The power-aware cord

In order to support increased consumer awareness regarding\udenergy consumption, we have been developing new ways of\udrepresenting and interacting with energy in electric products\udintended for domestic environments. The ‘Power-Aware\udCord’ is a re-design of a common electrical power strip that\uddisplays the amount of energy passing through it at any\udgiven moment. This is done by dynamic glowing patterns\udproduced by electroluminescent wires molded into the\udtransparent electrical cord. Using this fully functional\udprototype, we have been investigating how such ambient\uddisplays can be used to increase energy awareness. An\udinitial user study indicates that the Power-Aware Cord is a\udvery accessible and intuitive mean for better understanding\udenergy consumption. Future work includes further\uddevelopment of the mapping between load and visual\udpattern and in-depth studies of user perception and learning\udover time