scholarly journals The Complexity of Simple Goals: Case Study of a User-Centred Thermoregulation System for Smart Living and Optimal Energy Use

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margherita Pillan ◽  
Fiammetta Costa ◽  
Marco Aureggi
Keyword(s):  
Smart Home ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Experience Design ◽  
Complex Activity ◽  
User Experience Design ◽  
At Home

There are currently several systems for home automation and energy management available on the market. These systems are intended to reduce the use of energy, while ensuring optimal and customizable comfort conditions. The advances in technology (Internet of Things, sensors, cloud computing, data processing and thermal modelling) and in the design of interfaces should facilitate the adoption of convenient behaviours by final users, thereby producing more sustainable use of energy at home. Conversely, the effectiveness and efficiency of smart home systems for thermo-regulation is a complex activity, requiring the collaboration of multiple stakeholders and experts. In this paper, the authors report a case study about the design of a system for thermal regulation at home developed in a multidisciplinary research team for research and industrial purposes. The paper reports results including: a discussion on a number of issues involved in the design of smart home solutions for sustainability and on the importance of developing an integrated approach to their design; the needs analysis of users and of their functional requirements based on investigation with residents and profiling; final remarks about the role of User Experience Design methods and tools in the development of smart home solutions, understood as socio-technical systems.

scholarly journals CASE STUDY OF ENERGY CONSERVATION IN INDUSTRY BY APPLICATION OF LEAN TOOLS

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
N.Sujith Prasanna ◽  
Dr.J.Nagesh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Energy Cost ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Energy Saving Potential ◽  
Lean Tools

Energy cost is significant in many of the manufacturing activities. The efficiency of energy use is quiet low as there are substantial visible and hidden losses. Visible losses can be easily identified and corrective action can be taken. However hidden and indirect losses form a sizeable portion of the losses. Identifying these losses is not easy and requires an integrated approach which includes thorough study of process, operations and their interactions with energy use. Industries across sectors have implemented lean management principles which target various wastes occurring in the plant. This paper discusses case studies which highlight the exploitation of lean tools as a means for unearthing hidden energy saving potential that often go unnoticed. In addition to the energy savings which results in improved profits and competitiveness, the approach also aids the industry to pursue a path of sustainable manufacturing.

scholarly journals BIM and DfMA: A Paradigm of New Opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9591
Author(s):  
Sepehr Abrishami ◽  
Rocío Martín-Durán
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Wide Range

The main goal of this study is to explore the adoption of a design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) and building information management (BIM) approach during the whole lifecycle of assets. This approach aims to tackle issues inherent in the design of traditional construction methods, such as low productivity and quality, poor predictability and building performance, and energy use, through the implementation of a BIM library of off-site components. In recent years, a renewed interest has been directed to the attempt to provide solutions to these urgent problems through the adoption of new advancements in technologies. However, while there are studies focussing on a BIM-DfMA approach, there is a lack of research regarding how this approach should be adopted during the whole lifecycle of the assets. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, defining an efficient way of developing a component-based BIM object library has not yet been included in any of the available studies. A mixed methodology approach has been used in this research. A conceptual framework was developed as the result of an extensive literature review to investigate new advancements in the AEC sector. Following the literature review, the framework was tested and validated through a case study based on the production and adoption of a BIM library of off-site components at the design stage of an asset. The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has recognised the necessity of a new approach that helps to resolve the well-known issues presented in traditional methods of construction. The conceptual framework and case study proposed presents a valuable new method of construction that support the implementation of a BIM and DfMA approach, highlighting their benefits. This framework has been created using many valuable and reliable sources of information. The result of this research supports the idea of a novel new construction method that focuses on a manufacturing-digital-driven industry, with the use of DfMA in a BIM-integrated approach. This novel method will add significance and be beneficial for a wide range of aspects in the construction sector, contributing to the theoretical and practical domain.

scholarly journals Using Conversational Assistants and Connected Devices to Promote a Responsible Energy Consumption at Home

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 32
Author(s):  
Jesús Fontecha ◽  
Iván González ◽  
Alberto Salas-Seguín
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Consumption Data ◽  
Smart Home Environment ◽  
Current Energy ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Natural Way ◽  
At Home

