nomel.org

Idea: If I were to make a virtual globe

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:11:00 -0500

Earth globe:

ideally, Full google earth integration

realtime weather display with forecasts on touch

“pinch” zoom, with display centered at touch point

flick rotate

tap drag -> rotate with friction

tap tap drag -> continuous rotate

begin rotate after timeout

realtime/selected night/day display

rotating information banner

rotates, flick support

stock ticker

forecast

date/time

rotating notification banner

alerts (news, voicemail, email triggers, etc)

bluetooth phone integration

caller id display

from iphone/android contacts sync

speaker phone

contact selector and dialer

music control

touch screen

probably ftir, meaning transparent dome, projection screen separate (how do you get it in there, heat form?)

Python Tip: Properties with a parameter

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:18:00 -0400

This is probably”unpython” and whatever, but I do a lot of automation, and being able to access properties based on some index (like a port number) is pretty important. This is especially true since getting a property isn’t reading a variable, it’s actually reading the value from some piece of equipment.

And, in case pastebin dissapears:

# This was created based on a response from Alex Martelli at:
# http://bytes.com/topic/python/answers/35919-property-parameter#post133951
# There’s probably a way to do this with an object (without the .property)

class ParameterProperty(object):
    # Allows using a property with a parameter, such as
    #   portSpeed[3] = 1000
    #   print portSpeed[3]

    def __init__(self,getparam,setparam):
        # Initialize by specifying the getter and setter functions.
        self.getparam = getparam
        self.setparam = setparam

    def getPropertyAccessor(self):
        # create a class with get and set

        class PropertyArrayAccessor: pass           # class to return

        def getter(__, parameter):                  # create getter function
            return self.getparam(parameter)         # return the value from the function specified during init

        def setter(__, parameter, value):           # create setter function
            self.setparam(parameter,value)          # call the function specified during init

        # property will use these get and set functions
        PropertyArrayAccessor.__getitem__ = getter
        PropertyArrayAccessor.__setitem__ = setter

        return PropertyArrayAccessor()                # return the class object

    property

Silly Idea: Clockless Watch

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:35:51 -0400

Using a metal brush, a low pass filter, and a schmit trigger as digital clock source for the calculation circuit, you could make a horribly inefficient electronic watch that used the position of the sun (by a low res ccd or even photodiodes) and a compass to calculate the time. Can’t use a crystal or rc, because that would be cheating! Might as well just have it keep the time!

Idea: Cracked wafers?

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:35:00 -0400

Relating to the bandwidth segregated data transmission…

I picture chips

|=======| - photoelectric layer
|=======| - charge storage
|=======| - adjacent storage distribution
|=======| - logic
|=======| - diode and transistor junctions (photo).

photoelectric layer to supply power, probably wouldn’t have to be too efficient
store and filter the power
some sort of low voltage drop rectifier to allow adjacent, power hungry, cells to continue being power hungry
logic - maybe a mix of fixed functional blocks and programmable logic
diode and transistor junctions to act as silicon pn junction leds and photodiodes

When the wafer cracks, the diode and transistor junctions would act as data paths between the cracks. Since the power is supplied locally, each section of the crack would only need light, some surviving logic blocks to handle addressing each cracked section for handling communication (select best diode/transistor junctions, handle programming, handle data network addressing of the cracked piece, dead space identification, etc).

Maybe the bandwidth segregated communication could help quickly program the devices in the different tiers of bandwidth capability. Some bandwidth related identification could be used as well. Send some pseudo-random signal, take incremental time averages and apply a threshold to end up with a code that would help identify the sections parameters (bandwidth capabilities, addressing blocks, task assignment, etc).

For the programmable logic, I suppose it would be something like an FPGA, with functional blocks that acted as programmable logic, or more analog like a neural network.

I picture window sized pieces, with all of their flaws and cracks, computing away, covering the face of every building.

In the dream that I saw these buildings in, they were powering some AI that was governing the world…but I suppose society would probably use it for some futuristic version of Angry Birds. :)

Scrambled for distribution?

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 01:31:07 -0400

Is it possible to scramble data so that the signal can be broken into channels based on an average over time? Usually in communication, the average is kept to zero using a known and syncronized psuedo-random sequence (a scrambler). Could the sequence be modified (by observation and modification or sub-channel) to allow distribution of data based on bandwidth capability? This would allow a bus with fast and bandwidth limited devices to receive and automatically segregate data based on bandwidth, on a shared line. This could also work for chained, bandwidth limiting, series connections, like analog repeaters.

Maybe for transmission, slower devices could disrupt the signal for faster devices, causing the faster devices to modify the sequence to correct.

The goal wouldn’t be signal speed, but signal distribution based on bandwidth.

Idea: Wireless turn signal

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:10:32 -0400

Fancy mirror turn signals LED strip activated by wireless transmitter attached and powered to the actual turn signal light. The LED strip would be powered with 12v accessories.

