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WAITROSE & PARTNERS is
to introduce an ‘invisible door’
that has the potential to save
British retailers a combined
£1.5bn per year by reducing
their energy bills.
Wirth Research’s AirDoor
concept prevents warm air
being lost from the store during
colder temperatures and cool
air being lost during warmer
temperatures as customers
enter and leave, meaning
doors are often left open for
long periods. It is claimed the
door will perform particularly
well in instances of extreme
temperature or pressure
differences as well as strong
winds.
Nick Wirth, president and
founder of Wirth Research,
said: “AirDoor is a response to a
global and increasingly urgent
issue. The UK high street is
facing ever-greater competition
from online retailers, but
AirDoor combats this by
incorporating the energysaving
advantages of an actual
door without creating a physical
barrier to the customer.”
The AirDoor provides an
archway that sits outside the
store, located around the
frame of the existing entrance.
It incorporates an array of
sensors to detect airflow in
both directions, which is then
counteracted by an opposing,
self-generating wind. The
result is an invisible, active
‘barrier’, preventing unwanted
outside air flowing into the
building and inside air escaping.
There is minimal disruption to
the customer and it negates
the need for revolving doors or
lobbies.
It is scheduled to launch
at the supermarket’s
Berkhamsted store later this
year and, if successful, there are
plans to roll the AirDoor out to
more Waitrose shops.
UK Autodrive findings
THE FINDINGS OF the UK
Autodrive connected and
autonomous road- and
pavement-based vehicles
project have been published in a
Final Report which is available to
download for those interested
in this project and how industry
is looking to address future
mobility challenges.
In terms of connected
(V2V/X) technologies, during
the project partners tested,
developed and refined seven
connected car features to
the point that they could be
successfully showcased in the
two host cities of Milton Keynes
and Coventry as part of the
project’s final demonstrations
in October 2018.
The Emergency Vehicle
Warning and Collaborative
Parking features were judged
to have worked particularly
effectively and could be seen
to offer real-world benefits in
the near future once sufficiently
developed for use in production
vehicles. The Electronic
Emergency Brake Light feature
also has strong potential to
reduce road accidents.
In addition to leading
the way in developing and
showcasing the autonomous
and connected technologies,
UK Autodrive investigated
other important aspects of
automated driving – including
safety and cyber-security, legal
and insurance issues, public
acceptance and customer
interaction, and the potential
business models for turning
autonomous driving systems
into a widespread reality.
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