Today, households worldwide are being increasingly connected. Mobile devices and embedded systems carry out many tasks supported by applications which are based on artificial intelligence algorithms with the aim of leading homes to be smarter. One of the purposes of these systems is to connect appliances to the power network, as well as to the internet to monitor consumption data among others. In addition, new interaction ways are emerging to manage all these systems. For example, conversational assistants which allow us to interact by voice with devices at home. In this work, we present GreenMoCA, a system to monitor energy consumption data from connected devices at home with the aim of improving sustainability aspects and reducing such energy consumption, supported by a conversational assistant. This system is able to interact with the user in a natural way, providing information of current energy use and feedback based on previous consumption measures in a Smart Home environment. Finally, we assessed GreenMoCA from a usability and user experience approach on a group of users with positive results.

scholarly journals An integrated approach to energy use: the case study of the ACEA site

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 00023
Author(s):  
Viviana Negro ◽  
Davide Mainero
Keyword(s):  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Organic Fraction ◽  
Horizon 2020 ◽  
Gas Network ◽  
Purification System

Currently, ACEA utilises biogas obtained from the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste for thermal and electric energy recovery through endothermic engines (3 MW, in total). By 2020, the biogas produced at the site will no longer be used as a fuel for the combined heat and power units, but it is expected to feed a purification system in order to obtain a flow of biomethane to be injected into the natural gas network. This is part of the Italian strategy to achieve the Horizon 2020 European targets aimed at promoting the renewable production of transport fuels. In order to encourage sustainability and innovative prototype technologies, ACEA has also been involved in some European research projects, in particular for the conversion of biogas into other energy carriers. furthermore, ACEA ha recently built a flexible experimental platform that can used for the validation step of prototypes in an industrial field.

scholarly journals Research on User Experience Design of Smart Home Products Based on Internet of Things

2021 ◽  
Vol 2074 (1) ◽  
pp. 012063
Author(s):  
Fei Zhuang
Keyword(s):  
Internet Of Things ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Home Environment ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Experience Design ◽  
User Experience Design ◽  
Interactive Experience ◽  
The Internet Of Things

Abstract With the continuous amelioration of people’s living standards, people’s expectations for the experience of the home environment are also increasing. Using the Internet of things to carry out user experience design of smart home products can bring people more interactive experience and services. Based on this, this paper first analyses the concept and value of smart home products, then studies the experience design of smart home products based on the Internet of things, and finally gives the experience design strategy of smart home products based on the Internet of things.

scholarly journals Guided User Research Methods for Experience Design—A New Approach to Focus Groups and Cultural Probes

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Anne Elisabeth Krueger ◽  
Kathrin Pollmann ◽  
Nora Fronemann ◽  
Beatrice Foucault
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Experience Design ◽  
User Research ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
User Experience Design ◽  
Radical Innovations ◽  
New Concepts

Many companies are facing the task for radical innovations—totally new concepts and ideas for products and services, which are successful at the market. One major factor for success is a positive user experience. Thus, design teams need, and are challenged to integrate, an experience-centered perspective in their human-centered design processes. To support this, we propose adjusted versions of the well-established user research methods focus groups and cultural probes, in order to tailor them to the specific needs and focus of experience-based design, especially in the context of solving “wicked design problems”. The results are experience focus groups and experience probes, which augment the traditional methods with new structuring, materials, and tasks based on the three principles experience focus, creative visualization, and systematic guidance. We introduce and describe a two step-approach for applying these methods, as well as a case study that was conducted in cooperation with a company that illustrates how the methods can be applied to enable an experience-centered perspective on the topic of “families and digital life”. The case study demonstrates how the methods address the three principles they are based on. Post-study interviews with representatives of the company revealed valuable insights about their usefulness for practical user experience design.

A User Experience Design Process in Mobile Applications Prototypes: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 262-273
Author(s):  
Afonso Carvalhido ◽  
Rita Novo ◽  
Pedro Miguel Faria ◽  
Ana Curralo
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Experience Design ◽  
User Experience Design
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document