Italian tile manufacturer Gruppo Romani has developed what the company calls “Smart Tiles”, described as intelligent ceramic slabs that open the door to the future of home automation design. The active ceramic tiles are said to be capable of monitoring both the surrounding environment and building structures.
According to the company, the product is the outcome of more than four years of research and investments amounting to about €10m (£8.6m). The project was funded by Mise, and participants included technical partners such as Sacmi, Iprel, CNR, Trebax and Studio-IOT.
In a special compartment created on the back of the tile, the Smart Tiles hold a micro electronic card fitted with MEMS sensors, permitting the transfer of collected data to Cloud. In addition to complying with the UNI EN 14411 standard and maintaining the manufacturer’s aesthetic standards, these tiles also enable integrated monitoring of programmed parameters.
Giorgio Romani, president of Gruppo Romani, says this product enables new fields of application for ceramic slabs, with a special focus on covering ventilated walls in residential and commercial buildings. The ability to transmit information on structural and environmental parameters can potentially “revolutionise” the approach to safety in buildings, the company says, offering a value-added solution.
Smart Tiles will be produced in the 120×120cm size, customised to meet clients’ specific requirements. These tiles promise to reset safety and innovation standards in the ceramic surfaces industry.
Group CEO Paulo Romani thanks the co-inventors, namely the industrial director Alessandro Berselli and Marco Bonvino of Studio IOT, as well as the collaborators who have contributed to the project during the experimental, prototyping and testing phases.
www.grupporomanispa.com
