• CEPro_logo_blue-new
  • TOPICS
      • News
        • People & Places
        • Product Briefs
      • Projects
      • Events
      • Control
        • Central Vac
        • Energy/Power
        • HVAC/IAQ
        • Interfaces/Devices
        • Lighting
        • Motorized Shades
        • Whole House Systems
      • Audio/Video
        • Audio/Video
        • AV Accessories
        • AV Racks
        • Cabling
        • Displays
        • Furniture
        • Headphones
        • Home Theater
        • Media
        • Mounts/Lifts
        • Multiroom AV
        • Projectors/Screens
        • Speakers/Subwoofers
        • Wireless AV
      • Security
        • Access Control
        • Alarms/Sensors
        • Services/Platforms
        • Surveillance/Cameras
      • Business Support
        • Associations/Buying Groups
        • Cell Phone Boosters
        • Distributors/Reps
        • Operations
        • Recurring Revenue
        • Research
        • Sales/Marketing
        • Software Services
        • Tools/Testers
      • Networking
        • Cellular
        • Devices/Equipment
        • Wireless
        • Wired/Installation
      • Markets
        • Builders
        • Commercial
        • Design
        • Europe
        • Outdoors
        • Resimercial
        • Wellness
      • CE Pro Hub Pages
        • Bose
        • Savant
        • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-iQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
  • DISCOVER
    • CEDIA Expo
      • September 29 – October 1
        Dallas, TX
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBIS
      • February 8 – 10
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      • October 26 – 28
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      • VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      • VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      • VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      • VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      • VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
    • CE Pro-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
  • Search
  • TOPICS
    • News
      • People & Places
      • Product Briefs
    • Projects
    • Events
    • Control
      • Central Vac
      • Energy/Power
      • HVAC/IAQ
      • Interfaces/Devices
      • Lighting
      • Motorized Shades
      • Whole House Systems
    • Audio/Video
      • Audio/Video
      • AV Accessories
      • AV Racks
      • Cabling
      • Displays
      • Furniture
      • Headphones
      • Home Theater
      • Media
      • Mounts/Lifts
      • Multiroom AV
      • Projectors/Screens
      • Speakers/Subwoofers
      • Wireless AV
    • Security
      • Access Control
      • Alarms/Sensors
      • Services/Platforms
      • Surveillance/Cameras
    • Business Support
      • Associations/Buying Groups
      • Cell Phone Boosters
      • Distributors/Reps
      • Operations
      • Recurring Revenue
      • Research
      • Sales/Marketing
      • Software Services
      • Tools/Testers
    • Networking
      • Cellular
      • Devices/Equipment
      • Wireless
      • Wired/Installation
    • Markets
      • Builders
      • Commercial
      • Design
      • Europe
      • Outdoors
      • Resimercial
      • Wellness
    • CE Pro Hub Pages
      • Savant
      • Bose
      • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-IQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
  • DISCOVER
    • Cedia Expo
      VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
    • CE Pro-iQ
M
POPULAR SEARCHES
News
Projects
Control
Audio Video
Security
Business Support
Markets
SUBSCRIBE CEDIA EXPO CEPro-iQ
Control | Lighting | News | Projects | Slideshow | Whole-House Systems
May 26, 2017

Afghanistan Veteran Receives Fully Customized Smart Home from Gary Sinise Foundation

Thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation — along with Core Brands and Lutron — U.S. Army Sergeant Franz Walkup can easily control his smart home’s audio, video, lighting, security, climate and irrigation.
CE Pro Editors  
Thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation — along with Core Brands and Lutron — U.S. Army Sergeant Franz Walkup can easily control his smart home’s audio, video, lighting, security, climate and irrigation.
Article:
Control | Lighting | News | Projects | Slideshow | Whole-House Systems
May 26, 2017

Afghanistan Veteran Receives Fully Customized Smart Home from Gary Sinise Foundation

U.S. Army Sergeant Franz Walkup was stationed in Afghanistan in 2012 when he was ambushed and shot five times by Afghan National Army soldiers. Upon returning to Woodbury, Tennessee with severe injuries, the Gary Sinise Foundation learned about his service and selected him to be a recipient of a specially adapted smart home, granted through its R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment).

With donor participation from manufacturers like Core Brands, the Foundation was able to build a fully customized smart home to help Sgt. Walkup adjust to life back in the United States.

“Our goal is to provide American heroes with a completely customized specially adapted smart home that gives them as much independence as possible,” says Judith Otter, executive director, Gary Sinise Foundation. “The home for Sgt. Walkup was built to make his life at home as seamless as it could be with customized design features and smart home technology. Franz’ short-term goals are to continue to heal and be able to walk. He has spent the last year at the Colorado School of Trades where he pursued his passion for gunsmithing, which he hopes will turn into a career.”

Local technology integrator Aaron Lawrence of Audio Video Elements built the smart home infrastructure around an Elan Entertainment & Control System. Now Sgt. Walkup can manipulate the home’s audio, video, lighting, security, climate and irrigation with the swipe of a finger on a touch panel, remote or Apple iPad.

Convenience of Home Control

“Since Sgt. Walkup is in a wheelchair, we installed two Elan gPT7 touch panels in the master bedroom and living room at switch height, which is lower on the wall for him to access,” says Lawrence. “We also configured three Elan HR200 remotes to control the system, which he could use anywhere within the home.”

