This Mazzini project is a research project looking at ways to monitor and control our energy usage. We're currently looking at how we can make the technology available outside of MCQN Ltd., and we'll be sure to announce things here as they develop.

Below are a list of all the relevant posts about the project so far:

Sign Up for an Arduino Power-measurement Shield

On Saturday I took the latest Mazzini prototype, the Light Load Lamp down to London for the Homecamp home-automation and energy-monitoring conference.

During the day I gave a brief talk about what the Mazzini project is exploring and also asking who would be interested in buying one of the bare energy-measurement boards.

What You'd Get

Video of Bubblino and the Light Load Lamp on the BBC News website

Here's some video footage that the BBC took at the recent Maker Faire. In it you can see me talking about both Bubblino and the Light Load Lamp

Mazzini and the Light Load Lamp

Just in time for our trip to Maker Faire I managed to get the second Mazzini prototype up and running. It improves upon the original prototype in a number of ways, but the most interesting is the addition of a triac, which means that the Arduino board can now control the power to the device being monitored.

This is where things start to get really interesting.

Mazzini and Bubblino Featured on BBC Radio 4

At Maker Faire the other week, I was interviewed by Simon Cox from BBC Radio 4's Click On programme. Their coverage of the faire was on the programme broadcast today and two of MCQN Ltd's projects feature on the show.

First off, about 3m30s in, you can hear me talk about Bubblino (whose picture also graces the Click-on programme details page)

The UK's First Maker Faire

The first UK Maker Faire was a fantastic weekend, featuring all sorts of great and crazy gadgets and inventions.

Mazzini and Bubblino Are Visiting Newcastle

If you're in the Newcastle area this weekend, then you might want to head along to the first ever Maker Faire to be held in the UK.

And if you make it along, be sure to say hello - I'll be on a stand in the marquee, showing off Bubblino and the latest developments (more soon) with the Mazzini energy monitor.

Full details are on the Maker Faire UK website.

Mazzini Wins "Bitchin' Pitches" at Barcamp Liverpool

The last couple of weekends has been a veritable conference roadshow for the Mazzini project. First it was off down to London to find out what everyone else is up to with energy monitoring and home automation (all sorts of interesting things as it turns out) at Homecamp, and then last weekend we kept it local and made the five minute walk to Barcamp Liverpool.

Mazzini Monitors Its First Appliance

This past week the Mazzini project, my controllable electricity monitor, has taken a great step forwards. The initial hardware prototype I talked about earlier has undergone a few tweaks and is now soldered up rather than push-fitted together on breadboard. It's also boxed up in a not-too-pretty but suitably environmentally-sound reused ice-cream tub, which means I can leave it running without fear of anyone accidentally coming into contact with 240V AC.

The Mazzini Project: An Update

It's been a while since I announced my latest research project, the controllable electricity meter, and although I haven't written any more about it (apart from the occasional comment on my twitter feed) behind the scenes it has been steadily progressing.