Hello: Power Struggle

Ubiquitous ComputingOctober 1, 2010

Andrea Bradshaw, Nour Diab, Haeyoung Kim

Elevator Pitch

Hello: Power Struggle enables users to manage their power usage by creating a smart home-environment system which allows a great amount of remote access and control. The system collects and visualizes the individual’s power usage, demystifying the numbers behind energy consumption.

Design Questions

• How can we give users more control over their home environment?

• How can we make information about users’ energy consumption more accessible?

• Can we make it easier to save energy?• How can smart devices help monitor energy use?• How can our environments adapt to our daily

habits?

AssumptionsMost devices are plugged into outlets, including:• Air conditioners• Lights• Space heaters• Microwaves• Speakers• Laptops, cell phones, televisions

The technologies we are interested in exist, we just need to combine them in a different way.

Example: Power Aware Cord

http://www.tii.se/static/poweraware.htm

Example: Power Hog

http://www.core77.com/greenergadgets/ientry.php?projectid=50

Interaction Flow

1. Data transfer: outlet to web

2. Access & control: mobile access

3. On/off controls: web to outlet

Interface: Setup

Interface: Control

Interface: Visualization

Technical: The Device

+ =

• Measures energy usage• Communicates using wireless• Can turn socket on or off

Technical: The Phone

Application uses GPS information from phone• Environmental information: weather• General location setup: city, time zone, etc.• Specific location: proximity to home

Technical Example: Kill A Watt Cord

http://www.smarthome.com/9034PS/Kill-A-Watt-Power-Strip-and-Energy-Meter-P4320/p.aspx

Measures and Displayspower usage

Technical Example: Intelligent Power

http://www.ambery.com/reposw.html

Ethernet ControlledPower Outlets

Technical Example: Smart Outlet

http://saturnsouth.com/pages/products.php

Zigbee Communication

Turns sockets on and off

User Scenario: Meet Tom

Tom • 32 year old single male• Residence: 1br Manhattan apt• Profession: editor for a tech

magazine• Hobbies: traveling, playing

videogames, watching movies, cycling, and mountain climbing

• Travels frequently for work, as well as mountain climbing and cycling trips.

User Scenario: Daily Routine

• Wakes up at 7am - ambient environment control is preset

• Uses entertainment outlets: television & stereo• Uses appliance outlets: coffee maker• Leaves for work at 8:30am, and the apartment

goes into standby mode after 15 minutes of GPS out of range

User Scenario: Daily Routine

• Before leaving work at 6pm, Tom uses his phone to tell the system he will be home in 1 hour– Heater is activated 20 minutes before arrival– GPS on phone tracks location, turns on lights when he

arrives

• Turns on entertainment mode to play video games and listen to music

• Turns on kitchen outlets to use microwave• 11pm: turns on sleep mode to switch off all outlets except the one with the alarm clock

User Scenario: Adventurer

When traveling, system is set to travel mode

• If winter, heaters are on for 3 hours during the night to keep water pipes from freezing

• Living room lights are on for 2 hours every evening so it looks like someone is home

Thank you!