TOTEM

A Dynamic Integrated Urban Energy Platform.

Year: 2018 -

Project Team: AE Superlab | Totem Power Inc

Totem Power Inc. Partnered with AE Superlab to create Totem, a groundbreaking platform for modern companies and communities. The Totem platform combines solar energy and energy storage, WiFi and 4G communications, electric vehicle charging, and smart lighting into a single, powerful product that weaves these capabilities directly into the built environment.

Totem provides the foundation for reshaping smart utilitie in an integrated, visually-stunning product designed for the living spaces of communities, instead of relegating it to only rooftops and garages.

Totem stands as a symbol for the limitless possibilities of smart cities by simultaneously tackling key aspects of infrastructure modernization. The platform presents an integral tool for companies and communities seeking to bring sustainability and smart utility front and center in operations and interactions with the public. It is a critical entry point for communities that want to enable cleaner and more capable lifestyles. 

AE Superlab was brought onto the project at its start and worked closely with Totem Power to develop and refine the initial Totem concept. A variety of design disciplines and techniques were used to quickly and confidently realize an elegant, efficient, and cohesive vision for the product. 

Totem’s platform also plays a pivotal role in emergency preparedness and resilience. With onboard generation and storage, Totem’s energy foundation is self-sustaining and capable of maintaining critical services. Most importantly, communications powered by Totem will continue to operate in the event of grid failure.

Along with countless sketches, 3D prints, and CNC prototypes, cutting edge VR technology was used as both a design tool and an immersive visualization technique, that allowed both AE Superlab designers and Totem Power, to make informed design decisions. The VR models allowed for an unprecedented level of experiential accuracy that is simply not achievable through conventional 3D model renderings.

As EVs and autonomous vehicles proliferate, cities are presented with new considerations and the need for a more flexible and distributed model to support new mass transportation fleets. EV charging in the Totem platform lays the groundwork for the fundamental shift in transportation infrastructure that has already begun.

Advanced communications further establish Totem as the foundation for smart cities. Totem provides a reliable hub for Wi-Fi and 4G cellular services that support increasingly connected lifestyles. Moreover, Totem is designed with an eye toward the future of energy networks enabled by connectivity. By unifying energy and communications, Totem is positioned to be an integral component of smart cities and the emerging, dynamic energy networks that power them.