Volt

A shared awareness of power consumption

Company: TU Delft
Year: 2015
Key activities: Arduino Coding, 3D CAD design, CNC, Laser-cutting, Thermoforming

    Volt is an interactive power plug that makes you aware of connected devices in order to trigger sustainable choices. It lets you divide energy according to your needs, so no energy is wasted on unused or fully charged devices.

    As soon as devices are plugged into Volt, the device starts to measure and compare the energy consumption of the devices. The one who consumes most will slowly start to “claim” all the energy of the Volt.

    If a device is consuming the most for a while, the Volt will cut of energy for all other devices. This creates a moment where the users will need to think about their energy consumption and if they still need the energy. The dominant user will have to pick up the Volt and ‘pour’ back the energy to the other sockets (if needed), or just plug out.

    The act of sharing resources with others stimulates social responsibility, makes you more conscious about your own energy consumption, and hopefully encourages people to always unplug their devices when they don’t need them.

    Volt is a fully working prototype that uses energy sensors, an accelerometer, led-strips and switches together with an Arduino. The final concept was developed through multiple iterations and experiential prototypes.