Overview
Current streaming hardware is falling behind the rapid advancements in cloud technology, making it difficult for users to perceive the carbon emissions they cause. This lack of awareness can lead users to mistakenly believe that cloud technologies are carbon-neutral. Using Arduino,3D printer, and Python, I've developed a prototype to bridge this gap, demonstrating the feasibility of adding components to devices that make carbon emissions perceptible. This prototype not only exemplifies the potential for reducing internet carbon footprint through direct user interaction but also emphasizes the importance of hardware in making the invisible carbon emissions of cloud services tangible. This initiative encourages a more environmentally conscious approach to digital consumption, pushing for a shift towards sustainability and cleaner energy sources, while highlighting the need for hardware updates to align with cloud service advancements.
Skills
Arduino & Python
Keyshot
3D Print
(ID)
Background
The impact of people's activities on the environment is increasing, and carbon emissions are currently the most serious problem. Is there a new solution in product design to face this problem of carbon emissions?
Environment: The sharp increase in carbon emissions has continued to strengthen the greenhouse effect and the average temperature has continued to rise. Leading to climate change, triggering more frequent and destructive natural disasters.
Footprint: The advancement of science and technology has improved human life, but carbon footprints are being generated all the time, and it is these carbon footprints that are easily overlooked that affect the environment. The generation of carbon footprint includes from the clothing, food, housing, transportation, and then to the modern Internet. . .
Internet Footprint: Among these carbon emission categories, Internet use accounts for 3.7% of global emissions, the equivalent of all air traffic in the world, and this figure is expected to double by 2025. If the status is not changed, it will double by 2025. It is expected to account for 20% in 2030
CO2 Produced daily: E-mail, music, web surfing, and watching videos are part of people's daily living habits that produce carbon emissions all the time. Although human beings are able to cope with the use of these data at this stage, with the increase of Internet users every year and the emergence of more online office software, such as "Miro" and "Figma", and the emergence of 5g and the metaverse. a data tsunami is bound to arise in the near future.
Inspiration:
The reduction of internet footprint requires the joint efforts of the government, enterprises, and users. As a designer, I want to provide a new product possibility, connect users with the cloud, and add some new ways of interacting with the product.
How to reduce footprint: When using the Internet, 70% of data is consumed by servers and transmissions, and 30% by devices. Among them, video, audio, and pictures account for 60%, 23%, and 17% of Internet footprint respectively. With the development of the Internet, the proportion of server consumption will continue to increase. So
I want to engage in a design for saving energy for the server.
I want to establish a relationship between users, Internet companies, and servers. Users can perceive carbon emissions through human-hardware interaction. The footprint of Internet companies' products will affect users' feelings. If the user experience is not good, the user can switch to cleaner Internet software, which can encourage more Internet companies to use cleaner servers. I want to design for three of the more consumed types of the Internet: video, music, and web.
Enhancing perception: Often users do not know the carbon emissions of the Internet because they cannot perceive the usage of the server.
Clean Energy: Increase the proportion of clean energy, let users know the usage of clean energy, and urge companies to use more clean energy
Intelligent use: Reduce unnecessary waste without affecting user experience, such as: deleting duplicate cloud photos and spam, optimizing web pages, listening to local music, etc.
New System：
User: 1.Users can perceive the footprint of Internet companies through physical products. 2. Unclean energy sources can negatively impact the user experience, so users push companies to use more clean energy. 3. Proportion of clean energy known to users 4. Users can reduce excessive carbon emissions by utilizing streaming media services judiciously according to their needs.
Internet Enterprise: 1.Companies use greener servers for better user experience 2. The push towards greater use of green energy among energy suppliers, facilitated by competition among providers, has led to a reduction in the cost of green energy.
Energy Suppliers:1.Access to government and people's support, a range of policies that can reduce production costs. 2. More people using clean energy can lead to lower prices through economies of scale, achieved by selling more at lower margins.
Prototype：
The prototype primarily consists of three parts; please refer to the video for detailed content.
Liftable knob: The lifting knob is added to the hardware to give users the perception and control functions of the Internet footprint.
Resistance module: The resistance part is built into the hardware, which allows users to feel the real-time situation of footprint during use.
Footprint monitor: Users can see internet footprint data in real-time and can adjust if a product is overused. If Internet companies use too much dirty energy, it will affect the user experience, which will prompt Internet companies to use more clean energy.
EcoStream：A future low-carbon Home audio-visual device and system
I have created a rendering of the potential future appearance of this product to showcase its possible form. It features a modular design, as the future of streaming media will be entirely dependent on servers, allowing for a minimalist approach in hardware aspects.
Design Process
Designing moulds+ 3D Print
Assembling
Testing