Energy diet: Energy feedback on a bathroom scale

Pei Yi Kuo*, Michael S. Horn

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Energy Diet is a design concept for a digital bathroom scale that displays personal health information in the form of body weight alongside environmental health information in the form of carbon weight. We intentionally conflate these two types of feedback in an effort to encourage people to regularly monitor their energy use as they weigh themselves and to reflect on the complex relationships between personal health and environmental health. To inform our design we tested paper prototypes and administered two surveys with 500 participants. We then created a working prototype that we deployed in four participants' homes for one month each. This paper discusses findings and design implications from our surveys and in-home deployment. Overall, seeing carbon weight together with body weight on a scale helped participants to conceptualize energy consumption and to reflect on a range of daily activities and their environmental impacts.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationUbiComp 2014 - Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery, Inc
Pages435-446
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781450329682
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014
Event2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing, UbiComp 2014 - Seattle, United States
Duration: Sep 13 2014Sep 17 2014

Publication series

NameUbiComp 2014 - Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing

Other

Other2014 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing, UbiComp 2014
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySeattle
Period9/13/149/17/14

Keywords

  • Bathroom scale
  • Eco-feedback
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Health and fitness

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software

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