Idea: Tire wear measurement

Sat, 28 May 2011 01:04:11 -0400

A low power, inductor powered, cheap microcontroller embedded in a tire could be used to detect and warn of tire wear. The microcontroller could measure the change in resistance of thin wire molded into the tires surface. When these filaments broke, from being exposed to the roads surface, a tire wear indication could be sent to the driver. When deeper filaments break, a warning indicator could be displayed.

The filaments could be arranged many ways:
Resistance measurement of bundles,
individual strands at multple depths,
bundles at multiple depths.

In all cases, resistance or open/closed type measurements could be made. As filaments broke in the bundles, the resistance would increase. The depth, spread, and number of the bundles or individual filaments could be chosen to give smoother or coarse steps in depth detection.

I assume this was patented a looong time ago.

Idea: Automated map generation for driving video games using Google Maps

Sat, 28 May 2011 00:46:00 -0400

Pretty obvious idea. Using the aerial and street view of Google Maps, and some simple texture/feature recognition and “design rules”, maps for driving video games could be made. Actual road data would be pretty reliable. Stop lights and signs could either be found using street view at each intersection, or randomly assigned since players will fly through them anyways. Buildings, trees, and general terrain could be extracted from the satellite views. Accuracy isn’t all that important, but some fairly realistic level structures could be made.

Useless Idea: Diffraction pattern on linear CCD for position sensing?

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:16:00 -0400

For a cheap, high precision position sensor, could use a linear ccd from a scanner, project a laser through a diffraction grating (or pinhole) with a known diffraction pattern, then do some simple curve fitting/energy minimization of the visible pattern to find the position. Curve fitting rather than point tracking would be used to get sub pixel resolution. Since the light is directly from the laser (bright), short “shutter” times could be used. By knowing a 2d diffraction pattern, x and y position could be calculated (and rotation if the pattern isn’t polar).

The higher precision would come from the averaging of the noise across the sensor width. Using a wire shadow, slit, or “knife edge”, you can only use the intensity information from the pixels at the edge(s) of the feature casting the shadow. Although, with the diffraction pattern, there would be a slight reduction of usable area caused by any fringes out of the dynamic range of the sensor. This could be helped by using a pattern with a limited intensity range (translate sensor so main lobe isn’t visible).

Something like this might provide an extended range compared to a capacitive or mirrored method, and might be more robust! The pin hole/grating movement could be pretty extreme compared to the active sensing area and not cause damage, like a capacitive sensor.

Expense would be in the microcontroller. DSP type features might be needed to process complicated patterns at reasonable speeds.

Of course, using a more standard system with a time average would most likey be just as good, but much more boring.

Idea: Cell phone traffic lights

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:59:00 -0400

Sniff cell phone control channel data to find ESN. Calculate CRC32 or something similar for privacy, track movement by watching where the number pops up. Do this to all “visible” cellphones to create traffic flow pattern in town for light timing.

???

Edit: I suppose the cell companies could probably sell the data.

Idea: Baby temperature monitor

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:46:37 -0400

Just a simple temperature monitor that you put in your babies blanket that starts beeping if the temperature gets too high or low.

Idea: Cloud redirect service

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:24:43 -0500

To post a link to an image or a document, the link, rather than pointing directly to the document resource, would point to the redirect service. This would check to see if the cloud resource was available and, if not, change the redirect to an available/redundant resource….maybe even hosted by a different provider. It could even perform load balancing by randomly choosing the redundant sources or always choosing those with the lowest response time.

Since cloud resources will always go down, might as well have a live backup.

Speckle interferemotry for blood glucose level detection

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:23:00 -0500

Maybe use speckle interferometry to measure blood glucose level by looking at the index of refraction of the aqueous humor of the eye (the clear bulge part in front of the iris).

Using a single laser

Using absorption: http://iopscience.iop.org/1742-6596/277/1/012053/pdf/1742-6596_277_1_012053.pdf

Patent using interferometry to measure index of refraction: http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/6836337.html

2004 :(

Kids Toy: Squeaky Feet

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:30:08 -0400

Kids toy!

For a fancy version, using pressure sensors in or under the shoe, for a cheap version, using an accelerometer or spring mass switch. Controller could be leg or belt mounted.

When you walk, the controller would play back different sounds. Stomping, squeaky floor, etc. For the two sensor version, the sounds could be multi part or just segments played back as you moved forward. That way, using the squeaky floor example, the squeak could be gradual when moving slow, or faster when walking fast.

Ideally, pressure sensors/switches would be used. Multiple or even a accelerometer could be used, but then, outside the shoe.

I would have loved it when I was a kid (and now).

Temperature Sensor Array

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:47:00 -0400

Use the top metal layer of a CMOS process to build structures that resonate at a specific frequency. Use the layer below to excite the resonance. Use the layer below that to build a similar structure and use as a reference. By measuring the difference in frequency between the two, small changes/differences in the structure (like length) could be detected. If possible, coat the top layer to a dark color. Stick a lens in front of it and maybe you have an un-cooled thermal imaging system with decent sensitivity and probably pretty good response time?

