EoC project page
So in my last post I mentioned Elements of Consumption (EoC). EoC is an ambient display (or eco-feedback device) that visualizes consumption as abstract art. I have published a paper about it (check out the publications page). Also, I just finished uploading 2 videos to YouTube that shows what Elements of Consumption (EoC) looks like. I have also added an initial project page. I am in the process of building an ambient display prototype. Once the prototype is finished I will have some more information and pictures on what it looks like.
At the Smart Graphics 2011 (July 18 to 20) conference I attended in Bremen, Germany I got positive feedback at the art exhibition where EoC was on demo. Based on that feedback I would like to create a non-photorealistic rendering canvas that would use an uploaded photo. One of the biggest highlights of the conference was meeting Frieder Nake. I had a chance to talk to Frieder at the art exhibition about EoC and my research–I appreciated his interest in my research and his words of encouragement.
Soon I will be running a user study to determine if EoC is effective at conveying information…
mControl Device Drivers
I just finished having a meeting with Ted and Roger from Embedded Automation on how to write device drivers for mControl. It was great that they took some time out of their busy day to meet with me at the SFU Surrey Campus. Now that I have a handle on this I am looking to create a number of drivers that can:
- talk to RS485/Modbus devices, in this case my power meters;
- receive consumption data from the AcquiLite about water and natural gas usage;
- update my ambient display, Elements of Consumption.
These devices that I will be adding to mControl will allow me to start monitoring my energy consumption more closely. I will using a new service in mControl v3 to capture and store data in a database. That data will be analyzed by machine learning algorithms to find patterns of usage and to identify what appliances were used. If you are interested in learning more about this project feel free to contact me. Soon I will announce a way for anyone that uses mControl v3 to participate…
