Powering the Future: Everyday Objects Transformed into Smart Energy Harvesters

Introduction

Could turning a doorknob turn on your kitchen light? Researchers are exploring new ways to harvest and adapt energy. Passive interfaces, such as light switches or doorknobs, refer to hardware that can store energy, but the energy can only be used for its intended purpose. However, research is imagining new ways to harvest and adapt that energy: Turning the doorknob could turn on the alarm system, or opening the freezer could turn on the kitchen light.

Main article

By integrating intelligent capabilities such as sensing and energy harvesting, Dr. Jeeeun Kim is transforming passive interfaces into adaptive interfaces, altering hardware to use it in non-traditional ways. These interfaces will help people with disabilities, automate household tasks, and power millions of computers.

Kim, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation, which will support this research.

“Everyday design problems are difficult to address using previous experiences as a basis,” Kim said. “Even for those with well-known personal goals, such as reducing utility bills, adopting the latest scientific advances in real life requires expertise because there is a lack of tools to support end users like you and me.”

3D printed augmentations

The project will aim to increase user awareness of everyday computational challenges and redesign opportunities using 3D printed augmentations. An example of augmentations is adding an accessory to a window slider or refrigerator door hinges and then converting the energy created by sliding the window or opening the refrigerator door into energy to use in new ways. For example, with augmentation, rotating a doorknob could trigger an intruder alarm or opening a refrigerator could trigger the refrigerator’s inventory screen.

This research will rely on new methods to capture interaction properties, which are highly conceptual, as well as critical manufacturing parameters for complex augmentations that are efficient and accurate. This will allow users to have access to smart augmentations at minimal cost.

“Unfortunately, recent advances in AI research today only focus on object detection, at the instance level, from millions of images and videos like a toilet or a microwave, not on human interactions, like lifting the lid of a toilet and touching the button panels of the microwave, where all human computing challenges actually occur,” Kim said.

To achieve this task, Kim has developed a new framework to create a large-scale data set that helps describe human interactions with everyday objects, detailed parts, and their interaction properties. Kim also developed an end-to-end software system for laymen to point their smartphone camera at their indoor environment to search for hidden accessibility barriers and overlay the detected information onto Augmented Reality (AR) views.

Energy waste awareness

Kim hopes this tool will help promote prosocial behaviors, helping people be aware of accessibility and design opportunities that are abundant but overlooked.

“My research is not just limited to accessibility,” Kim said. “I hope that my end-user toolkit can scan multi-residential buildings and interactions in multiple dimensions, so that residents can also notice how inaccessible their common physical environments are, how much energy is wasted, and how they can make changes towards smart systems, sustainable buildings on their own.”

While complete replacement of these interfaces with smart devices is not feasible and may generate e-waste causing a huge impact on the environment, the increases promise a cost-effective reconfiguration of everyday interfaces. Kim hopes this research will be a blueprint for altering physical interfaces in ways that make them more energy-efficient and cost-effective, while also being easier to use.

“By addressing multifaceted and interdisciplinary approaches in digital manufacturing, 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,” Kim said.

Funding for this research is administered by the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the official research agency of Texas A&M Engineering.

As Dr. Jeeeun Kim’s pioneering research continues to push the boundaries of energy harvesting and adaptive interfaces, it underscores a critical shift in how we approach sustainability and accessibility in our daily lives. By leveraging innovative technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence, this work not only offers practical solutions to reduce energy waste and improve home automation, but also enables people to become active participants in creating a future. more sustainable and inclusive. As we move forward, it is imperative to support and leverage these interdisciplinary approaches, ensuring that the benefits of technological advances are equitably distributed and environmentally responsible. Disabled world.

Attribution/Source(s):
This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publication by the editors of Disabled World due to its important relevance to the disability community. Originally written by Texas A&M Universityand published on 12/21/2024, content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For more details or clarifications, Texas A&M University He can be contacted at tamu.edu. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranty or endorsement related to this item.

Information and page references

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource providing information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004, our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite this page (APA): Texas A&M University. (2024, December 21). Powering the future: everyday objects transformed into smart energy harvesters. Disabled world. Retrieved December 23, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/household/harvesting-energy.php

Permanent link: Powering the future: everyday objects transformed into smart energy harvesters: Transform everyday objects into energy by harvesting adaptive interfaces, revolutionizing home automation, accessibility and energy efficiency through 3D printed augmentations and AI-powered tools.

While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, it is important to note that our content is for general informational purposes only. We always recommend consulting qualified healthcare professionals for personalized medical advice. Any third party offers or advertisements do not constitute an endorsement.