24. Decathlon User Stories

The Solar Decathlon is an almost bi-annual competition between universities to build energy efficient homes.

This year the University of Hawaii was selected as one of the 20 participants, and our software engineering class has been tasked with producing user interface designs for the project's many systems.

The initial planning approach we're taking to defining requirements is called user stories. Rather than pinning down requirements that may keep changing over time, user stories are for the most part self-defined. They're narratives from the user's perspective about what they want the system to do. Usually, these are short and brief and don't get into specifics, and this allows the software designer to focus on what the user wants rather than forcing the user to come up with concrete requirements. This allows the user to be flexible in changing their mind, and it also allows the software developer to take some liberties on how to implement things, then be able to come back to the user for feedback.

Here are a few user stories for the project's House Management System (HMS):

POWER CONSUMPTION

• User Story 1: An occupant can view the house's current power consumption in comparison to it's power production. This comparison will be able to be viewed graphically and numerically, and the user will be able to select different time frames (i.e., over the course of a week, month, or day). The system will also make it readily available and easily visible the delta between power consumption and production. This will allow the user to adjust the components in the house or their energy consumption habits in order to maximize their energy efficiency.
  
  
• User Story 2: The system will also allow the occupant to view all connected devices and show their power consumption in graphical and numerical form. When a particular device or outlet is being used, the user will be able to view how the device is impacting power consumption as a whole. Devices or outlets can be grouped by category or location/rooms to offer further insight into power consumption habits and areas where the most impact can be made via power conservation methods. This will help the user pinpoint areas of concern and increase the speed of feedback as to how effective conservation methods are proceeding.

ENTERTAINMENT

• User Story 3: The occupant will be able to access all entertainment options and offer a single control location for all entertainment devices. These include audio, gaming, and visual equipment. The system will also allow for the integration of multiple components, e.g., lighting response to audio system output or routing audio output from the gaming system to the surround sound system vs. headphones. Accessing different media will also be available, as multiple storage/output locations may exist (e.g., iTunes library, media server, Apple TV). The ability to view and operate all the systems in the house eliminates the need for multiple remotes as the occupant has the option of using either the display or their mobile device.

HVAC

• User Story 4: The occupant will be able to monitor the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and make adjustments to each to balance energy efficiency and comfort. Temperature control and power consumption of the different HVAC systems will be available to allow occupants to make informed decisions. The HVAC system will consume a lot of energy, so it is of utmost importance to give detailed but relevant information about the HVAC system and its impact on the house's energy consumption. Temperature sensors in each room will display temperatures in each area of the house to further allow the occupant to effectively manage power usage.

LIGHTING

• User Story 5: The occupant will be able to monitor all lighting systems within the house as well as adjust the lighting or mode (all on, follow occupants/motion sensored, audio synchronization, etc.). Setting timers and lighting schedules will also be available through the interface. The user will also be able to see a power consumption impact of certain lighting configurations. This will allow the occupant to make decisions on brightness and choose between different settings and configurations to maximize energy efficiency.

AQUAPONICS

• User Story 6: The system will also allow the occupant to monitor the chemical levels in the aquaponic system. Due to the importance of keeping the balance maintained in the aquaponic area, alerts will also be issued via display screen and text message so that the necessary adjustments can be made. This will facilitate the quickest response to any situation where chemical levels within the aquaponic environment are within critical levels. The system will also allow for management of automated controls, such as water temperature, heating, light exposure, etc. if available.

SECURITY

• User Story 7: The status of the security system will be available for the occupant to view at any time. In the event of a breach, the security system software will send a text message to alert the occupant. The health of security sensors (disabled, online, offline, etc.) will also be displayed on a floorplan of the house. The occupant can also change the level of security/sensitivity and security response (alarm, police notification, laser beams) and response time. The security interface will also allow the user to configure the lighting system and how it responds to a security alert (red lighting, or lighting the area where the breach occurred). This allows the user to have full visibility of the security of their residence and also allow for faster and more appropriate response.
  
  
• User Story 8: Computer security status will also be available to be viewed. All computers and devices on the network will be listed with IP address and data flow. All open ports will also be listed with activity status on each port, as well as any applications that are transmitting or receiving data. The interface will also allow the user to change router settings as well. This will allow for tighter network security since all activity and settings are available in one place.

VOICE ACTIVATION

• User Story 9: The interface for the voice activation system will allow occupants to program commands as well as change settings (sensitivity of voice recognition, male/female voice on responses). Commands will be linked to the other automated systems within the house, such as HVAC, lighting, entertainment, etc. Monitoring of the many systems within the dwelling is also available by having status reports read back to the occupant over the house speaker system. This allows yet another interface to accessing the house's management system, the other interfaces being a display (touchscreen or mouse/keyboard controlled) and a mobile device (phone, tablet pc). This interface allows the occupant to access settings and monitor house systems instantly without having to have a device with them.

OTHER

• User Story 10: The user will be able to access the main monitoring systems of the house via normal stdin/stdout as well as via touchscreen devices such as a mobile phone or display screen. This will allow the user to navigate and view all the systems on one display and will also allow for control or viewing from remote locations as well as from within the house. Possible uses could include warming or cooling the house prior to the occupant's arrival, or arming or disarming the security system remotely. The multiple display formats and remote access allows for a big increase in flexibility as far as usability goes.
  
  
• User Story 11: All monitoring screens/systems will be integrated into a single application. The occupant will be able to seamlessly switch between the different house systems without having to open up different windows or software programs. This encourages wider monitoring of all systems, rather than heavy monitoring of a select number of systems, leading to better efficiency and planning. This also decreases the learning curve needed to use the system, as new occupants will be able to learn the system quickly.