Smart energy: How everyday objects could power your home

Think about the energy involved each time you turn a doorknob, open your fridge, or flip a light switch each day.

What if these simple actions could do more than just open doors or turn on lights? What if they could help power your home and reduce your reliance on traditional energy sources?

Dr. Jeeeun Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, is working on this idea.

Supported by the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development award, Dr. Kim is looking at innovative ways to capture and reuse energy from our everyday movements.

In particular, the research is focused on transforming passive household objects into smart, sustainable tools.

Unlocking hidden energy in the home

The traditional objects in our homes – like doorknobs and window slides – are what scientists call “passive interfaces.” They store energy, but that energy typically goes nowhere.

Dr. Kim’s research aims to change this by adding smart features to these everyday items.

“Daily design issues are hard to attend if prior experiences are used as a baseline,” explained Dr. Kim.

“Even to those with known personal goals, like reducing utility bills, adopting the latest scientific advances in real life demands expertise because tools to support end-users, like you and me, are lacking.”

3D printing: The key to smart updates

Instead of replacing everything in your home with expensive smart devices, Dr. Kim’s team is using 3D printing to create attachments for existing objects.

Picture this: a small device attached to your fridge’s hinges could capture the energy from opening the door and use it to power a display showing what’s inside.

The possibilities don’t stop there. This same idea could turn a doorknob’s rotation into power for a security system.

Looking beyond what computers can see

Current technology has its limits, according to Dr. Kim.

“Unfortunately, recent advances in AI research of today only focuses on object, instance level detection from millions of images and videos such as a toilet, microwave, not the human interactions, lifting a toilet lid and tapping on microwave’s button panels, where all human-centered computing challenges actually occur.”

To address this gap, Dr. Kim developed new tools. One is a system that helps describe how humans interact with everyday objects. Another is a smartphone app that uses augmented reality to spot accessibility issues in buildings.

Making buildings smarter, one step at a time

This research isn’t just about making homes more high-tech. It’s about making them work better for everyone.

“My research is not limited to accessibility solely,” said Dr. Kim. “I hope my toolkit for end-users can scan the multi-residential buildings and interactions at multiple dimensions, so residents also can notice how inaccessible their common physical environments are, how much energy is being wasted and how they can make changes toward smart, sustainable buildings by themselves.”

A path forward for energy-smart homes

Replacing every device in our homes with smart versions isn’t realistic – it would be expensive and create unnecessary electronic waste.

Instead, Dr. Kim’s approach offers a middle ground: adding smart features to existing objects through simple attachments.

“By tackling multifaceted, interdisciplinary approaches across digital fabrication, end-user programming, deep learning, robotics, and design, this project lays the foundation for a future where every individual creates daily innovations in assistive computing devices, smart homes, and green buildings,” Dr. Kim explained.

These small changes could add up to make our homes more energy-efficient, easier to use, and better suited to everyone’s needs.

Home energy usage and a greener planet

Dr. Kim’s research not only focuses on making homes smarter but also emphasizes sustainability. By leveraging energy captured from everyday movements, this approach could significantly reduce reliance on traditional power sources.

Imagine a world where the simple act of opening a fridge or closing a door contributes to a greener planet. This method also minimizes waste by retrofitting existing objects instead of discarding them, aligning with global efforts to promote circular economies.

These advances have the potential to redefine how we think about energy usage in our daily lives, and can bridge the gap between innovation and sustainability.

Details of this research were published by Texas A&M University.

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