanta-based research center dedicated to developing and applying Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. As a member company with a Lighting Division based in the Atlanta area, Eaton provides Georgia Tech students and faculty with lighting expertise and hands-on training to help support research that further enables transformational IoT technologies.
As stated by a company press release, "in recent years, the IoT has emerged as a new frontier that promises to reshape how people, data and devices interact. The increasing interconnectivity created by the combination of the internet, mobile devices, embedded sensors, data analytics and cloud computing has opened new avenues for technological innovation."
“IoT systems are laying the groundwork for smart, connected buildings, communities and homes, and lighting is a key factor in the enablement and adoption of these technologies,” said Parth Joshi, chief technology officer and vice president, Engineering, Eaton’s Lighting Division. “Working with the students and faculty at Georgia Tech’s CDAIT, we look forward to expanding our research into the many possibilities of IoT-enabled devices while helping find new ways to apply them to serve the needs of businesses, governments and consumers.”
Eaton’s CDAIT membership is part of a broader commitment to developing and implementing IoT-connected applications that improve efficiency through controls and data. The new Connected Lighting Classroom at Eaton’s SOURCE Lighting Education Center near Atlanta features in-depth training and hands-on demonstrations to educate lighting specifiers, architects, engineers, electrical contractors, builders and university students about IoT-connected lighting solutions.
“CDAIT is working to effectively and efficiently unite the many pieces of the IoT puzzle, from sensing and actuating technology to information extraction,” said Alain Louchez, managing director of CDAIT. “By bringing Eaton’s experts together with our students and faculty, we will increase our understanding of the role lighting plays in IoT connectivity while expanding, educating and energizing the market around the unique capabilities of IoT applications.”
A key element in this developing relationship is Eaton’s engineering office in Midtown Atlanta, which will enable a direct connection to the Georgia Tech campus and the talented, aspiring engineers driving innovation in lighting. “We are extremely pleased and honored to welcome a distinguished company such as Eaton to the Executive Advisory Board of CDAIT to advise and guide CDAIT’s direction,” added Jeff Evans, Chairman of the CDAIT Board.
