Making the Smart 
Home More Insightful
Kevin Foreman 
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT VISION | VECTORFORM
Smart Homes 
A LOOK AT THE INDUSTRY
The Smart Home Industry 
Has been around for 30+ years. 
Lots of products. Mostly geeky. 
Average consumer lacks adoption.
The Smart Home lacks a killer app.
How do we get people to want a Smart Home?
Start with Energy.
“A nationwide poll found 
87% of households want to 
save more energy at 
home.” 
Energy Efficiency and Attitudes Survey, 2010
Homeowners prefer to 
receive Home Energy 
Management (HEM) 
solutions from their 
local energy utility 
Energy Management Service Provider Preferences 
Pike Research
Past Energy Efficiency Campaigns 
Traditional energy reduction 
campaign effectiveness
Customers were told what to do, but lacked the 
tools to show them how they were doing.
Our Mission: 
Provide customers innovative mobile 
tools that give them the correct feedback 
to drive engagement.
Real-Time Energy Feedback 
GET ENGAGED WITH ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Real-time is the #1 most effective 
way to get people engaged with 
their energy consumption.
But real-time only gets you so far. It doesn’t show you patterns.
24h Energy Clock 
Real-time + contextual energy patterns
24h Energy Clock 
Real-time + contextual energy patterns 
REFRIGERATOR CYCLE
GOT HOME FROM WORK 
24h Energy Clock 
Real-time + contextual energy patterns
24h Energy Clock 
Real-time + contextual energy patterns 
BEDTIME
24h Energy Clock 
Real-time + contextual energy patterns 
EXCEEDED ENERGY TARGET
TED5000 
• 1-Second Reads 
• Hard to Install 
GE Nucleus 
• 15 minute storage 
• Discontinued 
Rainforest Eagle 
• Cloud-Based 
• 15-Second Reads 
Real-Time Energy Use Hardware
In order to bring our experience to life, we were 
going to have to make our own hardware.
Vectorform is primarily a software company. 
Electrical Engineers? Nope. 
Industrial Designers? Nope. 
Firmware Developers? Nope.
Apparently, we had experience 
with prototyping hardware 
solutions with Arduino and Xbee.
Disaggregation 
IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC SAVINGS
People want to know what each individual device is 
using to help them identify specific savings.
Other Load-Monitoring Modules 
 Expensive. 
 Lack context.
Our Goal: 
To provide a low cost, easy to use, and contextual 
tool to perform device-specific load profiling.
PowerScan™
PowerScan™ allows you to 
determine the amount of power, 
and cost, of any device with a 
power cord directly on your 
iPhone, with no additional 
hardware needed. It's also free.
Energy Management Service Provider Preferences 
Opower/Pike Research 
Customers still 
preferred to receive 
these experiences from 
their local utility 
company, not a third 
party.
Pitching the Utilities 
WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GETTING OURSELVES INTO
DTE wanted to pilot real-time feedback in customer’s 
homes to see the impact within four months.
We had a prototype built on Arduino. 
It wasn’t consumer ready. 
You need to be Zigbee certified in order to bind to a Smart Meter. 
You need FFC certification, UL Listing. 
And a design that won’t scare consumers away.
We can pull this off.
3 Weeks until our pilot deadline and we don’t 
have an FCC certified device. 
Not even close.
&
We began our initial pilot test of 
real-time data with a small set of 
users for about 1 month.
1 
The set up process.
The smart grid is designed to be secure so only approved 
devices can be bound to a smart meter.
The pilot setup process… 
Not only was this a poor user experience, it wasn’t 
scalable for DTE or any other utility.
So we worked together 
with DTE to come up 
with an industry-first, 
auto-binding solution.
2 
Users wanted to see their real-time energy use away from home.
They loved the idea of being able to “check up” 
on their home from away.
They want to be able to see… 
…if there’s power. … if they left a light on. …if someone’s home.
Remote Connection Methods 
Port Forwarding VPN Cloud
Dynamic Coaching 
Our solution: Secure Relay- 
Server. 
• Requires no port forwarding 
• Uses encryption and TLS for security 
• Set up automatically during the auto binding 
process 
• Adds only 1 second to latency
3 
Once people started understanding their behavior and what 
their home used, they visited the app less frequently. .
After a period of 1 month, we had only a 35% retention rate.
3 Biggest Improvements to Engagement 
Dynamic Coaching Challenges Sharing/Competing
Dynamic Coaching 
A Dynamic Coaching engine, 
similar to Google Now, 
centered around home energy 
management. 
• Weather updates 
• Compare your home with the 
community 
• Compare your home with 
other like homes 
• Send you spike alerts
Dynamic Coaching 
A Dynamic Coaching engine, 
similar to Google Now, 
centered around home energy 
management. 
