Behaviour Nudging for User Acceptance in Smart Blinds Control

Abstract

Automated blinds represent a smart façade strategy that responds to real-time environmental conditions and user needs, dynamically modulating daylight and radiant heat gain to support energy performance and enhance indoor thermal and visual comfort in buildings. However, user disengagement and frequent manual overrides challenge their effectiveness. This override behaviour often stems from a lack of perceived control and insufficient awareness of environmental benefits. Behavioural nudging, particularly through gamification, offers a promising approach to encourage user interaction with automated systems without compromising autonomy. Despite its success in fields such as health and education, limited research has explored its application in the control systems for the built environment. This study explores how gamification can function as a behavioural nudge in smart environmental controls by implementing an exploratory questionnaire focused on user engagement, preferences, and decision-making in the context of automated blinds. A structured questionnaire was proposed to explore the impact of gamification elements, such as feedback, incentives, and social comparison-while accounting for user-specific factors like personality and familiarity with smart technologies. Preliminary results indicate that personalised feedback and peer-based comparisons enhance engagement and system acceptability. These findings offer early guidance for designing human-centric adaptive systems that balance automation with user participation, supporting energy efficiency and well-being in indoor environments.