University of Virginia associate professor Kamin Whitehouse thinks people want to know where everyone is in their house: Who’s taking the long shower? Who left the air conditioner on when they left the house? “Today’s smart home sensors are about appliances, lights, and devices in the home, but not really about the people,” said Whitehouse. “By demonstrating the exciting things that become possible when a home better understands the people who live there, we hope to inspire a new generation of products and technologies.” To make his point, Whitehouse outfitted four Charlottesvile, Virginia, homes with sensors to track who enters what room, and what appliances and utilities that person uses. The data is then beamed up to the cloud and back down to a smartphone app named the “Marauder’s Map.”
Harry Potter fans will recognize the reference to “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” in which Harry uses a magic map to track the footsteps of characters and unlock the mysteries of his school. Harry Potter fans will recognize the reference to “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” in which Harry uses a magic map to track the footsteps of characters and unlock the mysteries of his school. Whitehouse has been similarly tracking the people in these four homes and, by mid-September, will complete a four-year study of their activities.
Smart sensors in the home are not new--Google, Apple, and Staples all have footholds in the smart home marketplace. While many companies’ sensors require people inside the home to wear tracking devices, log in their activities and/or use intrusive cameras, Whitehouse’s map collects data entirely via custom sensors. The doorway sensors called ultrasonic range finders determine who enters a room by measuring their height. Anywhere from 30 to a few hundred more sensors throughout the home and on the water and power mains then track what the people in the homes are doing.
“We are understanding the data without making the occupants use wearable tags and cameras,” said Whitehouse. “We’re the only system doing that.”
Read more on this story at Fast Company.
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