EMF = Electromotive Force

Looking at ideas for "seeing" power consumption:  From wireless power-metering devices to home automation and remote sensing, using web-enabled technology for visualizing the electrical power we consume is not only fascinating, but critical as we continue to add computational power to every thing we own.

I am interested in how the development of Smart Grid applications, combined with power usage data are being monitored and secured.  To fully understand what your personal usage is, there needs to be a convenient and efficient way to see this data and easily experience its impact.

The idea is not new.  Using the power of social media along with web-enabled and wireless connectivity is.  Using tactile feedback devices to sense usage may be the most effective way of putting real numbers to the costs of wasteful power leaks.

Some companies who are working in this area:

[ http://www.groundedpower.com/ ]

[ http://www.wattzon.com/ ]

[ http://www.tendrilinc.com/ ]

[ http://www.onzo.co.uk/ ]

[ http://www.energyhub.net/Home.html ]

This list is by no means comprehensive but has gotten me down the road to the point of finding answers to some questions.  However, two of my favorite applications so far are these:

[ http://www.ladyada.net/make/tweetawatt/index.html ]
and
[ http://web.media.mit.edu/~rusti/thighmaster/index.html ]

The photo above is from Annina Rüst's site for the Thighmaster Project.  You should read more about Annina.  She has done some very interesting work in addition to the Thighmaster.