The goal of the JUMP STEM online building science competition is to come up with a innovative idea in three categories; Smart Sensors and Controls for Residential Buildings, Designing a Healthier and Energy-Efficient Air Distribution System or Pushing the Envelope with Wall Retrofit Designs. The topic I will focus on will be Smart Sensors and Controls for Residential Buildings. In this paper I will pitch about a new and innovative home Smart sensor and controls system that I design. I will break all its features and show how it can improve the homeowner’sway of life. My adaptable system not only will create a comfortable atmosphere for the homeowner but will also gradually steer their mindset into a more Eco-conscious way of life.
Eco-Life Home System
The problem with current systems is that it is too complicated for users to use even though the system tries to adapt to users. With the Eco-life home system, it will be able to adapt to the user’s lifestyle. Featuresthat would be included in the household system design is a function to detect body language, different modes, and to overall translate the user into Greener/energy efficient mindset.The first feature of the Eco-life home system is the body language detection of the user. This feature will analyze the users heart rate, blood pressure, and local temperature of the surrounding area and predict how they are feeling.System would gather all this information from a smart device that is provided with the system or a smart watch that user previously has. This is essential because this will allow the system to generate a positive atmosphere based off the reading of the user’s mood. For an example if the user had a bad day, the system will flag this and create an atmosphere that will cheer them or make them feel comfortable. Along with analyzing the user’s body, the system will be able to predict the perfect temperature to set the home to based off the surrounding outside temperature, the user’s step, and user’s heart rate. For an example if the user is running errands during 88-degree weather, the house will know to set the temperature for the user to 73 degrees so that they can cool down once they get into the house. A plus to this design is that it will decrease energy use in the home. The second feature in the Eco-life home system are the different modes that are programmed into the system. The first mode is the Down time Mode-It is a mode that allows the user to relax after a long day. The way this is possible is by setting the lighting at a low dim setting or a cozy temperature setting. The benefits of this setting are that it allows the user to relax and saves the user by reducing the electrical use in lighting and hvac. The second mode is the All-Nighter mode which is a mode that allows the user to be comfortable and stay productive at any time of the day or night. The way this is possible is by setting the lighting at a higher brightness in a way that will affect their circadian rhythm. For example, if the user has a deadline at work, this mode would create the perfect atmosphere for the user to stay up and alert. These modes can be easily reconfigured by the user. In addition, the user can assign these modes setting to specific space or zone in the house. Also, if the user would like to improve the effectiveness of these modes, the home system will be compatible with Led color changing lights. This would be ideal because it will allow the system to change the temperature of the light in a space.Lastly, the systems has a feature to help push the user into a greener/energy efficient mindset. It does this by setting goals for the user to accomplish through showing them current energy usage, current energy saved, and possible energy saved through cost if they change one or two habits. For example, if the user watches an average of 20 hours of TV in a week and their energy usage for TV is $100, the system will suggest limiting TV time to 10 hours. By doing this the user would save $50 worth of energy. In addition to setting goals for the user, the user can also sync the calendar with the system. This is a plus is because it will allow the system to prepare for big events at the user’s home. The way the system can prepare is by calculating the number of people attending the event, the local temperature, and other factors in order to know what the perfect temperature settings would be for the space.In the US for Single-family attached and detached home unit types there are a total of 80.9 homes and 31.1 homes set one temperature and leave it there most of the time and only 16.7 program the thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature during the day and night at certain times. This shows that 38% (which is the highest percentage) of homes in the US are possibly wasting energy in running HVAC systems.Overall, the Eco-life home system is a user-friendly home system has great features. It predicts the user’s body language in order to custom design a perfect positive atmosphere for the user. Allows the user to set different modes such as down time and all-nighter modes design will assist the user in achieving both total relaxation and productivity. With the combination of all the features, this comprehensive system will overall work with the user and help the user stay on a more energy efficient track.