My first idea is to revisit my anti-vanity mirror. I would like to use an Ultrasonic sensor to detect people in front of the mirror. Matthew said during class that I ought to be able to get the wood of the frame thin enough to have the audio pings not detect the wood – I think that this would really enhance the “magic” of the experience of using the mirror. I would also try to split the 12V power supply into both the supply to the glass [using a 12V 40V convertor] and to the adafruit trinket board [a smaller board that I hope to supply using a 12V 5V convertor]. The only issue that might arise is that the amperage from the wall socket might be too high for the board.
This next idea has more of a social bent to it. Police abuse has been pretty rampant lately in American society. This idea is meant to counteract the abuse of power by the boys in blue – namely by automatically recording any conversations with the police. The FM scanner would scan for the police frequency [since all policemen wear radios on their chest] and start an audio recording if a frequency that matches the police frequency is within range for more than 5 seconds [indicating interaction with a cop]. This is more of a speculative design, I’d have to check with Becky to see if it’s feasible. I think that the instructable aspect of this design is especially compelling.
This last design is more one that is concerned with the form of the final object. I want to make this lamp look BEAUTIFUL. It’ll be powered by a tilt switch – when the lamp is horizontal and low over the surface that it is resting on, it’ll turn on. I envision using it when I’m drawing at my desk and I don’t want to disturb others with the light.