Researchers at the Power Studio in Eskilstuna, Sweden, have developed prototypes of power cords that light up, lamps that bloom, and bathroom tiles that fade, depending on the amount of energy used.
The idea is that these common houseware items change shape or color to inform users of energy waste and foster energy conservation.
For example, the researchers developed and patented the Power-Aware Cord, a power strip with a cord that pulses or glows intensely with use.
Ohman, in collaboration with her team and designers from Front DesignGroup, is also working on a “Radio” that tunes out when you’ve been using too much electricity in the house.
Other examples of this “Hi-Tech Nagging”:
- Bathroom tiles adorned with decorations that are painted with an ink that responds to heat. Under the heat of steam and hot water, the decorations fade, a subtle reminder that perhaps you’ve been luxuriating in the hot shower just a tad too long.
- A hanging lamp designed to fan open into the shape of a bell. It blooms only when energy use is low: using less electricity creates a more beautiful lamp.
The challenge with developing these kinds of products, said Leonardo Bonnani, a researcher in the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who also develops similar kinds of devices that emit visual, auditory and other cues to intuitively inform the user, is to:
“piggyback the persuasion onto things that are useful and beautiful and plain desirable to have around. If it’s primary persuasive, people will appreciate it, but they probably won’t go out of their way to buy it.”
Ohman and her team hope that the Power-Aware Cord could be on the market within the next few years.
References: Discovery News, Power Studio
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