BitWell: Motivating Instant Water Footprint Moderation
amongst Australian Metropolitan Residents
Philip Le
University of Sydney
NSW 2006, Australia
+61 423 957 103
phle1749@uni.sydney.edu.au
ABSTRACT
BitWell motivates Australians to acknowledge, consider, and moderate
their water footprint. BitWell achieves this via a light-centric apparatus that
quantifies abstractly the volume of water flowing from a valve each time it
is opened. The result is short passive experiences that incite both depletion
and repletion, consequently imparting appreciation for an otherwise
ignored commodity.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
H.5.2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces –
Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities.
I.4.1 [Image Processing and Computer Vision]: Digitization and Image
Capture – Quantization
K.6.2 [Management of Computing and Information Systems] Installation
Management – Performance and usage measurement
General Terms
Commodity, Design, Interface.
Keywords
Depletion, footprint, quantification, repletion, volume, water.
1. INTRODUCTION
The BitWell apparatus works on any water-expending apparatus with a
valve (see Figure 1). Handled by an Arduino board, the system affixes a
rotary encoder to the valve and encloses its respective basin with a series of
diffused LED lights. The valve’s rotation, representing water flow,
translates to the rotary encoder’s input. When the valve is opened by
further than five degrees the lights illuminate blue.
Figure 1: BitWell installed on a conventional bathroom basin
When the valve is left open BitWell undergoes ―depletion,‖ where its lights
change colour in accordance with its colour spectrum (see Figure 2); the
rate of colour change is directly proportional to the valve’s rotation. If the
valve is left open for an extensive period of time (see Figure 3) the lights
reach the spectrum’s end red colour state, which persists. If after five
seconds the valve is still open, BitWell enters ―desiccation,‖ where the
lights flicker continuously as a warning indicator. The indicator is
deactivated when the valve is closed.
Figure 2: Hue in the HSB/HSL encodings of RGB, from 240 to 0
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Extent of valve
5 45 90 135 180
rotation (degrees)
Time to travel colour
54 35 30 20 15
spectrum (seconds)
Figure 3: Valve rotations and maximum duration of open water flow;
maximum derived from recommended water used1
BitWell undergoes ―repletion‖ when the valve is closed, with the lights
traversing the colour spectrum in reverse at a fixed rate until reaching their
initial blue colour state, which persists. Whilst the valve remains closed the
blue lights dim down, switching off after five seconds. Opening the valve
during repletion interrupts the phase, resuming the depletion phase from
the current colour state. Likewise, if the valve is closed during depletion,
repletion resumes from the current colour state.
These processes underline BitWell’s three core functions:
1) Quantify the volume of water expended from an instance;
2) Gauge the users’ water footprint for that instance, and;
3) Warn users when an excess amount of water is flowing.
2. SPECIFICATIONS
BitWell’s functioning prototype was made from the following, in the
arrangement as shown in Figure 4:
1 x Arduino Duemilanove ATmega328 [SKU: DEV-00666]: Receives
the rotary encoder’s input and instructs the lights to change colours over
time. All of BitWell’s code is written on the Arduino native platform.
1 x Rotary encoder [SKU: COM-09117]: A 12-step rotary encoder that
translates the valves’ clockwise and anticlockwise motions.
7 x Triple Output LED RGB – Diffused [SKU: COM-09264]: An array
of diffused tri-colour lights arranged in parallel (see Figure 2).
Miscellaneous Components: Jumper wires enable the lights’ parallel
arrangement. Electrical tape encloses all wiring to proof BitWell’s
components from moisture. A 10K Ω resistor constrains the overall
voltage. Glue tack stands the lights vertically.
Figure 4: Circuit diagram of BitWell
3. OBJECTIVES
1) Communicate the volume of water expended during said instances, and;
2) Motivate users to moderate their water footprint during these instances.
3.1 Constraints
1) The apparatus must be able to withstand moisture exposure;
2) It must be adaptable to most sizes and forms of basins and valves;
3) It must be affordable to earners in the $15 000-$20 000 bracket, and;
4) BitWell as an appliance must not require any direct input from the users.
4. CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS
Three criteria can evaluate the success of BitWell’s product launch. Certain
milestones take into account the originality of BitWell as well as the
relatively small awareness Australians share with apparatuses like it.
1) An adoption rate of 15 per cent amongst Australian metropolitan
residents within 24 months of launch;
2) A reduction of 10 per cent in water consumption across Australian
metropolitan areas within 12 months of launch, and;
3) Greater sympathy amongst metropolitan Australians for the country’s
ongoing water crisis and water sustainability in general, within 12 months.
5. TARGET USERS
BitWell is deliberately designed for environmentally conscious parents and
caregivers in the 20-34 age brackets, who hold authority in the household
as well as purchasing power for products of this nature. Although these
users generally lack of awareness of their own environmental footprint,
they still factor image and environmental sustainability. The psychographic
and demographic analysis also revealed certain characteristics which
translated to specific design choices.
