Looking great can take a lot of time—and energy. By pinpointing some of the devices and vehicles one employs as part of these efforts, the new MagnifiSense wearable can help him or her determine the carbon footprint left behind.
The wrist-worn prototype device, developed by a team at the University of Washington (UW), uses sensors to detect the electromagnetic signature unique to microwaves, blenders, remote controls, electric toothbrushes, laptops, light dimmers, cars and buses. The radiation emitted by these devices and vehicles indicates the carbon expended.
The MagnifiSense can match wavelengths to common devices. Photo source: GizMag
According to an article about the technology in Gizmag, the UW team says that without calibration, the MagnifiSense can accurately identify the appliances and vehicles listed above about 83 percent of the time, and 94 percent of the time with calibration. “It’s another way to log what you’re interacting with so at the end of the day or month you can see how much energy you used,” Shwetak Patel, an associate professor in UW’s departments of computer science and engineering and electrical engineering, told the magazine. “Right now, we can know that lights are 20 percent of your energy use. With this, we divvy it up and say who consumed that energy.”
Objects in overlapping areas pose a bigger problem to MagnifiSense’s sensors. Photo source: GizMag
The UW team is looking at ways to extend MagnifiSense’s detection capabilities to more devices, and give it the ability to tell the difference between multiple devices located close to one another. They would also like to make the technology small enough to fit into a smartwatch or wristband, which would make it more marketable.
For more information, see the full article here.