The response time for heating would be a function of the thermal mass, the absorbed/long energy, and conduction through the vias. Maybe by holding the lower metal that the via is attached to at a temperature lower than the ambient or observed, better response times would be seen (by Newtonian cooling, greater temperature difference, greater rate of heat transfer).

The reference would just act as a way to make a differential measurement and, possibly, reduce the speed of the logic required since beat frequencies could be detected using mixing rather than using the fundamental of each. Localized heating (heating that warmed the whole structure, reference and detector) would most likely be somewhat widespread and slow allowing diode temperature sensors, spread all over the chip on the silicon layer, to be used to compensate.

If this ran at hundreds of MHz or GHz, this would probably be pretty sensitive.

The sensor resonant frequency would be measured capacitively, maybe by looking at the time between voltage peaks (changing the plate separation in a capacitor with a fixed charge changes the voltage) or be looking at a sweeping excitation frequency and the maximum sensor displacement (by measuring the capacitance directly.

Maybe having the excitation “plate” be a similar structure, and then looking at the beat frequency in the impedance between the two would be easier.

Some fancy deconvolution could probably be used to help get rid of the motion blur cause by the slow response time of the sensors, especially since the heating and cooling response would probably be non linear (from Newtonian cooling).

For densities…using a 0.18um CMOS process…and using a 2um minimum top metal trace width (double that to include spacing) and an aspect ratio of 5, and a 20mm by 15mm sensor, that would be something like 277 by 370 pixels (assuming square pixels). Or, for 35mm frame (34mm by 24mm), 629 by 533 pixels. This could be made greater by rearranging the sensors, using non-square pixels, or having smaller aspect ratios (which would lower sensitivity).

I assume someone is already doing this.

Edit: Here is a paper on making structures using the metal layer and etching away the silicon to free them: Experiments on the Release of CMOS-Micromachined Metal Layers. This might mean that it’s not possible to have a hanging structure in the upper metal layer…only on the lowest layer.

Idea Idea: Compass belt implementation

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:16:00 -0400

In the wired article about the compass belt, a complaint was that the motors were always buzzing away. I think a better implementation would be to only vibrate the motors on a change.

So, if you’re facing north, as you rotate, the motors would vibrate with direction change, but only remain vibration for a maximum of 500ms.

Idea: Fluidised flour bed for opticle table stability?

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:12:28 -0400

So, when making holograms, the total movement between the light, film, and object can’t be more than 1/2 to 1/4 the wavelength of the color of light you’re using (red is around 650nm). The less movement, the better.

Would flowing air into a block of flour (baking soda, or something similar), supporting the optical table, work to isolate vibrations? It would act like a super dampened spring. Adjusting the airflow would increase the amount of air in the block which would, I assume, increase the spring effect and lower the spring constant. Since the exposure time for a hologram is less than 30 seconds, only a small amount of air would be required. Ideally the air would come from a compressed tank since pumping usually creates pulses of air. The air could be let in through a grid of openings at the bottom or an array throughout the block. I’m guessing that letting the air flow then lowering the table would be best. I assume settling would be very fast, maybe a few minutes.

Software Idea: Jump alarm clock

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:02:31 -0400

An alarm clock that looks for a “jump” pattern from the accelerometer. This should be pretty hard to copy with your hand once “calibrated” with a real jump. Yeah, so I have trouble waking up.

Software Idea: Excersize Helper

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:51:00 -0400

This has probably been done…but…

A little program that uses the accelerometer on a phone to count push-ups (not the diapers), jumping jacks, and sit ups…things you can do in your living room. It would be somewhat game oriented, where it would have a silly little beat and a fun “Wii” type voice counting your repetitions and encouraging you. For instance, if you started to slow down, it could reduce the “goal count” and say something like “come on, two more”. There could also be a twitch mode like the “Bop it” game. “2 sit ups”, “One jumping jack”, and it would go faster and faster until you started to screw up. I guess I imagine something between “Bop it” and the Wii type experience.

It should work okay while in a pocket, but a belt holder would be best. Orientation would be used to detect between the difference exercises.

Idea: Touch Pad Typing

Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:23:00 -0400

Copy paste from chat, cause I’m lazy…
me: Hrmm…I just had a thought for the toupad typing problem. me: You can’t feel the keys, so it’s easy to drift.So, why not have a vibrate that changes depending on how close to the edge of teh key you are?so, the more on center, the more “right” it will feel.the closer to the edge of the key you get, the more “wrong” it will feel.that way, you’re able to “feel” if you’re on the key or not. wouldn’t do much for the initial touch, but, while typing, it’d let you stay on center.

Maybe the edge vibration could feel less sharp (slow frequency, softer, or boing a little), on center being the sharpest and quickest feel.

Pretty obvious, but might work.

Sense pattern might look something like this, with a smooth gradient. Center would give center feel, where it would change as you moved to the edge. The edge would give a distinct feel, something where a person would go, “Oops!” and look down and fix their position.