From “Power Electronics Inside” to “Human-Centered Power Electronics”

An early mantra of our field was “power electronics inside,” a take on a popular tagline from a major electronics company. Power electronics continues to be an infrastructure and internal technology—throughout the grid, integral to our computers and devices, essential in motor drives, embedded in our cars and appliances, actively managing renewable energy systems, and performing an unlimited range of vital functions. Even though power electronics may not be familiar to the average person, today’s users are more and more likely to interact directly with power electronics equipment. They have many chargers and power supplies for mobile phones and rechargeables. They use flat panel displays and compact audio systems. They purchase lamps and lighting with built-in power conversion and HVAC systems with variable-speed drives. They might have an electric car. They see the growth of electrical energy applications. Admittedly, the interactive experience is not always great. For example, nearly every device needs a different power supply, leading to too many wires (
Figure 1
), which users rarely appreciate. Human-centered design for power electronics is emerging as an important frontier in our field. This article gives a few examples and hints about the needs and opportunities.