I am looking to put up library shelf lighting like pic related (kinda). I am hoping to have the lighting be more dense so if I wanted to find x book one light would change to give the general area the book is in (+ or - a couple books). I am also looking to have an infrared signal constantly going across each shelf (like a garage door) to check when the book I want is pulled (in order to change the light back).
Is there any glaring issues with this? Besides the fact its more complex than just knowing where each book goes? I know I will have to code and can create an app for a tablet that always sits there. I can also just look up book dimensions for the width on Amazon to save lots of time.
For the money you'll spend, you could keep a librarian on retainer.
Sigh. But now you have me thinking. Decorative shelf illumination is fine. LED strips can give you the right temperatures and even change for mood.
You will never do this. You will maybe turn them one a couple times a year for company. And when the first strip fails, you'll sooner just leave them off than affect a repair.
The "find" concept is moree interesting. Because it's so impractical and stupid. Gets the noggin playin.
Better off with a projector on the far wall. It can throw a white bar on the shelf or even book in question. And for entertainment, you can do very clever and fun things:
But seriously. If for some reason you're so anal that you never move your books and want to immediately know where he one you want is, a red laser pointer bouncing off a two-axis servo driven mirror will work wonderfully.
I see now what you meant by laser pointer, that wouldnt work for the same reason a projector might not work. Dont want to walk into the beam.
Assuming I already owned the bookcases and books I dont think the project would cost more than $200(even that is way over estimating cost)
Most LED strips I see have a projected lifespan of about 50k hours (5-6 years).
Not fixing a light strip that fails does sound like something I would do though.
A projector isnt a bad idea, I am not a fan of having them shine light in my eyes when I am by them, I have also never worked with them. Are they similar to an oled tv where when no light is given in a certain area it just stays off? or would I have to build a device that blocks all of the light coming from the projector except leave a hole for where book x is?
Its not that I dont move books, its I treat it more like a library, history books in this shelf or science books in another shelf. And within a shelf it would have certain subjects (history of ww1 or history of economics or something) and then within that its by alphabetical order.
The infrared isnt for anything other than knowing when to switch a certain light back to the same colors as the others i.e. I found the book and it blocked the path. Its the same way a garage door works, an infrared is constantly being shot across to the receiver on the other end of the shelf, and when its obstructed it stops door (in my case it resets light).
Instead of servos I would just have a receiver and emitter on every shelf due to how cheap they are.
>cost more than $200
bwahahahahahaha
ohh you precious summer child
Why would it?
some new tablet for the app to be on (how you would search for books) you could buy one used for cheaper but I went with one of first amazon results
https://www.amazon.com/BYANDBY-Android-Expand%EF%BC%89-Quad-Core-Educational/dp/B0BBW1D4MT/ref=sr_1_3?tag=ganker-20&crid=LLPEMBBZZK22&keywords=tablet&qid=1676612607&refinements=p_n_feature_six_browse-bin%3A23942953011%2Cp_36%3A1253504011&rnid=386442011&s=pc&sprefix=tablet%2Caps%2C172&sr=1-3&th=1
here are some rgb strips(x4)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aub9PecrbuM) a video on how to code for them
https://www.amazon.com/WS2812B-Individual-Addressable-144Pixels-Non-Waterproof/dp/B09PBH6MR7/ref=sr_1_8?tag=ganker-20&crid=14Q5Q2OIZ4XEH&keywords=ws2812b&qid=1676612802&s=hi&sprefix=ws%2Ctools%2C100&sr=1-8&th=1
here are the ir receivers and emitters.
https://www.amazon.com/Gikfun-Infrared-Emission-Receiver-Arduino/dp/B06XYNDRGF/ref=sr_1_5?tag=ganker-20&crid=7E49QGGQPBN2&keywords=IR+Receiver&qid=1676612338&sprefix=ir+receiver%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-5
If you dont have the stuff to work with electronics like that you can use https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Infrared-Emitter-Extension-Emission/dp/B09CF18JFV/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=Emitter+IR+Receiver&qid=1676612296&sr=8-15
and
https://www.amazon.com/LINGLING-ONE-Receiver-Cable-10FTInfrared/dp/B01N224O0J/ref=sr_1_3?tag=ganker-20&crid=7E49QGGQPBN2&keywords=IR+Receiver&qid=1676612369&sprefix=ir+receiver%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-3
42+60(15*4)+18(9*2)+15=$135
>Why would it?
