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
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >>
> >
>
> >
>
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