I am planning on making an automated greenhouse system with some human controlled elements. I recently received a Makey Makey board, which allows you to create human Interface devices simply with strange materials. Thus has inspired me to make something more interesting than a few switches or a touch screen. I am thinking of doing something made of stone and wood or something similar. I want the interface device to look at place in the greenhouse, not something alien and yet be simple to interact with.
Tl;dr help me come up with a unique, durable human Interface device
Makey Makey explanation video
http://mit.tv/KzzTVe
>>946284
I was thinking of maybe using something like pic related, carving out designs in the bamboo lid in order to represent the different controls and have some sort of metal pin pushed through to conduct.
>>946284
Have you had a chance to test it?
I've been curious about it.
>>946284
If i were you i'd get some copper (or whatever) wire, route/chisel whatever your design into the bamboo, drill a hole in one of the trenches made, pull some wire through (to connect to the board), solder end of wire to the copper wire and then inlay the routings with your copper wire, hammer and sand flat.
>>947519
>>947525
That is super clever! I am definitely going to explore this option
>>947519
I haven't yet, but I will be testing it rather thoroughly in the next few months.
Do you guys think that an interface with just vibration as a confirmation would be sufficient? I've been looking into the lifespan of LEDs vs alert motion motors. It seems the motors last longer in most cases. I just want it to be intuitive.
>>948034
I got everything mixed up a bit, the captcha wasn't working...
>>948034
What will you be controlling? Ventilation, lighting, sprinklers, heaters? What is it in an automated greenhouse that needs human control beyond initial setup?
Point is: if pressing the "button" will produce an immediate and observable effect, why would you want haptic feedback? If it will not produce produce an immediate observable effect, won't you be using a display of sorts?
>>947525
>>948049
here
>>948034
On a second thought: is physical interaction with the controls and placing the controls inside the greenhouse? The whole bamboo thing aside, i'm not sure if a warm, humid environment is optimal for electronics (unless you seal them somehow).
Why not just stick all the control electronics in an airtight box, bury it in the greenhouse and control it all from your phone?
>>948051
It will already have Phone control over Bluetooth, the controls are more for show then anything else. I just have the board and I think its a cool idea. Of course the boards will be kept safe from the environment. The picture above is just an an example of the design motive I'm talking about.
Building an app is relatively easy if you use pre-made tools, but part of my design is this:
https://www.cooking-hacks.com/documentation/tutorials/open-garden-hydroponics-irrigation-system-sensors-plant-monitoring
Which comes with a wireless interface built in.
>>948049
No, the results of pressing the buttons will optimally be turning the system on and off and focusing on one plant in particular. That will probably be the extent of it. The primary goal is automate the process. The secondary goal is to have a user in the loop. This portion of the project is the bonus goal.
>>948431
>>948447
Maybe buy some cheap trasnlucent crystals? Salt, gypsum, quartz, go crazy with the colors. Drill them sons of bitches and stick them on top of some lightbulbs or leds or whatever. Or maybe just drill the wood panel, stick your lights in the holes and use the stones as "windows" over the lights? Have a jeweller cut them into circular slices and polish them.You'd have a legit console with buttons and lights and shit, but all natural.
>>948537
That's a good idea, I havnt worked with them before but that could be super cool. I may opt out of anything I need to go to a jeweler to do, but Idk how expensive that is. I'll definitely look into this.
