Clever consumption monitoring

Technology Review features devices to measure home electricity consumption that detect patterns of consumption e.g. the characteristic 'noise' of a phone charger or refrigerator, and the latency in surges when devices in different locations are turned on. The devices could deliver detailed information (almost an itemisation) of household consumption. The technologist behind the device, Shwetak Patel, anticipates a similar application of devices monitoring water consumption that will be able to detect the location of leaks in household systems, and could also be used to monitor changes in human activity (for example, picking up if the house is occupied or not).