MAEGUS: A Sustainable Energy Simulation to Promote Energy Literacy
Abstract: We introduce a Unity-based sustainable energy simulation called MAEGUS (Measuring Alternative Energy Generation via Unity Simulation) that is intended as an educational tool to improve energy literacy. In MAEGUS, the player takes on the role of a city planner entrusted with providing energy to his or her city by means of both sustainable and non-renewable energy technologies. In the game, wind turbines and solar panels are modeled upon existing mechanical designs and interact with real locations and real weather data in a physically accurate fashion. Players are presented with scenarios that require them to meet certain energy output goals within given budget and environmental disruption restraints. As MAEGUS is still in development, in this manuscript we describe the intellectual justification for the project, salient details of the MAEGUS system, and initial details of our first proposed user study with the system.
Presider: Juscilynne Aroldi, University of Sao Paulo