IM Power ProjectIM Power ProjectSummer 2007Summer 2007

Raye GomezApril WenselHeather TomkoJen Mankoff (mentor)Anind Dey

GoalsGoals

Motivation reduce the amount of idle time to

decrease carbon emissions (i.e. ecological footprint)

Determine Average user idle time Reasons for idle time How to cause user reduce idle time

Set-UpSet-Up

Subjects Completed two week monitoring: 50 Laptop users: 40 Desktop users: 10 Completed study:

~30 laptop users desktop users TBA

Set-Up (cont.)Set-Up (cont.)

Randomly chosen for interview: 15 so far: 8 laptop users, desktop users TBA

8 laptop interviewees also gave preliminary opinions on feedback devices

All subjects Bot diary on last day Daily survey each night before logging off

Daily SurveyDaily Survey

Were you logged onto primary your computer while online today? If not, at what times?

How many hours did you spend using the computer?

What was the shortest/longest amount of time that you stayed online?

How long was your computer performing assigned tasks requiring no input (i.e. virus scan)? How long was it not?

What power mode was your computer in today? Describe all the times that you went idle and why. What programs were you running today?

Bot DiaryBot Diary

Every time a user came back from idle on last day:

Hello, it looks like you just returned from being idle. What were you just doing just now? What was your computer doing this

time?

Information We Were Looking ForInformation We Were Looking For

Time of status changes Frequency and duration of idle times User awareness

when they were idle what their power settings were what programs they were running.

Interviews to get more in-depth information about reasons for idle time

Our Findings - General SurveysOur Findings - General Surveys

95% of users run their computer on AC.

Biggest motivators for energy saving Money Altruism

About half of users use automatic standby/sleep setting

Our Findings - Interviews Our Findings - Interviews (Daily Surveys and Logs)(Daily Surveys and Logs)

Most idle time for short periods (i.e. eating, cooking, bathroom, phone, etc.)

The average user believes turning the computer off extends

the life of the machine leaves their computer on for easy access

Most common running programs: web browser, followed by the email client

Most users run a screen saver, but only about half run anti-virus software

SuggestionsSuggestions

For those running nothing while idle: roughly 85% "Consider turning your computer off when you

won't be using it for 30 minutes or more." (roughly 50%)

"Turn off your computer when you go to sleep." (less than 5%)

"Program your settings to automatically put your computer to sleep after 10 minutes of being idle." (roughly 10%)

**The percentage of users in this category that ALWAYS leave their computer in full power mode is about 60%.

Initial TechnologyInitial Technology

AIM bot Built with AIM SDK in Java Keeps subjects in Buddy List Records status changes of all subjects Accepts commands from experimenter

diary study survey reminders

Additional TechnologyAdditional Technology

Sensor In Java Records processes, CPU usage, TCP usage Updates database every minute

Logger In Ruby Provides access to database through URL, e.g.

http://impowerwebsite.org/log/:datatype/:userid/ :timestamp/:eventid/:eventname/:notes

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables guilt vs. reward awareness vs. suggestions frequency of feedback historic vs. real time information

Modalities Content

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables guilt vs. reward awareness vs. suggestions frequency of feedback historic vs. real time information

Modalities Content

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities

window (constant or pop-up) instant message tray icon cell phone text message audio screen saver

Content

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities

window (constant or pop-up) instant message tray icon cell phone text message audio screen saver

Content

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Phase II – Behavior Change ChoicesPhase II – Behavior Change Choices

Variables Modalities Content

kwh of energy dollars pounds of co2 trees hours

Tentative PlansTentative Plans

Study effect of personalized suggestions on behavior change

Hypothesis Personalized suggestions will cause greater

change than awareness alone Measure

Energy saving attitudes Surveys, interviews

Idle behavior Bot, sensor

Tentative PlansTentative Plans

60 participants 1 week baseline 2 weeks with feedback 3 groups

Idle cost Idle cost + generic suggestions Idle cost + personalized updates +

opportunity

Three Feedback TypesThree Feedback Types

Group 1 No suggestions.

Group 2 Turn your computer off at night.

Group 3 Instead of downloading at night,

download over lunch and turn your computer off at night.

ComponentsComponents

AIM bot Sends info to logger about user status

changes whenever they happen Sends suggestion to database when

user comes off of idle Feedback program Logger Database

ComponentsComponents

AIM bot Feedback program

Installed on client machines Sends CPU/TCP usage Retrieves idle time, suggestions, status Window

Logger Database

ComponentsComponents

AIM bot Feedback program Logger

Provides access to database via URLs as before

Database

ComponentsComponents

AIM bot Feedback program Logger Database

Stores AIM status and CPU/TCP data

SuggestionsSuggestions

Hand generated for each user after baseline

AIM bot chooses best Priority during current time period When same suggestion was last sent

Displayed in window

WindowWindow

Projected annual cost based on today Change from baseline projection Change from yesterday’s projection Suggestion when user comes

back from being idle