Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption

Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption

May 12, 2009

Homeowners will soon be able to monitor their residential energy usage with a game-like interface which employs avatars similar to those found in Second Life. earth2tech reports that the OpenShaspa Home Energy Kit is now available:

The kit comes with a system that can monitor and control home power output with wireless sensors, and connect this data to mobile phone and Internet applications... Sensors for gas, water and other utility resources can be integrated into the control system, as well...

 

In what could be a first, OpenShaspa can be hooked up to a virtual world created with OpenSimulator, an open-source spinoff of Second Life... Shaspa’s developers believe that modeling energy consumption data in 3D could make it more comprehensible and easier to manage.

GP: As of this writing, no price or distributor info is listed on the Shaspa site. While the tech is exciting, as one earth2tech commenter points out, it will need to have serious security measures built in, lest a hacker crank the heat up to 90 and overflow the bathtub while you are away.

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Comments

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by nighstalker160 - May 12, 2009 at 8:36 am -0500

Well to be fair Dennis it's unlikely a hacker could overflow the bathtub since he probably wouldn't have a way to remotely plug the drain.

But the cranking up of the heat is definitely an issue. You come home and its 100 degrees in your house and your computer's monitor is scrolling "Enjoy your sauna!" 

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by hellfire7885 - May 12, 2009 at 2:29 pm -0500

That depends if the drain plug is connected to a motor, and they can do other things, like tuirn on every last faucet and electrical device in your home ot shoot your bill through the roof or blow out your power.

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by E. Zachary Knight - May 12, 2009 at 8:45 am -0500

Shaspa’s developers believe that modeling energy consumption data in 3D could make it more comprehensible and easier to manage.

Cause you know that charts and spread sheets are impossible to manage.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by Wraith108 - May 12, 2009 at 8:50 am -0500

depends how many datapoints you have. If a spreadsheet has a lot of info on it then it will become confusing despite the relatively simple layout, where as a good graphical interface is generally more user friendly.

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by Austin_Lewis - May 12, 2009 at 11:48 am -0500

So, it's safe to assume you don't pay your energy bill then?  If you can't decode that, then you need to just give up on life.

Re: Use Game Interface to Manage Power Consumption
Submitted by SeanB - May 12, 2009 at 4:22 pm -0500

just give up on life? wow, that was mature.

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ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
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mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
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Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
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Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
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Flamespeak: working on other things makes me angry. I might have had a jet pack by now. :p
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Flamespeak: Just thinking of all the time and manpower wasted to try and make things emit less CO2 emmision that could have been spent
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Alyric: @Zip: FYI, the construction of solar panels puts out more pollution than any form of energy production. To say nothing of the toxic components of the panels that cannot be recycled.
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