Digital Agent Networking for Customer Energy Reduction (DANCER)

Lead Research Organisation: London South Bank University
Department Name: School of Engineering

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
 
Description - Successful implementation of an intelligent Wireless Sensor Network that learns user movement within its environment and relays information on appliances and utility consumption to a central system.
- A Remote Energy Consumption Amalgamation Point database to store and aggregate energy usage data.
- A Visualised Information Display for smart phone or tablet providing users with power consumption information
- A responsive intelligent algorithm-based Local Energy Saving Decision Making Agent to monitor energy consumption and user context and return appropriate real-time changes to actuators connected to appliances.
Exploitation Route - UWB radar tracking and monitoring of people's behaviour can be used in healthcare sector, such as remote activity monitoring of elderly and patients.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Electronics

Energy

Environment

Healthcare
URL http://www.dancer-project.co.uk/
 
Description The implemented technology using electronic sensors and UWB radar for detecting human activities within buildings have been used in a few houses in Essex and has shown a reduction on energy consumption up to 20%. As a further potential impact of the developed radar, we are working on wireless and contactless measurement of human physiological signals using UWB technology for future hospitals and care homes. Moreover, the developed microwave technology has been implemented in several modalities related to human body imaging applications such as breast cancer detection and human gate monitoring with several publications over the last three years. Finally, we have been working with Demand Logic Company for the last 4 years implementing AI approaches for building management systems to promote remote monitoring and fault finding. This work has led to Demand logic changing their systems to improve their platforms to incorporate AI with buildings finding up to 30% savings in a year due to an ability to see and fix issues. This has resulted in an impact statement for REF2021 submission.
First Year Of Impact 2017
Sector Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Energy
Impact Types Societal

Economic
 
Description DANCER project 
Organisation University of Essex
Department Department of Psychology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We implemented wireless network to monitor user behaviour, appliance energy consumption and respond to Agent instructions. We deployed a minimal, ubiquitous and intelligent Wireless Sensor Network consisting of an Ultra-WideBand (UWB) scheme integrated with IEEE standard appliance monitoring sensors and wireless actuators to respond to agent instructions to turn down/off specific appliances not in use within the dwelling.
Collaborator Contribution Essex contributed to the realisation of an intelligent agent that receives various data streams from in-situ metering, network sensors and the extracted user behaviours and instructions to make informed decisions that reduce energy consumption.
Impact A device for non invasive/intrusive human detection and monitoring within houses and several publications.
Start Year 2012