• Weather updates 
• Compare your home with the 
community 
• Compare your home with 
other like homes 
• Send you spike alerts
Dynamic Coaching 
A Dynamic Coaching engine, 
similar to Google Now, 
centered around home energy 
management. 
• Weather updates 
• Compare your home with the 
community 
• Compare your home with 
other like homes 
• Send you spike alerts
Dynamic Coaching 
A Dynamic Coaching engine, 
similar to Google Now, 
centered around home energy 
management. 
• Weather updates 
• Compare your home with the 
community 
• Compare your home with 
other like homes 
• Send you spike alerts
Challenges 
A weekly challenge system to 
help keep users engaged with 
their energy use, and also help 
them learn about other areas 
within the application. 
• 3 Challenges per week 
• Different levels of difficulty 
• Built-in challenge feedback 
• Earn points to unlock real 
and virtual rewards
Sharing/Competing 
A community system that 
allows users to compare and 
compete with other users, and 
share their accomplishments 
including: 
• Leaderboards 
• Wall 
• Share Tips
DTE Insight 
Know Your Own Power.
DTE INSIGHT VIDEO
Within the First 2 Months:
What about the Smart Home? 
GIVING USERS THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THEIR APPLIANCES
“ 
“ 
” ” 
” 
“ 
“ 
” 
“ 
” 
I can see I 
left a light 
on… 
I didn’t know 
my AC used 
that much 
energy… 
… I wish I 
could turn it 
off from here! 
Oops, left 
the coffee 
maker on 
again. Can I 
turn it off? 
…it would be 
nice to adjust 
it from here
Takes about 15 seconds on average.
There has to be a better way.
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE 
GUI 
NATURAL USER INTERFACE 
NUI 
NATURAL USER ENVIRONMENT 
NUE
Wearable Technology.
Google Glass Video
Myo.
iBeacon & BLE
iBeacon Indoor Geofencing
Nymi
Nymi Slide 
Visual? KF Decide
The smart home should feel invisible and comforting, 
reacting to your needs and adapting to your lifestyle.
Thank You. 
Kevin Foreman (Kforeman@vectorform.com) 
SEATTLE 
Vectorform LLC 
2107 Elliott Ave. 
Suite 303 
Seattle, WA 98121 
DETROIT 
Vectorform LLC 
3905 Rochester Rd 
Royal Oak, MI 48073 
NEW YORK 
Vectorform LLC 
190 N 10th Street 
Suite 303 
Brooklyn, NY 11211 
MUNICH, GERMANY 
Vectorform GmbH 
Arnulfstrasse 37 
80636 Munchen 
HYDERABAD, INDIA 
Vectorform Software Pvt. Ltd. 
301, 3rd floor, Babukhan Estate 
Basheerbagh 
Hyderabad – 500001 
Andhra Pradesh

Making the Smart Home More Insightful

  • 1.
    Making the Smart Home More Insightful
  • 2.
    Kevin Foreman DIRECTOROF PRODUCT VISION | VECTORFORM
  • 3.
    Smart Homes ALOOK AT THE INDUSTRY
  • 4.
    The Smart HomeIndustry Has been around for 30+ years. Lots of products. Mostly geeky. Average consumer lacks adoption.
  • 5.
    The Smart Homelacks a killer app.
  • 6.
    How do weget people to want a Smart Home?
  • 7.
  • 8.
    “A nationwide pollfound 87% of households want to save more energy at home.” Energy Efficiency and Attitudes Survey, 2010
  • 9.
    Homeowners prefer to receive Home Energy Management (HEM) solutions from their local energy utility Energy Management Service Provider Preferences Pike Research
  • 10.
    Past Energy EfficiencyCampaigns Traditional energy reduction campaign effectiveness
  • 11.
    Customers were toldwhat to do, but lacked the tools to show them how they were doing.
  • 13.
    Our Mission: Providecustomers innovative mobile tools that give them the correct feedback to drive engagement.
  • 14.
    Real-Time Energy Feedback GET ENGAGED WITH ENERGY CONSUMPTION
  • 15.
    Real-time is the#1 most effective way to get people engaged with their energy consumption.
  • 16.
    But real-time onlygets you so far. It doesn’t show you patterns.
  • 17.
    24h Energy Clock Real-time + contextual energy patterns
  • 18.
    24h Energy Clock Real-time + contextual energy patterns REFRIGERATOR CYCLE
  • 19.
    GOT HOME FROMWORK 24h Energy Clock Real-time + contextual energy patterns
  • 20.
