7 ms·

Check Out This Berkeley Freshman’s ‘Ridiculously Automated’ Dorm Room

77 points by jedwhite 15y ago

alexenko 15y ago
Not sure if blacklight in a dorm is a good idea....
- felixchan 15y ago
  why?
  - sanswork 15y ago
    Pretty sure they were making a joke about the appearance of bodily fluid stains under a black light.
trun 15y ago
From the highlights in the article this appears to be very similar to an MIT student's project from a few years back... http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html
- Tyrant505 15y ago
  And he hit the red button like one should.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
milesskorpen 15y ago
"MIDAS" from MIT is 7+ years older, and significantly more impressive -- http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html . CRTs give this kind of set-up much more credibility.
- caseorganic 15y ago
  Agreed, and it was significantly more difficult to put together 7 years ago. This one is very, very similar.
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  Wow, not to mention that the MIDAS project shows much more personality and hilarity. Seagal vision for the security bot? Brilliant!
ShabbyDoo 15y ago
Home automation seems to be all-or-nothing today. I can buy a relay switch with keyfob activation for $20 at Home Depot, or I can call my local Control4 rep to come automate my mansion. The in-between seems non-existent. My finished basement has recessed lighting controlled by four or five different switches, all of which are in the basement. When it's time to go to bed, one of us has to trudge down to the basement and start flipping switches. It would make me happy to just have a nighttime kill switch -- I don't need the house to sense my presence and start turning on my favorite music. Might be nice, but I'm not willing to spend $10K on home automation to make it happen. I started reading about Zigbee and thought, "Hey, I'll just install Zigbee-controlled switches in the same boxes where my analog ones are today. Then, I'll use some automation appliance (like OpenRemote) to implement "turn off all basement lights" via a phone app" I got confused when trying to figure out what I would need to buy, which stuff could actually talk to other stuff, etc. and gave up. I'd love to see a start-up sell semi-DIY kits for people like me. I'm fine with replacing switches, plugging in network devices, etc., but I really don't have the time to pick out appropriate hardware and make it all work together.
- tsumnia 15y ago
  I'd recommend looking into Digi's (digi.com) kits. ~$500 (I think) for their ConnectPort X4, a temp/humid/light sensor and SmartPlug. The X4 might be overkill, and you could get by with an X2 for cheaper. If you know any Python, or willing to learn it, they've got some examples in the Eclipse-based IDE. Edit: Here's the link to their kits (http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-routers-gateways/kits/ http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-routers-gateways/kits/)
  - ShabbyDoo 15y ago
    This is a start, but it's about two levels below the level of abstraction I want. I'm thinking along the lines of: Hey, buy a bunch of switches, sensors, etc. from us which all conform to an open standard (Zigbee?). Then, buy our controller unit and install our iphone/android apps. It'll work after just a bit of monkey-see-monkey-do configuration. Yeah, you have to get a screwdriver out and figure which breaker is associated with each room, but it ain't rocket science. If we go away, you might eventually have to buy another controller, but your investment in switches, sensors, etc. and all your time spent with a screwdriver won't be for nothing -- competitors are likely to support the same stuff. This is what I want, and I would gladly spend in excess of $1K for it. Maybe $2K? This would be a bargain compared to paying for a Control4 reseller to come to my house and sell me a turnkey solution.
tsumnia 15y ago
I've been reading up on home automation for a few weeks now, and, interestingly enough, in one article by Microsoft (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/ http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/) they go into detail about how users were a bit adversed to automated a large portion of their life (Slide 13 here: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/brushccw2011_homenetworkingpanel.pdf http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/brushccw...). No doubt what Derek Low did was super awesome, but he only hit the tip of the iceberg on what users 'want' (Slide 11). Sadly, while they loved creating scenes (modes), they weren't compelled to drop additional funds for it. If he wants to continue pursuing this for his degree, I'm sure someone like Nest will try to scoop him up in a heartbeat. As a side note, that automated blinds system was uncomfortably loud.
aorshan 15y ago
This is fantastic. As a college student I can absolutely attest that this is one of the coolest dorms I've ever seen and completely wish my dorm was as cool as this. Might be a project for next year.
Aftershock21 15y ago
Not impressive at all. Its ridiculously simple automation at Berkeley! I am sure some 14 year old kid in india can do this. - No machine learning, - No face recognition - No Gesture sensing - Only lights and curtains..please This shouldn't be here.
pinchyfingers 15y ago
Yeah, yeah, so the automation is not stunning, but how about the fact that the video is great promotion for his dorm room as a cool place to hang out? Personally, I'm hoping that some cool chick at Berkeley hears that 'Levels' remix and decides that Derek might be her kind of guy. Having cool stuff like that in your dorm is a perfect excuse for bringing girls back to check out your room, and it gives interested girls an excuse to swing by unannounced. Let's not forget what college is all about...
- ImprovedSilence 15y ago
  Haha right on, just hit the party button, and watch the panties drop.
bannerts 15y ago
Edit: I'm not sure if this is the same person, I accidentally typed in dereklow.com and this person's website is dereklow.net. However note that on both websites, the person mentions "O-Levels examination" or "O Level certificate". Original message: >I think that the dorm room is impressive, however I wish that the article didn't try to sensationalize it by saying he was/is a Freshman. According to his website, he is 27 years old and has a degrees in Animation and Interactive Media. Not to be cynical, but this room is really impressive for an 18 year old (original impression I got) to have put together, but less impressive for a much older person.
- GuiA 15y ago
  Not the same person. The Derek Low from dereklow.com never went to Berkeley, and that video is definitely a Berkeley dorm room.
younata 15y ago
Not that impressive. Several people here have already linked to midas. Personally, I've done part of this to my dorm, and it's cool, but still not impressive considering all that and more was done some 7 years ago with midas.
jakejake 15y ago
When you bring your date back to your dorm room, say "romantic mode" into the voice recognition system and the lights dim - she will know without a doubt that it's business time!
driverdan 15y ago
He used a bunch of X11 components to turn things on and off. That's not impressive. I did that in high school. I'm sure my non-technical mom could setup X11 too. His homemade curtain opener is neat though. Clever use of a caster for a pully. What's going to be really funny is the followup video of someone on his floor figuring out the channel he used and having some fun at 4AM with party mode.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
geoffhill 15y ago
I have a feeling that his "Romantic Mode" was underused.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
jamesrcole 15y ago
Makes me think about what sort of home automation I'd actually find useful. Cleaning, mainly! Dishes - yes, dishwashers can do part of that, but there's loading the dishwasher and putting dishes away afterwards. Same with loading the clothes washer and hanging clothes out. Vacuuming (I'm aware of Roombas) and mopping. Cleaning benches. Some minor sorts of keeping my room clean - e.g. doing something about the clothes on the floor (but without disturbing stuff like the pieces of paper I have lying around). Cooking, sometimes (e.g. when pressed for time), and cleaning up after it. Taking the bins out. All in all, the kinds of things someone might hire a maid for.

