Cambridge, Massachusetts, based Ambient Devices relies on a 900 MHz network to provide a constant stream of weather, sports, and financial information to its customers. A product offered by the company uses the same broadcast and narrowcast signals to help consumers monitor their energy use in relation to the local power grid. The Energy Orb conveys local usage through a soft glow, with red marking periods of peak demand and a subtle green noting less demand for power.
While the Energy Orbs allow owners to use utilities more efficiently and save money, the spheres hold a mysterious aesthetic appeal as well. The system as a whole provides a kind of technological discussion piece; many users enjoy the orb’s “crystal ball” appearance and ability to convey knowledge. The Energy Orb successfully uses clean design and a simple, color-coded communication system to make conservation easier and more appealing than trudging outside to check a meter box.
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. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, based Ambient Devices relies on a 900 MHz network to provide a constant stream of weather, sports, and financial information to its customers. A product offered by the company uses the same broadcast and narrowcast signals to help consumers monitor their energy use in relation to the local power grid. The Energy Orb conveys local usage through a soft glow, with red marking periods of peak demand and a subtle green noting less demand for power.