    24h Energy Clock Real-time + contextual energy patterns BEDTIME
  • 21.
    24h Energy Clock Real-time + contextual energy patterns EXCEEDED ENERGY TARGET
  • 22.
    TED5000 • 1-SecondReads • Hard to Install GE Nucleus • 15 minute storage • Discontinued Rainforest Eagle • Cloud-Based • 15-Second Reads Real-Time Energy Use Hardware
  • 23.
    In order tobring our experience to life, we were going to have to make our own hardware.
  • 24.
    Vectorform is primarilya software company. Electrical Engineers? Nope. Industrial Designers? Nope. Firmware Developers? Nope.
  • 25.
    Apparently, we hadexperience with prototyping hardware solutions with Arduino and Xbee.
  • 27.
  • 28.
    People want toknow what each individual device is using to help them identify specific savings.
  • 29.
    Other Load-Monitoring Modules  Expensive.  Lack context.
  • 30.
    Our Goal: Toprovide a low cost, easy to use, and contextual tool to perform device-specific load profiling.
  • 31.
  • 32.
    PowerScan™ allows youto determine the amount of power, and cost, of any device with a power cord directly on your iPhone, with no additional hardware needed. It's also free.
  • 35.
    Energy Management ServiceProvider Preferences Opower/Pike Research Customers still preferred to receive these experiences from their local utility company, not a third party.
  • 36.
    Pitching the Utilities WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GETTING OURSELVES INTO
  • 37.
    DTE wanted topilot real-time feedback in customer’s homes to see the impact within four months.
  • 38.
    We had aprototype built on Arduino. It wasn’t consumer ready. You need to be Zigbee certified in order to bind to a Smart Meter. You need FFC certification, UL Listing. And a design that won’t scare consumers away.
  • 39.
    We can pullthis off.
  • 47.
    3 Weeks untilour pilot deadline and we don’t have an FCC certified device. Not even close.
  • 48.
  • 50.
    We began ourinitial pilot test of real-time data with a small set of users for about 1 month.
  • 51.
    1 The setup process.
  • 52.
    The smart gridis designed to be secure so only approved devices can be bound to a smart meter.
  • 53.
    The pilot setupprocess… Not only was this a poor user experience, it wasn’t scalable for DTE or any other utility.
  • 54.
    So we workedtogether with DTE to come up with an industry-first, auto-binding solution.
  • 55.
    2 Users wantedto see their real-time energy use away from home.
  • 56.
    They loved theidea of being able to “check up” on their home from away.
  • 57.
    They want tobe able to see… …if there’s power. … if they left a light on. …if someone’s home.
  • 58.
    Remote Connection Methods Port Forwarding VPN Cloud
  • 59.
    Dynamic Coaching Oursolution: Secure Relay- Server. • Requires no port forwarding • Uses encryption and TLS for security • Set up automatically during the auto binding process • Adds only 1 second to latency
  • 60.
    3 Once peoplestarted understanding their behavior and what their home used, they visited the app less frequently. .
  • 61.
    After a periodof 1 month, we had only a 35% retention rate.
  • 62.
    3 Biggest Improvementsto Engagement Dynamic Coaching Challenges Sharing/Competing
  • 63.
    Dynamic Coaching ADynamic Coaching engine, similar to Google Now, centered around home energy management. • Weather updates • Compare your home with the community • Compare your home with other like homes • Send you spike alerts
  • 64.
    Dynamic Coaching ADynamic Coaching engine, similar to Google Now, centered around home energy management. • Weather updates • Compare your home with the community • Compare your home with other like homes • Send you spike alerts
  • 65.
    Dynamic Coaching ADynamic Coaching engine, similar to Google Now, centered around home energy management. • Weather updates • Compare your home with the community • Compare your home with other like homes • Send you spike alerts
  • 66.
    Dynamic Coaching ADynamic Coaching engine, similar to Google Now, centered around home energy management. • Weather updates • Compare your home with the community • Compare your home with other like homes • Send you spike alerts
  • 67.
    Challenges A weeklychallenge system to help keep users engaged with their energy use, and also help them learn about other areas within the application. • 3 Challenges per week • Different levels of difficulty • Built-in challenge feedback • Earn points to unlock real and virtual rewards
  • 68.
    Sharing/Competing A communitysystem that allows users to compare and compete with other users, and share their accomplishments including: • Leaderboards • Wall • Share Tips
  • 69.
    DTE Insight KnowYour Own Power.
  • 70.
  • 71.
  • 72.
    What about theSmart Home? GIVING USERS THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THEIR APPLIANCES
  • 73.
