Construction Set: Smart Home Curriculum for Grades 6-8 Student Edition Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Illinois State University 2017 www.smartgridforschools.org 1
Everything gets smarter over time, including homes! The rise of the Internet of Things has allowed us to automate home features like lights, sound, and security. As we combine the power of the smart home and smart grid, the future will only get brighter! Unpacking the Home The various components of our smart home are packed for shipping. You will need to carefully remove each of the items from their place in the drawer and garage, then set them on a nearby table. Be especially careful with the light bulbs found in the home s garage. Before you plug the home in, insert the Multi-Sensor unit s USB cable into the black AC adapter. Then plug that adapter into Switchable 4 on the smart strip and plug the smart strip into the wall. Keep everything else set aside for now, and plug in the home! 2
Using the Tablet You can power the tablet on by pressing and holding the button on the tablet s side. If it does not turn on, the battery may be dead. Plug the tablet into the cable at the front of the garage and wait up to 5 minutes before trying again. In Chrome, you can access the software interface at the address http://192.168.1.2/. Depending on how the tablet was shut down, this page may already be open. We recommend using the tablet in landscape mode, with the power button oriented at the top of the screen. You are using a tablet to interact with this home, but most home automation systems are set up to be used from a mobile phone sometimes from many miles away! 3
Exploring the Smart Home Begin by exploring the Status page and the Control page This is where you can check the status and control some of your home s systems. Many items can be turned on, off, or changed by tapping on the system s icon or text. Some items will trigger events see what happens when you press the red button on your home s roof or when you use the water sensor. The water sensor is wireless, so don t look for a place to plug it in. The metal probes on the end of the water sensor can be dipped in water but the skin in the palm of your hand probably has enough moisture to set it off. Notice the switchable power ports on the Control page. They control the outlets on the power strip. Why might this feature be of benefit? What types of devices might you want to switch on or off using a mobile device? What types of devices might you want to plug into unswitchable ports rather than switchable ones? Why? 4
Entering Challenge Mode Once you are familiar with the system, try your hand at the different Challenges For each challenge, follow the prompts on-screen. Many of the challenges have multiple parts, so continue through each part until you see the completion notification at the bottom of the screen. You may need to scroll to see new information which has appeared below the bottom of the page. Light Bulb Challenge Note: The light bulbs get very hot very quickly. Be sure to follow the on-screen instructions! When it comes time to pack the light bulbs away, it s safest to wear gloves to remove them. After you have finished but before you continue to the next challenge: Compare the Average Bulb Comparison values and those in the Calculated Bulb Comparisons Table. How different are they? Why might the two tables be a little different? 5
HVAC Challenge Note: While these controls appear to be the same as those on the Control page, they have been deactivated to allow you to quickly change settings without waiting for the thermostat to react. Pay close attention to the outside temperature. It is written in bold, and it can be found above the blue Thermostat Controls. It changes as you make your selections. After you have finished but before you continue to the next challenge: Take a close look at the graph. This graph is calculated based on your choices. Make note of two trends and explain why you think that trend may be true. Trend 1: Explanation: Trend 2: Explanation: 6
Energy Guide Tag Challenge Energy Guide Tags are useful tools when purchasing larger appliances. Besides the devices included in the challenge, what are two appliances whose energy guide tags would be important? Why? Begin Experimenting In addition to challenges, there are several Experiments to complete. For each experiment, follow the prompts on-screen. Many of the experiments have multiple parts, so continue through each one until you see the completion notification at the bottom of the screen. You may need to scroll to see new information which has appeared below the bottom of the page. Pricing Structure Experiment When your home has a smart meter, you may have the option to change how you are billed for your energy. The cost of producing electricity changes constantly, following at-the-moment demand for energy. Power companies have traditionally averaged this and charged a static rate, but hour-by-hour pricing allows consumers to choose whether to use energy when it is most expensive to produce. What hours did you tweak from the average? Why? 7
In the last activity, you should have increased your energy usage at some times during the day while decreasing it at other times. How much cheaper could you make the hour-by-hour pricing total without changing the total energy usage? In general, how would you describe the changes you made? Solar Collection Experiment Where in the room do you get the greatest lux reading? Why do you think that is? The Multi-sensor was useful in conducting this experiment, but how could readings like this be used to automate your home? 8
Home Automation Experiment What was the plan you developed for your car s arrival? Why was this a good plan? Would your plan help to reduce energy use and/or improve convenience? You have explored and experimented with many different parts of the smart home. Imagine how these parts could work together to make your home safer, more energyefficient, and less likely to be damaged in an emergency. The homes of the future truly will be smart! Shutting the System Down Because the home includes a computer, it is important to safely shut the system down before pulling the plug. The system should be powered down using the Safe Shutdown option in the tablet s Admin menu. Please be sure to power the tablet off also: press and hold the power button on the side, then press Shut Down on the screen. Repacking the Home Return each of the components to their places in the drawer, and the light bulbs and solar panel to their places in the garage. Please ensure that all components fit snugly in the drawer and that they will not be jostled when the home is shipped to the next school. Problem-Solving If you encounter problems with some of the home s devices, check that each device is intended for that home. (Each item should be labeled to match the home number.) Next, restart the system by going to the Admin menu ( System. ) and selecting Refresh 9
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