The system makes previously complicated processes simpler for Sgt. Walkup. It gives him the ability to instantly adjust the lights through an integrated Lutron Lighting System, and he can change the temperature in any room of the home through the Elan app.

“Sgt. Walkup does not need to reach for the lights, or ask his wife to turn them on,” says Lawrence. “The user-friendly Elan app allows him to control all these systems remotely through one interface.”

Sgt. Walkup uses the Elan Intercom feature to see who is at the door without physically having to open it. The system pulls high bitrate video from the home’s front door security cameras and door stations, and dynamically transcodes those videos in real-time, delivering them directly to his mobile device.

Entertainment Counts, Too

For entertainment, Lawrence installed an Elan S86A Amplifier to control an extensive multi-room audio system including 3 Sunfire CRW3C in-wall speakers, a Sunfire XTEQ subwoofer, Niles CM7HD in-ceiling speakers indoors, and Niles OS6.5 outdoor speakers on the wrap-around porch.

“The home’s six zone multi-room audio system controls both indoors and outdoors with the touch of a button,” says Lawrence. “We configured the home’s outdoor porch to act as one big zone, or to break up into multiple zones which is a very unique component. Sgt. Walkup and his wife can listen to whatever they want, wherever they want, and it’s easy!”

In addition to providing one-touch control, Elan enables the configuration of automated scenes that perform a variety of different actions on a single command.

For example, Lawrence and his team designed a “scene” that turns all entertainment components on or off with a simple tap.

Photo Gallery: Inside U.S. Army Sergeant Franz Walkup's Smart Home

“All of the home’s TVs and audio will shut off with one simple tap on the customized ‘on’ or ‘off’ button that we designed,” he says. “Elan enables Sgt. Walkup to simply and easily configure any control capabilities that he’d like.”

Lawrence used a Gefen 4K Ultra HD 4×4 HDMI Matrix switcher to distribute content to three Samsung TVs throughout the residence. 

Additionally, to protect the system from power surges, Audio Video Elements installed a Panamax M4315-PRO with BlueBOLT remote energy management and a Furman F1500 battery back-up/ with power conditioning and surge protection.

“Power protection is so important,” says Lawrence, “Especially when an AV system is critical to the homeowner’s everyday life. We protected and backed up the technology to make sure that no surge would knock out the entire system.”

Accessibility & Independence

The home’s physical characteristics were built to accommodate for Sgt. Walkup’s needs as well. The home was built as a single floor ranch with plenty of open floor space for easy accessibility. Each room was designed so that Sgt. Walkup can use it independently.

The kitchen, for example, includes an island with a recessed bottom so that Sgt. Walkup’s wheelchair could easily move beneath it, while the stove, cabinets and refrigerator are all positioned at an accessible height.

“The single-floor ranch design really allows Sgt. Walkup to move about the home easily and take advantage of all of its amenities,” says Scott Schaeperkoetter, director of operations, R.I.S.E. program. “He has gained a significant amount of independence in his new specially adapted home, and we are so proud to honor his service and make it possible.”

ARTICLE TOPICS

Control • Lighting • News • Projects • Slideshow • Whole-House Systems

ARTICLE TAGS

Core Brands • Elan • Gary Sinise Foundation • Gefen • Lutron • Niles • Panamax • Sunfire

SHARE

Share On Facebook
Share On Twitter
Share On Linkedin
Share On Whatsapp
Share Via Email
Copy URL
← Previous Article Next Article →
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article ControlInterfaces/DevicesNetworkingWhole-House SystemsWireless

Beyond Matter: The Past, Present and Future of Home Standards

Dave Kaufman reflects on the potential standards have to benefit consumers, professionals and the smart home industry at large.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoDistributors/RepsHome TheaterMediaMultiroom AVProductsSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless AV

I Previewed the New 8K Sony ES Receiver Lineup (and Was Blown Away)

The latest models of Sony's professional grade receiver line offer range, versatility, and most importantly to installers, simplicity.

SHOW NEWSLETTER

Sign Up

CE Pro

Subscribe Sign Up

Content Types

News
Products
Projects
Companies
Downloads
Webcasts
Podcasts
Events

Specials

IntegratorJobs
CEDIA EXPO
CE Pro 100
CE Pro Summit
Awards Programs

Company Info

About
Contact Us
Customer Service
Media Solutions & Advertising

Subscribe

Magazine
Newsletters
Digital Edition

Connect

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
RSS Feed

Categories

AUDIO/VIDEO
AV Accessories
AV Racks
Amplifiers/Receivers
Cabling
Displays
Furniture
Mounts/Lifts
Multiroom AV
Projector Screens
Speakers/Subwoofers
Wireless AV
CONTROL
Central Vac
Energy/Power
Interfaces/Devices
HVAC/IAQ
Lighting
Motorized Shades
Whole-House Systems
NETWORKING
Cellular
Devices/Equipment
Wireless
Wiring/Installation
SECURITY
Access Control
Alarms/Sensors
Services/Platforms
Surveillance Cameras
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Associations/Buying Groups
Distributors/Reps
Operations
Recurring Revenue
Research
Sales/Marketing
Software/Services
Tools/Testers
MARKETS
Builders
Commercial
Design
Europe
Outdoors
Wellness
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • TERMS OF USE
  • PRIVACY POLICY

McIntosh Labs

McIntosh Labs