    “ “ ”” ” “ “ ” “ ” I can see I left a light on… I didn’t know my AC used that much energy… … I wish I could turn it off from here! Oops, left the coffee maker on again. Can I turn it off? …it would be nice to adjust it from here
  • 75.
    Takes about 15seconds on average.
  • 76.
    There has tobe a better way.
  • 77.
    GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE GUI NATURAL USER INTERFACE NUI NATURAL USER ENVIRONMENT NUE
  • 78.
  • 79.
  • 81.
  • 84.
  • 85.
  • 86.
  • 87.
  • 89.
    The smart homeshould feel invisible and comforting, reacting to your needs and adapting to your lifestyle.
  • 90.
    Thank You. KevinForeman (Kforeman@vectorform.com) SEATTLE Vectorform LLC 2107 Elliott Ave. Suite 303 Seattle, WA 98121 DETROIT Vectorform LLC 3905 Rochester Rd Royal Oak, MI 48073 NEW YORK Vectorform LLC 190 N 10th Street Suite 303 Brooklyn, NY 11211 MUNICH, GERMANY Vectorform GmbH Arnulfstrasse 37 80636 Munchen HYDERABAD, INDIA Vectorform Software Pvt. Ltd. 301, 3rd floor, Babukhan Estate Basheerbagh Hyderabad – 500001 Andhra Pradesh

Editor's Notes

  • #5 I am Kevin Foreman, and I am the Director of Product Vision at Vectorform. We’re a digital agency that has recently begun to develop our own products, and I lead those product development teams. I am also a huge home automation geek, and I wanted to use our thought leadership and talent and apply it to help build a better smart home experience.
  • #7 The value isn’t there for consumers I hear a lot about, “Have we gotten so lazy we can’t turn off our own lights?”
  • #9 We did a lot of research in this area, and what we found was….
  • #12 This was our play for the smart home!
  • #13 The home is a sacred, private environment, and they don’t want an unknown in their household. The local utility is a trusted source. So we looked into previous energy management solutions that utilities offered…
  • #14 Common thread with all of these energy reduction campaigns
  • #16 Comparing on dollars masks your actual use and makes it hard to see if you had any effect on your Energy Consumption
  • #17 We knew our mission, If we wanted to get into the home with energy…. And the best feedback you can give someone, is…
  • #19 Anyone who has a real-time MPG gauge in their car can attest to this. Many folks change their driving habits after seeing what their driving patterns due to their fuel efficiency.
  • #20 We wanted to create a visual element that could combine real-time with the ability to see your energy patterns
  • #21 This & next slide may need re-ordered– seems a bit out of context. We just emphasize real-time data then immediately dismiss.
  • #22 This & next slide may need re-ordered– seems a bit out of context. We just emphasize real-time data then immediately dismiss.
  • #23 This & next slide may need re-ordered– seems a bit out of context. We just emphasize real-time data then immediately dismiss.
  • #24 This & next slide may need re-ordered– seems a bit out of context. We just emphasize real-time data then immediately dismiss.
  • #25 This & next slide may need re-ordered– seems a bit out of context. We just emphasize real-time data then immediately dismiss.
  • #26 WIP – add images.
  • #30 We developed this prototype in 2 weeks on Arduino and successfully connected it to our development smart meter.
  • #32 Add more devices?
  • #33 WIP – add images.
  • #34 … and what we came up with is pretty cool. We all it “PowerScan.”
  • #42 Utilities live and die by their pilots. See, utilities run pilots to see their impact on energy savings, and depending on how much they save, they get money from the government to continue that program.
  • #43 Utilities live and die by their pilots. See, utilities run pilots to see their impact on energy savings, and depending on how much they save, they get money from the government to continue that program.
  • #44 Correct prototype image?
  • #46 WIP – add images.
  • #55 And this time, not only did we pass, but we had results that were under the threshold by a factor of 5! PROTIP: If you think you can design a circuit, have it looked over by a pro who does this stuff for a living.
  • #60 1) Phone icon.. 2) Clock icon (48-72 hours) 3) Get real time. Write out the steps! - KF
  • #68 We began researching and prototyping different engagement models, running very small pilots and user testing scenarios to see what brought people back into the app.
  • #69 Our research led us to find the 3 biggest improvements to engagement. They centered around:
  • #76 DTE Insight Logo
  • #80 Speech bubbles of people wanting to control their appliances from DTE Insight
  • #82 Pull the phone out of your pocket. Turn it on. Enter in your PIN code. Search for the app. Wait for the app to authenticate. Find your device. Send the command. Close the app. Turn off phone. Place back in pocket. Takes about 15 seconds on average. For example, you’re chillin on the couch…
  • #92 Motion sensors vs. Occupancy Sensors.