77 points by jedwhite 15y ago

alexenko 15y ago

Not sure if blacklight in a dorm is a good idea....

felixchan 15y ago
why?
- sanswork 15y ago
  Pretty sure they were making a joke about the appearance of bodily fluid stains under a black light.

trun 15y ago

From the highlights in the article this appears to be very similar to an MIT student's project from a few years back... http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html

Tyrant505 15y ago
And he hit the red button like one should.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

milesskorpen 15y ago

"MIDAS" from MIT is 7+ years older, and significantly more impressive -- http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html http://web.mit.edu/zacka/www/midas.html . CRTs give this kind of set-up much more credibility.

caseorganic 15y ago
Agreed, and it was significantly more difficult to put together 7 years ago. This one is very, very similar.
georgieporgie 15y ago
Wow, not to mention that the MIDAS project shows much more personality and hilarity. Seagal vision for the security bot? Brilliant!

ShabbyDoo 15y ago

Home automation seems to be all-or-nothing today. I can buy a relay switch with keyfob activation for $20 at Home Depot, or I can call my local Control4 rep to come automate my mansion. The in-between seems non-existent. My finished basement has recessed lighting controlled by four or five different switches, all of which are in the basement. When it's time to go to bed, one of us has to trudge down to the basement and start flipping switches. It would make me happy to just have a nighttime kill switch -- I don't need the house to sense my presence and start turning on my favorite music. Might be nice, but I'm not willing to spend $10K on home automation to make it happen. I started reading about Zigbee and thought, "Hey, I'll just install Zigbee-controlled switches in the same boxes where my analog ones are today. Then, I'll use some automation appliance (like OpenRemote) to implement "turn off all basement lights" via a phone app" I got confused when trying to figure out what I would need to buy, which stuff could actually talk to other stuff, etc. and gave up. I'd love to see a start-up sell semi-DIY kits for people like me. I'm fine with replacing switches, plugging in network devices, etc., but I really don't have the time to pick out appropriate hardware and make it all work together.