What a nice list of random sensors you've assembled. Known what I don't see?
- the handful of Arduinos you're going to need to have enough pins for all that IO; priced a microcontroller lately?
- or if you want to use multiplex, how about the components for your relay board?
- speaking of which, how about the power supply to handle all those watts?
- and the OTG interface between your tablet and the controller
- hell, the 100ft of wire you're going to need to get from point to point
- probably want a box to out everything in
- and a mount for the tab
It. Adds. Up.
I agree it does add up, to less than $200 though.
Well I guess you know better. Thanks for stopping by and letting us bask in the radiance which is your mastery in this brilliantly conceived and useful project.
I look forward yo updates.
>e handful of Arduinos you're going to need to have enough pins for all that IO; priced a microcontroller lately?
>be me
>go to ebay
>search esp32
>still 3$ from china or 9$ domestic
you're fricking stupid
you forgot some things
- wire
- cost of the house you are putting the device in
- cost of electricity it cost to run the devices
- cost of electricity it cost to use the pc to place the order
- food to hold you over until project is done
- cost of your local hooker you visit on the weekends
I never said the project was useful. It is indeed a waste of less than $200
>less than $200
I look forward to your rationalisation of every expense over $200 as "incidental."
you morons really do choose the dumbest and most inane things to be wrong about
Don't listen to this homosexual
Just get everything on aliexpress instead of scamazon.
I'd just get a long 5v WS2812b strip, a suitable power supply, and a wemos d1 mini. Then just light the strip in whatever the frick color you want, and with some code just change the leds to red over the book you want to grab. You don't need IR emitters, just set a timer on the leds to go back to original color.
You can even install some firmware like WLED and split the strip into many segments and change the color of the individual segment thru API. Or light the different shelves in different colors.
I was only giving the amazon links as an example. Im also aware I could set a timer instead but I wanted to feel like a spy who triggers a trap when they cross a beam...
It would be much easier to just do a timer though, I also do enjoy added complexity occasionally. Ive never worked with IR before so could be fun.
This is actually rather simple conceptually, it would just require a lot of work setting it up. You would need 3 things:
1. Individual light sensors behind or underneath each book to determine if one is missing.
2. Individual LED's in front of or above each book to illuminate it.
3. Something to control all of them.
To set it up:
1 - Create a database of all the books, and assign a number to each book.
2 - Assign each book's number to it's corresponding light sensor and LED.
3 - Program a function so when you call up a book it turns on that book's light, then turns it back off after a couple minutes. This allows you to tell the system "I want this book" and it shows you where it is, then if you end up not taking the book out the light goes off after a bit.
4 - Program a function that connects each light to it's corresponding LED, making it turn on it's LED when it senses light. Make this program have priority over the call-up program. This makes it so when the call up program ends and the LED would normally go out, it remains on if the light sensor is detecting the book isn't there. And the LED would remain lit until the book is replaced regardless of whether you used the call-up program to locate a book, or just walked up to the shelf and took out a random book.
it doesn't matter, you won't do it.
Your idea doesnt touch on the flexibility the system needs to actually be useful.
As soon as someone misplaces a book, or adds more, or gets rid of some, or reorganizes, the database would need to be updated manually. With that level of oversight it's likely youd just remember where everything is. A small device with a unique code attached to each book is the best way I can think of. When it hears it's name, it lights up.
Systems that rely on perfect human operation are gonna fail. Also, you'll probably need a more involved way of detecting a book being removed. Breaking an infrared signal can be done with a handwave without actually removing the book. An accelerometer on the above device could detect the movement and trigger the light off more reliably than a broken line of sight.
Using Pixel LED strips to light up the book you want is pretty straightforward - Organize the books alphabetically (title, or author, whatever) and have the LED strip change color proportionally through it's full length to match the position in the alphabetized book list your book sits at. The book widths are going to average out over the run for the most part, so the color change is gonna be in the right area.
For the return lighting, just have a constant light LED strip you route into the top surface of each bookshelf. Where a book is missing, the light will shine. Where books are covering it, it won't.
Then you dodge all that bullshit with IR detection etc.