Ljus -

The switchless interactive lamp

Project description

Ljus is a switchless interactive lamp driven by the user’s hands movements. Thanks to two sensors placed opposite to each other, the system detects if the user is interacting with it and it lights up accordingly.

The lamp allows for different ways of interaction with the beam of the light: switching it on/off, expanding it or shrinking it, or displacing it to the sides. Everything touchless.

Tools/Using

Arduino

CAD modeling

3D printer

Soldering

Laser cutter

Basic electronics

Role

Interaction designer

Developer

Physical prototyper

Schematics designer

Team

Solo project under the supervision of Niklas Briheim at Propeller Design AB.

In order to calibrate the sensors and program the system, different panels with different reflection values (brightness) were used. The light was an RGB LED strip in which the number of LEDs and their dimming were also programable setting.

The final prototype consisted of: two 3D-printed stands were the sensors and the Arduino were placed, the LED strip, and a light diffuser on top of the LED strip.

The system is able to detect one-hand or two-hands interactions. The one-hand interaction serves to push the beam of the light to the right or to the left, whereas the two-hands interaction is used to adjust the size of the beam.

The lamp also turns on as soon as the sensors detect some interaction with the system and it turns off when one hand is placed next to one of the sensors for few seconds.

Two different kinds of approaches were studied. On the first one, the same kind of ToF sensors (VL53L1X Time of Flight sensors) were used, and for that a multiplexor had to be configured as well. Due to the interferences between the two sensors of the same kind for this first approach, a second different configuration had to be studied: one VL53L1X sensor opposite to one RFD77402 sensor. The final prototype used the second approach.

Important insights from user testing

• Some of the implemented ways of interactions are more reasonable in larger settings.
• It can be suitable for shared/collaborative spaces.
• Other modalities of interaction such as voice could be an interesting enhancement for a more solid solution.