Computers have too many expectations. As a result of this, many people are unable to use computers because they’re too intimidating, too difficult to learn, or they have a disability that affects their sight, hearing or mobility. This stinks. Why? Our society practically demands computer knowledge. Sending pictures, communicating with people far away, buying airline tickets, reading the news, getting weather reports. All of these things, which used to be very analog, are now becoming more and more digital. So why lock out all these people that can’t use modern-day computers?

Lightbulb is designed to illuminate the powers of computing to the masses. It employs an easy to learn, easy to teach and easy to configure system for RFID-based computing. How does all of this work?

From the outside level, it’s simple. Say my grandmother wants to call me on Skype. She waves an RFID-tagged photograph of me in front of the computer, and it starts the call. Video is already enabled, all her audio hardware is already set up, it just happens. My face appears on the screen. To her, it’s like magic. This is the goal of Lightbulb.

We're currently searching for more permanent hosting, but for now, we'd love to share with you the following resources:

In the coming days, we will have a wiki, git repository, and more documentation on playing with the proof of concept code. Until then, feel free to contact any of the members of this project.

Team Members:

Peter Hajas (peterhajas@gmail.com)

Aileen Sheedy

Michael O'Keefe