[Niklas Roy] upgraded his privacy curtain and is taking it on the road. Regular readers will remember the first version that resided in his shop window and used video processing in conjunction with a motor to keep the small bit of curtain in front of any passersby. We’ve embedded the original demo video after the break and it’s not to be missed.
But now he’s decided to make some upgrades to the system because it’s going to be shown as an art display. He looked around for a motor upgrade but found that the best motor at the most reasonable price could be pulled from a Makita power drill. The track itself is modular, making the installation scalable up to ten meters in total length. He even built a clean-looking laptop dock that handles the video processing end of things. But there’s something here for you as well. He’s released all of his source code, schematics, board design, and even the SketchUp files for the motor mounts and other parts. Dig out that old power drill and build one of your own.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKhbUjVyKIc&w=470]
Wow, I enjoyed this video. . . it is a cute bit of art, and I particularly enjoy the image processed output.
Ok, Looks like it would be easy to adapt to a chain gun.
this could work for banners that follow people.
yikes!
Codes\PC\bin\Curtain_Control.exe
Manual\software manual.pdf
How about and air horn and a message that said “MOVE ALONG” if a person stopped?
(HARaaM) Hmmm, chain gun. The Committee for the Advancement of our Robot Overlords will be looking into that.
Interestingly coincidental that he used a salvaged Makita motor. Makita used to manufacture (and sell) remote-controlled, automated drapery controls. Googling “makita curtain” produced (amongst others): http://www.homecontrols.com/DraperyControls
Nice to see someone do it for under 500 bucks, though!