Ryan Reggio has these awesome little microwave based security sensors. They're mostly off/on though I think, but they beg for some arduino action.
-Daniel On May 5, 10:02 am, Dan Vogel <[email protected]> wrote: > The "intelligent" (semi-intelligent, mostly braindead) part is... sensors. > I imagine experimenting with various light sensor proxies to be adjust > light output (such as possible based on the choice/cost of LED). > > For example, on a gloomy but bright day like today, I would imagine > more power would be nice. On a sunny day, less so. With a lot of > interior lighting on, maybe brighter (if it is on), whereas in a dark > environment it need not shine so bright. > > Additionally, a sense of time and/or a sense of presence. > > A sense of time could be an alarm, or on a schedule. It could also > help promote a sense of time, like a turn-off timer of a hot tub > ("I am going to have left this table before it turns off...") > > A sense of presence could be touch/weight sensors, if we're in the > form of a table (turn on, or dim, if I am at the table). Or it could be > tied > with RFID/bluetooth, for both activation and power saving (if a lightbox > shines in an empty room, is anyone affected?) > Essentially, something more intelligent than a lightbulb, but only > just - there are some pretty smart lightbulbs these days. > > I am actually less interested in RGB -- it is shiny, and extensible, but I > feel like it has been done and the limitations known. nbbj (the architects) > have > their headquarters next door, and they have a lovely two story light column > that > cycles through colors. Please remind me to point it out next week. I have > good > friends who have commercialized RGB LED applications -- orbs that > change colors based on sensor data. It is cool... but not really what I am > envisioning. I would prefer to focus on a good frequency of light, for > which LEDs > are well suited, rather than compromise for a spectrum. > > Or maybe not, I have not done my homework sufficiently. > > Best, > Dan > > On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 9:32 AM, Lion Kimbro <[email protected]> wrote: > > > When we get new space, experimenting with lighting is definitely > > something I want to do; And I hear you regarding how lighting affects > > our mood. Also: Light tables went to great effect at Bucketworks, as > > well, and you can use them in every single situation, regardless of what > > you're doing. > > > I have one question: > > What's the intelligent component of the light box that you are > > envisioning? > > > (We were working on a wall of light last year, so we have some experience > > with diffusing plastics, multi-color LEDs, Arduino control of them; Jon > > Dugan > > made a box (a 4x4 array of RGB LEDs) that worked very well, roughly a foot > > by a foot in dimension.) > > > On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 8:49 AM, Dan Vogel <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I like Rogan's idea, although I too am not prepared to take on running > > yet > > > another project. > > > But if I were, here are some of the other ideas (to inspire others): > > > * USB sniffer/spoofer -- from a failed startup in the past, I own one > > or > > > two (having left the > > > second in Pittsburgh) Net2280 evaluation boards. These are PCI USB2.0 > > host > > > chip cards, > > > intended for use in mocking up USB embedded devices -- they are pretty > > > flexible. For the > > > purpose of this project, the idea would be to build a man-in-the-middle > > box > > > for analysizing > > > (log, replay, synthesize) USB sessions between arbitrary devices. While > > I'm > > > sure all of > > > the functionality could be replicated in software running on the host, > > that > > > could involve > > > messy driver situations. With this, Saturday House could easily provide > > > session capture > > > data for any device in need of a less proprietary driver or better > > > documentation. > > > > My interest level: Happy to contribute the board(s) to the cause, an > > > adequate bookshelf PC > > > (from the same failed project), and provide devices for session capture. > > > Not much interest > > > in returning to the software side of this space (twas a painful failure). > > > * Semi-intelligent light box wall -- through high school (when the data > > > was high res > > > enough), you could determine the seasons by the ebb and flow of my > > grades. > > > After moving > > > to Seattle, I recognized that I really should get around to using a light > > > box for SAD. > > > Almost a year and a half later, I have not been able to pull the trigger > > -- > > > the prebuilt boxes > > > are too small/too expensive for technology that, in previous lives, I > > built > > > for novelty (like a > > > blue LED dog collar for my (previously) all-black dog. And yet I also > > have > > > not gotten > > > around to building one. Ideally, I am interested in a big and bright > > source > > > of light: a big > > > surface area (like the reactable, a sheet with regularly spaced leds) or > > > filling out a picture > > > frame. It would also be nice to be adjustable, sensor aware, and > > > addressable -- I have a > > > teensy board for this purpose. > > > > My interest level: If anyone else were interested in building one, it > > would > > > probably inspire me > > > to actually refresh my memory on the circuit design to spec out and build > > > mine. I have to > > > replace the glass surface of table in the next couple of days, and that > > > might be the right > > > starting place for my purposes. > > > > Dan. > > > > On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 5:54 PM, Rogan Creswick <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > >> I've always wanted an RF-id reader hooked up to a programmable alarm > > >> and mounted to my front door. It needs to go off if, for example, my > > >> wallet ever leaves the house w/out my keys, but in general. (This is > > >> meant to keep me from forgetting important things, not to prevent > > >> theft.) > > > >> It looks like the readers have dropped substantially in prices since I > > >> last looked (http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/907a/) > > >> although, my concept of "expensive" is much different from when I was > > >> in college, living on top ramen and iceberg lettuce... > > > >> I don't have time to run a project like this through Sat.House right > > >> now, but thought I'd throw it out there for the sake of discussion :) > > > >> --Rogan > > > >> On Sun, May 3, 2009 at 12:04 PM, Ryan Reggio <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > ok so right now as all of you may or may not know. Daniel, lion, > > >> > Rehana, Phil, and myself are working on the reactable which you can > > >> > learn more about on Saturday house's ether pad (http://etherpad.com/ > > >> > saturdayhouse). however at some point we will finish the reactable and > > >> > will be in need of something else to do. > > > >> > so, here's the idea, any idea, inkling, project, experiment, etc. > > >> > you can think of, put here. no idea is too crazy (ok i think we can > > >> > all rule out political assassination) to mention. we may not get to > > >> > them right away however we need ideas for what we are going to do > > >> > ahead of time that way people can see what the current group of active > > >> > members is interested in. this, hopefully will attract more people > > >> > interested in these topics to come out and join us. > > > >> > so Daniel and myself are interested in making a 3d Printer much like > > >> > the CandyFab 4000 > > >> > (seen here:http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/candyfab). > > >> > this is something that we are very interested in and would like to > > >> > make. however there are quite a few parts that would be needed. i > > >> > suspect Daniel and me will be talking more about it and finalize what > > >> > we want to do with it, before we submit it as an idea. however its > > >> > things like this that we need. > > > >> > i was talking to a friend and he is very interested in building a > > >> > 3d gaming projector. i am not sure i fully understand the concept but > > >> > he was saying something about using a HD projector to project through > > >> > a piece of polarized glass to get the effect he was looking for. I'll > > >> > post more about this once i start to better understand how he wants to > > >> > accomplish this. but its and idea to think about. > > > >> > so get to it people i want to hear your ideas! > > > >> > -Ryan --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Website: http://saturdayhouse.org/ Post: [email protected] Unsubscribe: [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