tsumnia 15y ago
I'd recommend looking into Digi's (digi.com) kits. ~$500 (I think) for their ConnectPort X4, a temp/humid/light sensor and SmartPlug. The X4 might be overkill, and you could get by with an X2 for cheaper. If you know any Python, or willing to learn it, they've got some examples in the Eclipse-based IDE. Edit: Here's the link to their kits (http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-routers-gateways/kits/ http://www.digi.com/products/wireless-routers-gateways/kits/)
- ShabbyDoo 15y ago
  This is a start, but it's about two levels below the level of abstraction I want. I'm thinking along the lines of: Hey, buy a bunch of switches, sensors, etc. from us which all conform to an open standard (Zigbee?). Then, buy our controller unit and install our iphone/android apps. It'll work after just a bit of monkey-see-monkey-do configuration. Yeah, you have to get a screwdriver out and figure which breaker is associated with each room, but it ain't rocket science. If we go away, you might eventually have to buy another controller, but your investment in switches, sensors, etc. and all your time spent with a screwdriver won't be for nothing -- competitors are likely to support the same stuff. This is what I want, and I would gladly spend in excess of $1K for it. Maybe $2K? This would be a bargain compared to paying for a Control4 reseller to come to my house and sell me a turnkey solution.

tsumnia 15y ago

I've been reading up on home automation for a few weeks now, and, interestingly enough, in one article by Microsoft (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/ http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/) they go into detail about how users were a bit adversed to automated a large portion of their life (Slide 13 here: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/brushccw2011_homenetworkingpanel.pdf http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/homeos/brushccw...). No doubt what Derek Low did was super awesome, but he only hit the tip of the iceberg on what users 'want' (Slide 11). Sadly, while they loved creating scenes (modes), they weren't compelled to drop additional funds for it. If he wants to continue pursuing this for his degree, I'm sure someone like Nest will try to scoop him up in a heartbeat. As a side note, that automated blinds system was uncomfortably loud.

aorshan 15y ago

This is fantastic. As a college student I can absolutely attest that this is one of the coolest dorms I've ever seen and completely wish my dorm was as cool as this. Might be a project for next year.

Aftershock21 15y ago

Not impressive at all. Its ridiculously simple automation at Berkeley! I am sure some 14 year old kid in india can do this. - No machine learning, - No face recognition - No Gesture sensing - Only lights and curtains..please This shouldn't be here.

pinchyfingers 15y ago

Yeah, yeah, so the automation is not stunning, but how about the fact that the video is great promotion for his dorm room as a cool place to hang out? Personally, I'm hoping that some cool chick at Berkeley hears that 'Levels' remix and decides that Derek might be her kind of guy. Having cool stuff like that in your dorm is a perfect excuse for bringing girls back to check out your room, and it gives interested girls an excuse to swing by unannounced. Let's not forget what college is all about...

ImprovedSilence 15y ago
Haha right on, just hit the party button, and watch the panties drop.

bannerts 15y ago

Edit: I'm not sure if this is the same person, I accidentally typed in dereklow.com and this person's website is dereklow.net. However note that on both websites, the person mentions "O-Levels examination" or "O Level certificate". Original message: >I think that the dorm room is impressive, however I wish that the article didn't try to sensationalize it by saying he was/is a Freshman. According to his website, he is 27 years old and has a degrees in Animation and Interactive Media. Not to be cynical, but this room is really impressive for an 18 year old (original impression I got) to have put together, but less impressive for a much older person.

GuiA 15y ago
Not the same person. The Derek Low from dereklow.com never went to Berkeley, and that video is definitely a Berkeley dorm room.

younata 15y ago

Not that impressive. Several people here have already linked to midas. Personally, I've done part of this to my dorm, and it's cool, but still not impressive considering all that and more was done some 7 years ago with midas.

jakejake 15y ago

When you bring your date back to your dorm room, say "romantic mode" into the voice recognition system and the lights dim - she will know without a doubt that it's business time!

driverdan 15y ago

He used a bunch of X11 components to turn things on and off. That's not impressive. I did that in high school. I'm sure my non-technical mom could setup X11 too. His homemade curtain opener is neat though. Clever use of a caster for a pully. What's going to be really funny is the followup video of someone on his floor figuring out the channel he used and having some fun at 4AM with party mode.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

geoffhill 15y ago

I have a feeling that his "Romantic Mode" was underused.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

jamesrcole 15y ago

Makes me think about what sort of home automation I'd actually find useful. Cleaning, mainly! Dishes - yes, dishwashers can do part of that, but there's loading the dishwasher and putting dishes away afterwards. Same with loading the clothes washer and hanging clothes out. Vacuuming (I'm aware of Roombas) and mopping. Cleaning benches. Some minor sorts of keeping my room clean - e.g. doing something about the clothes on the floor (but without disturbing stuff like the pieces of paper I have lying around). Cooking, sometimes (e.g. when pressed for time), and cleaning up after it. Taking the bins out. All in all, the kinds of things someone might hire a maid for.