11-21-2013 “Christmas LED window candle design and build meeting”
Karl
Home Automation Group of Northern Virginia
11-21-2013 “Christmas LED window candle design and build meeting”
This month the Home Automation Group of Northern Virginia will be hosting a meeting to build and design cordless LED window candles, a LED 3D printed glow sphere, and a 3D printed LED candle. Each of these projects has previously been made before at the space. Feel free to come by the meeting to learn how to build any these designs or help with the engineering and redesign of the window LED candle. This can include future designs such as added a RGB LED to allow multiple colors to be displayed in the windows, adding microprocessor control using Arduino, Beaglebone Black, Raspberry PI, or any other design to improve the open source design for all to enjoy. We would like to improve on this designs every year.
Below is information on this meeting and the space:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11230 (3D printer LED candle using mini maglight)
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:177017 (Glow Sphere we made here at the space using a small LED we bought. We have around 24 of these led's for member's projects. Each cost us less than $1 each.)
http://www.brookstone.com (Search for “Williamsburg Cordless LED Candle with Streetside Brightness” to find the candle in which we altered to increase the battery life to run an entire month.
http://www.meetup.com/MakerSpace-at-Reverse-Space-in-NOVA-All-are-welcome/ (This is our host Makerspace.)
Schedule of events
5:30pm to 6:30pm – time for members to show up for the meeting.
6:30pm to 7:30pm – About one hour to meet and talk about the meeting. This can continue if needed until the Makerspace closes at 11PM.
It is also important to note that this group is primarily for adults. If you are a parent of a child, you are welcome to attend the meeting but you must be with your child at all times.
FAQ - “Can we come to the meeting and learn how to build any of the three designs?
Answer – “Yes. All three designs have been already built and the host can help and show you how to build yours.
FAQ - “Are these LED's projects desgined to be used in real life?
Answer - “No. These designs and projects are for learning and eduicational use only. If you want to use any of these designs in your house, it is your responsibility for safety and acquiring an Underwriters Labortory's safty rating.”
FAQ - “Can we print the LED candle's at the meeting?”
Answer - “Yes. The Makerspace which hosts the meeting has many 3D printers you can use. However, 3D printing can take a long time. The host of the Makerspace would be happy to print the items to be picked up at a later time.”
FAQ - “Is there any cost of this event?”
Answer - “ReverseSpace's membership is free, and all new people receive $10 in 3D printing supplies to be used at the space which has been donated by our host company Cortona Academy. The cost of the LED's and electronics are separate and depends on the design of your LED window candle. The LED window candle we altered to run for a month was bought from Brookstone for about $20 online. We will have several of these to test at the meeting.”
Reverse Space – A Makerspace in Herndon, VA
We are partnering with the local makerspace called “ReverseSpace” as a place to meet and to use their resources to build the systems. These resources include, digital soldering machines, desktop 3D printers (Makerbot), Corporate 3D printers (3D Systems), Arduino and Raspberry pi, scientific equipment needed in the production of circuit boards, and hundreds of free electronic parts available.
Using ReverseSpace's 3D printer selection, we have the ability not only to 3D print enclosures but also the ability to print gears and small parts. The space's ultra high resolution Form1 Laser 3D printer can be used to print the gears, and 3D System's full color 3D printer can be used to make the enclosure.
Equipment and donations available to be used by the Home Automation Group:
Arduino microcontroller Uno and Mega - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino
Raspberry Pi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi
BeagleBone Black – http://beagleboard.org/Products/BeagleBone%20Black NEW!
Book “Bad to the Bone” on crafting electronic systems with BeagleBone and BeagleBone Black NEW!
Book “Z-Wave Basics” on using w-wave for wireless communication in Smart Homes. NEW!
Book “Raspberry Pi Projects for the Evil Genius” on projects for Raspberry Pi. NEW!
Below is a list of things that could be built in the future at the Home Automation Group, including:
Remote controlled blinds - (This can allow the heating of a house based on the outdoors temperature and the amount of sun outside)
Air conditioning – Controlling AC and Heating using Cell phones or advanced programs also to save money.
Front door systems- This includes the ability to automatically unlock a door when the presence of the owner's cell phone is detected. No more fumbling to find keys.
Security – This is by far the best solution save money by building your own customized security system.
Garage door – Opening the door automatically when your car drives up and texting you if the door have been left open.
Lighting – Automation of lighting to save on money by turning of lights when the user leaves a section of the house. Voice control is also something many are working on.
Watering of plants – Place a sensor in the soil of the plant and texting the owner when it need to be watered. Automatically watering of plants is also a something we can build at the space.
Cutting of grass – There are many robotic law mowers, but all of them are too expensive for the average consumer. A Makerspace is a great place to build your own robotic law mower and save thousands in the process.
Members at the meeting have used: Smartthings, Insteon, Phillphs Hue, Belkin Wemo, and many other technologies.
If you have any projects you are working on, feel free to bring it to Reverse Space! We have locked storage space, hundred of tools and electronics, and the largest sections of free to use 3D printers for any Makerspace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackerspace) on the east coast of the US. At this time membership is free.
Address of the meeting:
Cortona Academy
13505 Dulles Technology Drive Suite 3 (all the way in the back!)
Herndon, VA 20171