One particular attribute is their elevated scrutiny of their budgets. In
response to this, a method was proposed which weighted and displayed the
monthly expense associated with that particular valve. Although it was
assumed this demographic would resonate with the cost equivalent, testing
revealed users felt not liability but guilt from consuming the commodity.
Also characteristic to this demographic is their occupied lifestyles,
especially in dual-income households. Because of this, users did not have
the time to commit to a purpose-built application or comprehend long-term
statistics; as such, a persistent mobile application was screened out. This
led to the fourth constraint and resulted in BitWell’s passive, non-intrusive
communication model. Although BitWell provides indicators and
warnings, the user is free to make their own decision without extended
scrutiny from the apparatus. BitWell’s omission of long-term statistics and
informational retention in favour of short-term feedback gratification also
reflects an attempt to circumvent the users’ occupied lifestyles.
6. QUANTIFICATION AND ABSTRACTION
Instead of systematically displaying the volume dispersed or its cost
equivalent akin to a meter—which was found to be irrelevant to BitWell’s
target users, BitWell assumes the metaphor of a water well, which is
reflected across its four distinct phases and representative colour spectrum.
Figure 5: BitWell running, traversing the spectrum of colours
6.1 The water well spectrum
The spectrum of colours that BitWell’s lights traverse correlates with the
perceptions people share with water states (see Figure 5). BitWell’s initial
colour state, a calm blue (HSL: 240, 1, 0.50), evokes full bodies of water
and repletion; meanwhile BitWell’s end colour state, a dull red (HSL: 0, 1,
0.50), connotes dry terrain and desiccation. This spectrum of colours
translates to a linear sequence of 240 HSL sets (where the saturation and
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lightness attributes are fixed). Users passively initiate a relationship with
this water well each time they operate the valves.
6.2 Depletion
The depletion phase occurs whenever the valve is open and expending
water; here the lights travel from their current colour state towards their red
colour state. This represents a gradual draining from the water well. This
phase derives sentiments of exhaustion, destitution, and loss. These
negative sentiments were deliberately evoked as to heighten the elation
users experience when engaging the repletion phase.
6.3 Repletion
The repletion phase initiates upon closing the valve (thus reserving water).
Whilst water is being reserved the lights travel from their current colour
state towards their blue colour state. Reminiscent of a water well being
replenished, this phase evokes emotions of content and welfare. Echoing
their real life counterparts, repletion occurs at half the speed of depletion at
maximum water flow.
6.4 Desiccation
BitWell’s desiccation phase symbolises the water well’s worst outcome—
emptiness. Here the lights flicker endlessly to impart urgency and
instability. Although BitWell does not actually inhibit water flow at any
stage, the distinctively jarring flicker unique to this phase obliges users to
inhibit water flow autonomously.
6.5 Plenitude
BitWell’s default phase, in which its lights deactivate after a short period of
idleness, juxtaposes the desiccation phase with sensations of safety and
relief. Aside from minimising BitWell’s electrical footprint, the deactivated
lights indicate the water well’s tranquillity.
8. EVALUATION
Evaluation consisted of interviews conducted prior, during, and following
the prototype. In addition, BitWell was gauged against its objectives. Users
expressed moderate concern for BitWell’s potential hazards given its close
proximity with water2. To alleviate this issue the apparatus was enveloped
in various layers of electrical tape. Another concern is that BitWell does
consider both the basin’s valves. Initially two rotary encoders were
proposed but the water dispersion rate for two valves was too inconsistent
to accurately gauge. Consequently the rotary encoder is situated on the cold
valve, which is more frequently opened.
8.3 Verdict
In spite of these issues, the overall positive feedback justified the fulfilment
of BitWell’s two objectives, whilst breaking only the second constraint.
Common feedback questioned the suitability of BitWell for larger basins or
the shower environment where BitWell is subject to more water exposure.
The assumed metaphor of the water well was met with praise, and users
cited the usefulness of short-term indicators over long-term information
which they would have discarded otherwise3.
9. PARTING THOUGHTS
BitWell employs simple yet accessible technologies to derive a function
that administrators have been acclimated to for years. BitWell repurposes
this functionality and translates it to the household, dramatically altering
and simplifying it to accommodate the users’ occupied lifestyles. In
addition, its sheer versatility and affordability make BitWell a more
compelling option to motivating environmental sustainability. Intrinsically,
BitWell represents a conceptual drift from long-term informational
retention to short-term feedback gratification.
10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge Andy Dong who mentored the overall
development process. I would also like to thank Patrick Wang, who
provided useful information in regards to BitWell’s installation. Special
credit to Keith Neufeld for his quadrature rotary encoder library. Finally, I
would like to thank Dinh Huynh for his assistance in assembling BitWell.
11. REFERENCES
1) NSW Government. Setting the Scene for the Metropolitan Water Plan.
Sydney: NSW Government, 2009. Print.
2) Poletan, Boris. Junior Systems Administrator. 11 Nov. 2010.
3) Quach, Thao. Human Relations Director. 11 Nov. 2010.