Getting Organized

It is getting closer and closer for me to begin thinking of initial Alpha testing for my Home Automation project.  However due to some scatterbrained thinking, I am second guessing myself and feel I need to organize more carefully so nothing is left to chance.

In order to do that I feel that I need to make a checklist of sorts in order to later help me organize everything just right.  This also substitutes as both a reminder and also a to-do list.

1.) Overall Project:

• Intertwine household electronics with SmartThings via sensors and Z-Wave technology
• Code Denise to interact with those electronic devices
• Code Denise to control Nest Smart Thermometer so temperature is remotely changeable
• Setup household intercom/microphone system to speak to Denise with voice commands
• Code Denise to perform those voice commands
• Setup security system (including cameras and motion)
• Code security system to Denise and enable mobile remote viewing into home through video
• Setup mobile phone integration to have Denise screen calls or send text messages
• Setup projection and Kinect system to display Denise onto the wall
• Acquire smart door locks
• Install/Setup/Code Denise to work with smart locks

Looking at this list it in no way justifies the massive amount of time and energy that I am going to have to commit to make this a reality.  The list seems short, but I know just how much work it is going to be for me.  I think the main thing will be coding Denise to do all these things will take the most time, especially if I am creating that code from scratch.  The codes and commands need to be individually tested and that will also take time.  Eventually I want to replace every outlet in my home to a Z-Wave input/output, that way literally anything plugged in can be controlled by Denise.  I will have this project already started by the time that happens.  I plan on buying some gradually to where eventually all plugs will be Z-Wave technology.  Now THAT would be awesome.

I got a lot of work ahead of me.

Never Been So Happy About A Wire

A few weeks ago I was ramping up some of my projects that involved my Xbox Kinect.  The device has massive potential and instrumental in some of the projects I was going to do.  I owned an Xbox 360 with a Kinect so I already had the equipment I needed.  I needed to download the drivers and also the SDK for the device however I needed to initially plug it into my system. 

It wasn’t until I attempted to plug the Kinect into the PC that I noticed something, the opposite end of the Kinect (which looked like a regular USB) did not fit into any of the ports on my computer.  It did not take long to realize that the plug was proprietary- meaning that it was not a traditional USB but Microsoft’s own version where only their equipment can be used.

I was not happy, why couldn’t it just be a simple USB plug?  Frustrated, I was forced to track down a wire that worked and luckily I found one on Amazon for less than $10.  The Kinect was something that I needed to pull off some of the artificial intelligence projects I was doing so I had no choice but to purchase the wire.

Today the wire with connecting power supply finally arrived.  I was so excited because I could finally download the drivers and the SDK for the device.  This small setback was a huge inconvenience and finally that setback was over.  It was then I realized, holy crap, I am giddy over a wire.

Downloading SDK now….

With this wire now in my possession I can down work on the motion/video aspect of my home security, facial recognition, plus others.  Looks like this might be a late night.

Look Denise, Hands-Free!!! Kinda.

After an entire morning of watching HGTV, I have come up with an additional idea that I want to do to my home.  Granted none of these ideas were actually showcased on any of the shows on HGTV, it just served as some inspiration.

I sat besides myself and seriously thought about what I wanted to do and what would be affordable.  In lieu of the discovery of Ubi Displays in one of my previous post, I decided that I wanted to have Denise show up in various areas of my home.  For example, having her at the door to greet people as they arrive would be somewhat ideal. 

That way, when someone arrives she can tell them about any missed calls or visitors.  Perhaps she can also inform them of the inside temperature or anything else significant that has occurred within the home.  Or maybe when I leave she can secure the house using the built-in home security I am currently developing.  However I did not want to stop at Denise being limited to only the front door area.  I wanted her to be able to show up almost anywhere inside the home in case I needed her. 

Another idea that was floating around inside my head was being able to get Denise to connect text messages or phone calls- real calls not ones made by Skype.  Having a hands-free method of Denise being able to appear on a wall in my bedroom, kitchen, or where ever to notify me of an incoming call and then being able to interact with that call would be amazing.

Denise- “Sir, you have an incoming call from your brother.”

Me- “Answer it and tell him I am busy at the moment and will call him back.”

Overall this seems somewhat do-able. Having Denise appear in various parts of the home will not be hard however the phone integration seems to be more difficult.  I will have to think about this one.

Doing Something Entirely New And Cool

I have decided that I was going to make the leap and do something totally new for me.  I admit, this so up my alley it gets me so excited that I can hardly contain myself.  I have come across something called Ubi Displays.  This is not to be confused with the Ubiquitous computer also named The Ubi, this is completely different.

Ubi Displays will literally make any surface you want an interactive touch screen.  However the best part is, it only requires a Microsoft Kinect, a projector, and a computer.  I looked into it and it seems fairly simple to do.  I already own a Microsoft Kinect from my old Xbox 360.  In fact, I recently parted ways with it however I was smart enough to keep the Kinect itself.  The only piece of hardware I seemed missing was the projector.  Once I learned how to set this up I grew impatient and decided that I would try and set it up even though I do not own a projector as of this moment. 

That was when I ran into my first issue.  It appears as if the Kinect needs a power supply and adaptor to plug into the computer.  This was actually something that I was unaware of since it plugged directly into the Xbox 360.  I did not know that the Kinect connection, (which looks like a regular USB) was proprietary.  Not only that, the device was not powered by the "USB" even if I bought an adapter to connect it to the PC.  Damn, and I was hoping that the connecting wire would power it, it would make everything so much more simple.  While my hopes of the "USB" powering the devices didn’t pan out, I acknowledged that I was being forced to purchase a power supply and adaptor for the Kinect through Amazon.  Luckily, I found a wire with both a power supply cord and a "USB" connection for less than $10.  So unfortunately, I am forced to play the waiting game.  However I cannot stop thinking of what cool things I can do with this. Here is a small demo of how it works.



Here is another video of two guys making a two-sided Ubi Display. Very cool and very impressive!



I will keep you all informed of when I begin this project and what becomes of it.