ubECOtous Responsibility - Ambient Ubiquitous Feedback Systems for Resource Consumption Control

1st Supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andreas Schrader

2nd Supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Fischer

This thesis deals with a very board spectrum of topics and scienticfic areas, such as environmental studies, ecology, health research , sustainability, psychology, technology and design, among others. It presents a feasibility study study with recommendations, addressing both technical and design issues, for ubiquitous feedback systems, including an in depth analysis of building blocks for such systems. The theory encouraging the creation of systems for displaying real-time resource consumption is that such systems are effective at reducing resource consumption and stimulating the interest of building occupants. Personal and institutional choices have the potential to substantially reduce resource use in buildings. However it might be difficult to motivate inhabitants to make decision to conserve resources for future generations if they can not easily and immediately observe the consequences of these decisions. Feedback on resources use has the potential to increase both awareness and motivation to act in ways that minimize resource usage. The goal of his research is to present an in depth research of a variety of options for data monitoring and display systems that enables easy observation and interpretation of electricity, water, gas, and oil use within buildings, since the built environment is responsible for a large portion of the overall energy consumption. The beginning of the thesis will focus on the rationale for developing systems for displaying data on resource use to building users. Then, the technical aspects of developing, designing, and testing data monitoring and display systems will be discussed. Besides, the social implications of installing such systems and the behavioural-psychological issues involved in occupants’ behaviour in relation to the feedback will be investigated