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Student Designer
University Product Description and Principal Function(s) EVE is an interactive domestic energy usage monitoring and control system. It consists of a primary interface which connects via a relay to a series of nodes which measure the energy usage of devices around the home. These nodes take the form of standard power sockets, adapter boards and in-line devices which communicate energy use data via power line communications technology. The interface displays this information on the various appliances around the house, and provides the ability to turn these devices off and on.Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award? EVE is primarily built around changing the way in which people view their energy use. The system seeks to redress some of the problems with existing energy monitors, as well as tackling the lack of understanding of how and where energy is used in the home.The EVE Interface is designed to establish a new typology and data delivery method for power monitoring devices. The interface uses groups of low power LED's, glowing from green to red (as power use increases) to indicate devices in the system. A central screen which can be slid over the top of any of these groups of LED's is used to give more detailed feedback. The display uses both soft, emotive feedback, and hard data, to allow users to see which devices around the home are currently drawing power, and also stores information over time, permitting users to track the changes in their overall (and device specific) power use over time. The product interface is deliberately interactive (requiring user participation to be effective) in order to draw users in and change their involvement in the problem from a passive to an active one. The user would walk past the interface and be shown that certain parts or devices around the house are using more energy than is standard (the device tracks changes over time) and would then have to approach the device and use the simple slide screen mechanism to find out which device specifically is causing the problem. The user can then get a more detailed energy usage breakdown on the offending devices, and also turn them off from the interface. Over time this interaction reinforces which areas of the home are problematic and empowers the user to improve their homes performance. Though the technical side of the design is necessarily complex, the user interface is designed to be as intuitive as possible, with the LED indicators using simple red verses green colour changes, and the slide screen designed to deliver as much information as the user wants to obtain. The materials utilised are designed to give the device the maximum possible life span. Though not all materials in the device are directly recyclable, care was taken to ensure that all materials were at least reclaimable at the end of the product's life span, and that the technology choices did not lend the product to quickly become obsolete. The system, once installed, has a potential life span of over ten years, though it is possible to extend that further, perhaps to fifteen years, should the user choose to replace elements of the technology which fail due to wear (the product is designed for disassembly, so parts can be easily replaced). The design of the device is intended to move away from the traditional eco-design cues, turning the product, and its message, into a lifestyle piece, creating a strong emotive message and re-enforcing a sense of pride in changing one’s behaviour. |
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