A U T O M A T I O N
A N D
P O W E R
AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
by A D A M B R U N S
Utah’s penchant for smart-tech innovation stretches from homes to vehicles to the roads themselves.
T
he wide-open salt flats of Utah for decades have been the location of choice for land-speed records. Drivers aboard land-bound rockets reached for the stars, etching their names in history or leaving a mark where they tried. Today, in a corner of the state long known for its high-tech heritage, the speed of innovation is making its mark, in environments where humans are surrendering control to the g-force of automation. In June 2017, when Vivint Smart Home cut the ribbon at its new campus on the Utah State University Innovation Campus in Logan, Alex Dunn, the company’s
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president, said he looked forward to “tapping into the strong business and engineering talent of the Utah State University community and contributing to Utah’s growth as a tech hub.” The 43,000-sq.-ft. building will house up to 400 employees and includes a demo home equipped with a Vivint smart home system. “The center will afford employment opportunities for people in Cache Valley, including USU students,” said Noelle Cockett, Utah State University president. “Also, we anticipate USU research and outreach faculty engaging with Vivint R&D personnel in areas of common interest,” via USU arms such as its worldrenowned Jon M. Huntsman School of
