HOME  |  NEWS  |  BLOGS  |  MESSAGES  |  FEATURES  |  VIDEOS  |  WEBINARS  |  RESOURCE CENTER  |  INDUSTRIES
REGISTER   |   LOGIN   |   HELP
Blogs
Gadget Freak
Gadget Freak Case #224: Gadget Remembers What You Need to Do
9/7/2012

Image 1 of 2      Next >

George Tempesta's ChronoDot keeps track of the time/date/day. The motion sensor triggers when someone walks by.
George Tempesta's ChronoDot keeps track of the time/date/day.
The motion sensor triggers when someone walks by.

Image 1 of 2      Next >

Return to Article

View Comments: Oldest First|Newest First|Threaded View
Page 1/3  >  >>
naperlou
User Rank
Blogger
Don't let my wife find out about this!
naperlou   9/7/2012 8:59:08 AM
NO RATINGS
George, do we really need this?  In our house this is the task my wife has taken on.  I don't think she likes it, but I wonder what she would do if we had one of these.  Of course, you would have to have multiple devices because we would find a way to avoid it in our house.

NadineJ
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
NadineJ   9/7/2012 10:53:45 AM
NO RATINGS
A motion-triggered calendar could be great for anyone with short term memory loss due to disease, such as Alzheimer's, or brain damage from TBI, such as being near an explosion or repeated concussions.

But, like the earmuff headphones...is this Freak worthy?  It seems that the new criteria is complex construction build process over innovation.  Where's the "wow" factor?

oldpartsnrust
User Rank
Iron
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
oldpartsnrust   9/7/2012 12:28:00 PM
NO RATINGS
I actually built this to take the burden of being the NAG in the house off of my wife at HER request.  She said she doesn't want to feel like my mother always telling me not to forget this or not to forget that.  She has to do that enough with our 3 kids :)  .  This device has actually helped me not forget the trash or recycling many times since we turned on.  I was born without much short term memory and necessity is the mother of invention right?

oldpartsnrust
User Rank
Iron
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
oldpartsnrust   9/7/2012 12:40:59 PM
NO RATINGS
As far as the "Wow" factor, I am still learning this stuff so I haven't been able to build what we actually envision this as being yet.  It is supposed to turn into a wall mounted digital picture frame with a touchscreen.  It will recognize the individual who walks by (courtesy kinect type profiling) and deliver specific messages that can all be set up and recorded using the touch screen.  This would help it blend in instead of being an ugly black box hanging on the wall.  Once the profiling capability is there, messages can be left for other individuals in the household.  I haven't gotten that far yet, but I would hope that would have a little more kick?

Charles Murray
User Rank
Blogger
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
Charles Murray   9/7/2012 5:39:57 PM
NO RATINGS
I think I get it, George. The "bad cop" is no longer a person; it's a machine.

Battar
User Rank
Platinum
Biological solution
Battar   9/10/2012 9:12:26 AM
NO RATINGS
I used to have a problem remembering tasks and dates. Then I got married.

b-whiteside
User Rank
Iron
A man wil no Cell Phone and no PC
b-whiteside   9/10/2012 9:39:40 AM
NO RATINGS
I am turely impressed that we need a dedicated gadget to do what any PC and any Cellphone and any Mobile Device, and any....  has been able to do for years.

TommyH
User Rank
Silver
Re: A man wil no Cell Phone and no PC
TommyH   9/10/2012 11:37:17 AM
NO RATINGS
If I could remember your name I would ask you where I left my Cell Phone, and keys.

\

Norm
User Rank
Iron
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
Norm   9/10/2012 1:55:17 PM
NO RATINGS
Easier (in a sense) than developing the Kinect-style profiling would be to have you (and the wife and kids) "chipped" with RFID implants, which could easily and inexpensively be read when walking past the scanner/calendary.  The technology and procedure are simple... convincing the other "subjects", maybe not so much. 

 

mrdon
User Rank
Gold
Re: Don't let my wife find out about this!
mrdon   9/10/2012 2:13:17 PM
NO RATINGS
Hi NadineJ, I think Gadget Freak projects are about individuals grapping stuff in their junk boxes and creating cool devices. Innovation is about creating a unique or cleaver solution through physical design improvement or a new assembly process. All of the projects thus far seem to illustrate innovation as well as creativity.

Page 1/3  >  >>
Partner Zone
More Blogs from Gadget Freak
A team of Colorado State University students has created a gadget that guides a remote control airplane through the sensors in a glove.
Jerald Cogswell created a sonic telescope to grab sound and bring it as close to the user as the image.
Bernard R. Smith Jr. created a bridge rectifier that eliminates the flicker in LED light strings.
Thomas W. Manning created an automatic switch that uses a solid state relay to adjust the florescent lights in his garage automatically.
Jitendra Tailor's gadget uses a proximity sensor and a flashing LED to tell his family members when to load or unload the dishwasher.
Design News Webinar Series
5/15/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
5/1/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
5/22/2013 9:00 a.m. California / 12:00 p.m. New York / 5:00 p.m. London
5/29/2013 11:00 a.m. California / 2:00 p.m. New York / 7:00 p.m. London
Blogs from Our Sponsors
From Dell / Intel®
New Paradigms in Design Work
Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013    3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
From Dell / Intel®
Increased Workstation Performance Is as Easy as 'DPPO'
Trey Morton, Dell, 4/25/2013    2
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
From Dell / Intel®
Taking Some of the Grit out of Manufacturing
Kirsten Billhardt, Manufacturing Industry Marketing Strategist, Dell, 3/26/2013    5
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
Quick Poll
The Continuing Education Center offers engineers an entirely new way to get the education they need to formulate next-generation solutions.
May 20 - 24, Automation Technologies & Trends for Smarter Homes & Buildings
SEMESTERS: 1  |  2  |  3


DN Radio
Sponsored by
NEXT UPCOMING BROADCAST
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
Twitter Feed
Design News Twitter Feed
Like Us on Facebook

Sponsored Content

Technology Marketplace

Datasheets.com Parts Search

185 million searchable parts
(please enter a part number or hit search to begin)
Copyright © 2013 UBM Canon, A UBM company, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service