Laura Freeman

Remote Controlled Easy Button

The Remote Controlled Easy Button encourages energy saving. While there are many energy saving power strips on the market, most are quite expensive and require users to invest in buying an entirely new power stip. The idea we present can be fitted to any already-owned power strip. A remote controlled socket is plugged into the wall outlet, and serves as an intermediary between the power strip and the wall outlet. A remote button controls the power going through this intermediary socket to the power strip. Here, two variations on a possible design for the button. In designing it, my considerations were to:

• make turning off the power as easy and convenient as possible
• give user-feedback that encourages users to turn off the power strip as much as possible
• make users feel good about being eco-friendly

Version One: LED Feedback

Below is a sketch of the button. The button itself is actually a small potted bamboo plant, 7-inches high. The four triple A batteries, micro-controller, and RF transmittler needed for the button (see the electronics page for more detail) will all be housed the black pot.






The power is turned on by rotating the top rim of the black pot.






When the power is first turned on, green LEDs light up the plant.






As time passes, the green LEDs gradually turn off and orange LEDs start to light the plant up orange. The orange LEDs serve as a reminder that the power has been left on a long time. Once the power is turned off, the next time the power is turned on the plant will again glow green.






Version Two: Mechanical Feedback

An alternative to using LEDS, is to use a mechanical mechanism to make the plant "wilt" as time passes. The bamboo plant will be made in several pieces, held together by a taught string. When the string is slackened, the plant will appear to wilt. Similar to the design above, the power will be turned on when the rim of the pot is turned. However in this design, turning the rim will also wind up a mechanical timer and pull the string taught. Over the course of a few hours, the timer will gradually loosen the tension in the string, causing the plant to wilt.






This potted plant switch can be placed on a desk, where it serves as decoration and an eco-friendly reminder to the user. And it can be easily turned off at the end of the work day.