BRILLIANT invention concept

[breadandbubbles]

I got home from work today to find my room dark and messy, and without an overhead light, and tired from work, having a hard time reaching the lamp switch.

At which point I thought of something BRILLIANT. And something I desperately hope exists.

What if you could buy a sort of….well, I call them “power bars”. You know those things that plug into a wall power socket, and has several sockets? You have a computer. Of course you do.

Well, anyway, picture for a moment, a power bar with three outlets. Labelled ‘a’’b’ and ‘c’. now imagine this power bar also has a USB or firewire type thing, that connects to your computer. NOW imagine it comes with software, which, when installed, gives you an interface to control to outlets on the power bar, with a click of the button from the interface, you can turn outlet ‘a’ on. So, if you plug a lamp in to it, you can turn the lamp on and off form your pc.

NOW imagine you have voice recognition software. I don’t know if you can download it, or from torrents, or buy a really good one. But lets say the voice recognition software could work with the powerbar software. So you could walk into the room and say “Computer, lights on”, a phrase you will have programmed into the voice recognition software to turn on outlet “a”.

And the lamp goes on!

Now use your imagination! With a simple motor mechanism found in virtually…everything! You could hook it up to your door. “computer, close door”

Or even more imaginative…”computer, OPEN door.”

Well!? What do you think?

Does it exist? If it doesn’t im going to do everything in my power to make it happen. I WANT this.

Please reply if you know of something like this. Ill pay anything!

Edited May 4, 2006 by breadandbubbles

[IcemanND]

google=computer home automation

[Scubar]

this kinda stuff was possible years n years ago.

[LLXX]

Not much different from embedded systems controllers, which have been around since the early to mid-70s.

[03GrandAmGT]

Don't forget the "CLAPPER" clap your hands once light comes on.

jd

[RJM]

Don't forget the BSR x10

The BSR X10 Powerhouse connects to a computer with an RS232 interface. It can store up to 128 events; each event can turn on, turn off, or dim up to sixteen slave units. The X10 box has a battery backed up clock which the computer can read.

Each slave unit has a one-letter housecode ranging from A to P (for 16 different codes) and a number from 1 to 16. x10's

http://www.x10.com/activehomepro/activehome-pro.html

"Open the pod bay doors Hal"

Edited May 5, 2006 by RJM

[breadandbubbles]

hahahaha

i KNEW someone would bring up the clapper. sorry folks, thats just not cool enough.

and wqhile i was suere this existed.....since the 70'S!!!!? no way man. youve got to be kidding me.

im excited about this. thanks for your help!

[Blub]

In principle the technology is there, BUT at least here you can't buy it cheap and easy (yet). So lot's of work to be done still!

[rendrag]

how about a switched rack PDU by APC?

the device connects to your network, and allows you to remotely manage individual outlets. You could use SNMP and via a command script, turn on outlets, without having to log into the device.

[03GrandAmGT]

hahahaha

i KNEW someone would bring up the clapper. sorry folks, thats just not cool enough.

and wqhile i was suere this existed.....since the 70'S!!!!? no way man. youve got to be kidding me.

im excited about this. thanks for your help!

Ya, just had too.

To be serious though you might want to check this site out.

http://www.housebot.com/

jd

[Andromeda43]

I've heard that Bill Gates' house is fully automated and has been for many years. it's old technology.

For the rest of us.....saying "Computer, Lights, 50%" just isn't here yet. Or maybe I'm just not lazy enough to really need it yet. Maybe next year.

I do have an electronic lock on my front door though. I built it over 25 years ago.

Just one touch on the right spot on the door opens it. Touch the wrong spot though and the door is totally locked out for ten minutes. There's no knob or key so there's no other way in.

(cept, maybe some C4)

[Bâshrat the Sneaky]

That's called 'domotics'.