TU100, My Digital Life, Block 3, Part 1, Session 2.2, Devices for Automated Control, Activity 5.

 Block 3, My Place., Open University., Part 1: Everyware, everywear, everywhere., TU100: My Digital Life.  No Responses »
Jan 052012
 

Write down an example of a sensor and an example of an actuator that you use in your own home.

In my house the most commonly used sensor / actuator combination is probably the fire detectors. An other I could think of would be the remote-controlled garage doors that some houses have for their cars.

TU100, My Digital Life, Block 3, Part 1, Session 2.1, Technology in the Home, Activity 4.

 Block 3, My Place., Open University., Part 1: Everyware, everywear, everywhere., TU100: My Digital Life.  No Responses »
Jan 032012
 

Watch Video 1, which is an excerpt from the TV programme The Gadget Show about a very sophisticated smart home in Dubai called the ‘eHome’. The video is just over 4 minutes long (although you may need to watch it more than once). As you watch it, try to find out the answers to the following questions.

  1. How does a user control the smart home?
  2. How is RFID used in the smart home?
  3. What concerns might there be about the way the smart home adapts to suit individual preferences?
  1. The user can use many different interfaces to control the smart home, from an XBOX controller, to the various integrated user interfaces in the home, or the voice controls.
  2. RFID is used to keep the samrt home aware of the whereabouts of teh user(s) at all times so that any special settings can be applied for the user as they move around the house.
  3. If the computer maintains a record of the users activities and movements then that information is open to exploitation either by malicious parties such as hackers, or by commercial interests collecting information on consumers.

 

TU100, My Digital Life, Block 3, Part 1, Session 2.1, Technology in the Home, Activity 3.

 Block 3, My Place., Open University., Part 1: Everyware, everywear, everywhere., TU100: My Digital Life.  No Responses »
Jan 032012
 

As a starting point, I’d like you to think of the way that electrical devices have an impact on your daily life. In your mind, take a ‘walk-through’ of a typical morning in your own home, making a note of all the events and activities that involve electrical devices.

  1. Even before I wake up properly I have usually abused the ‘snooze’ function on my mobile phones integrated alarm.
  2. I brush my teeth for exactly two minutes thanks to the timer in my electric toothbrush.
  3. I get my iPad and head downstairs, checking my e-mails and news whilst the kettle boils for my morning tea and breakfast.
  4. I power up my laptop and check my blog for any new comments and to analyse the traffic.
  5. If I don’t have any work to concentrate on I ‘ll watch stuff from my sky+ hard drive on the TV whilst surfing the net.
  6. I usually read something whilst I have my lunch, so I’ll either get back on my iPad or use my kindle depending on what I am reading.