My Concept & Focus

The prototype’s focus is “create an Energy Saving Emily device that has interactions to annoy the user whilst positively change their behaviours and mindset to become more efficient in the home”.

“Emily” takes the perspective that adults have forgotten or are now too busy with their work lifestyles that they have forgotten the basics of being energy conscious. The device animates, illuminates and provides feedback to the users. “Emily” is a physical fixture in the home and something that cannot be put to the side by the users. Energy Saving Emily is to be an essential fixture in the home that continuously monitors, interacts and improves the energy efficiency in the home.

Ideal Finished Product

*This was described in detail in my Week 7 Part 1 Post

This would look like wall decor in the house and will not be too invasive but will annoy people once it activates. I have decided to build my prototype in two parts. The focus of my prototype will be on Temperature in the house. Emily will monitor the temperature, weather, and air-con usage. And moderate if there are energy savings.

Further Resources

For this project, I think it would have been better working together as a complete team towards one final prototype. I am finding now there are so many elements to this prototype I want to have worked and it just will not be possible with the time and resources and the current situation we are all in. I would have loved to have a second arduino or multiple so that I can have various components of the prototype work on different arduino and that I can combine all aspects. I would have also liked to have access to a 3D printer to print some more artifacts that will come in handy for testing. Right now I am struggling on how to incorporate the temperature element into the prototype. With temperature, I want to be able to monitor the whole house and check for various things. For example if a door is closed or windows open, the temperature of a room, air-con on or off. I am not sure at this stage how i am going to detect these things from using my arduino. Right now I am thinking of putting in placeholder data, so that I can test the main functionalities of the prototype and test for user interactions.