Air conditioner operating system based on the concept of Benefit of Inconvenience (Bol)

Abstract

Today, a growing body of research focuses on the "Benefit of Inconvenience (BoI)," a richness that can be enjoyed and, therefore, the physical and psychological labor it entails. There is also a movement to propose the "Benefit of Inconvenience Systems (BoI Systems)," things (Products and Services) that provide the BoI to users. The purpose of this study is to propose a new BoI System by analyzing conveniences in the living environment, the richness lost due to conveniences, and the adverse effects caused. In proposing a new BoI System, this study focuses on convenience and its adverse effects from two perspectives. First is the black box effect of adjusting the room temperature, resulting in the convenience of setting the room temperature at the touch of buttons by operating an air conditioner using a remote control. Second is the diminishment of the value of each photo, leading people to leave their photos without managing and reviewing them, a result of the convenience of the spread of smartphones, which allows anyone to take any number of photos quickly. By re-examining these conveniences and adverse effects, we propose "MemoCon (Memory Air Conditioner)," a BoI System that operates an air conditioner by estimating the temperature and air volume based on the visuals of photos taken in the past. The room temperature can be adjusted based on the user's intuition by operating the air conditioner through the visuals in the photos. In addition, selecting photos from a photo album on a smartphone creates an opportunity for the user to look back at the photos. After determining the specifications, we made a prototype for use as a smartphone application and a promotional video to show the actual environment in which "MemoCon" would be used so that the content of this proposal could be conveyed concretely.

Keywords: Benefit of Inconvenience, System Design, UI Design, Operating System

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005639