Energy and Buildings, Vol.135, 148-155, 2017
A context-awareness system that uses a thermographic camera to monitor energy waste in buildings
This paper presents a context-awareness system that uses a thermal camera to monitor energy wastage due to user carelessness in a large enclosed space. The users of the system can receive quantitative information of energy use and identify whether to turn an object on or off. The system is composed of a two-axis robotic arm that can manipulate the angle of a thermographic camera and software that can stitch together images received from various angles; and a context-awareness algorithm to identify objects' situation in stitched thermographic images. The system's performance was tested for an individual object, more than two objects close to each other, an object at long distance, and the effect of an obstacle. The context-awareness was successful except when obstacles interfered with observations. However, when obstacles interfered, the context-awareness was successful when their heat adsorption was high or when the insulation leaked. The range of spaces and situations that the system can cover will increase if it is combined with an automated device that can move it horizontally. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.