This mirror has a large monitor behind it which can be operated using hand gestures. It’s the result of a team effort from [Daniel Burnham], [Anuj Patel], and [Sam Bell] to build a web-enabled mirror for their ECE 4180 class at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
So far they’ve implemented four widget for the system. You can see the icons which activate each in the column to the right of the mirror. From top to bottom they are Calendar, News, Traffic, and Weather. The video after the break shows the gestures used to control the display. First select the widget by holding your hand over the appropriate icon. Next, bring that widget to the main display area by swiping from right to left along the top of the mirror.
Hardware details are shared more freely in their presentation slides (PDF). A sonar distance sensor activated the device when a user is close enough to the screen. Seven IR reflectance sensors detect a hand placed in front of them. We like this input method, as it keep the ‘display’ area finger-print free. But we wonder if the IR sensors could be placed behind the glass instead of beside it?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMn7XY8uzgw&w=470]
Awesome project! I want to make one for my bathroom now.
Black Mirror & 15 Million Merits springs to mind! Next ill be cycling for toothpaste ….. Oh wait, I already do! Very clean build, I like it.
The IR sensors could be placed behind the mirror if the Half silvered coating were removed from the areas they were mounted. This would assume that the acrylic passes enough IR through for the sensor to pick up.
Very interesting… While it would definitely be the ultimate in bathroom multi-tasking I can’t help but think there must be some other use where this application would truly have a niche.
I’ve had a 19″ flat panel IN MY SHOWER for 4 years now, I copied the idea from a mildly rich guys home I saw in 1995.
This is not new in any way. In fact you can buy waterproof trackpoint mice so you can click and drool while showering, I typically just have the news on and the overhead speakers deliver the sound.
only thing novel here is the touchscreen part, and that will fail in a normal bathroom as it will be covered in moisture. Spray your iphone and see how well it works for touch input.
Good thing this isn’t touch screen then.
I think he just wanted to tell us about his rich-guy TV.
Apparently you didn’t even bother reading the article or watching the video (Once again… Seems to be a trend with you.), as there is absolutely no touch screen involved whatsoever.
Oh and what do they say when people know others are bullshitting? That’s right, pics or it didn’t happen…
I’m in agreement with Alex on this, sounds like you’re just wanting to boast about having a flat panel in your shower, even though you more than likely don’t actually have one, nor the means or know how to install one yourself (again, like many of your posts here).
[cough][cough]pr0n[cough][cough]![grin]
Oh man…if I could watch TV while I poop, I would be sooo happy.
Anyone remember the Man Bathroom from Home Improvement? Had a phone, a television, everything. I think my uncle had a combination phone/radio/magazine rack/TP holder in his bathroom when I was a kid.
Ever seen a japanese toilet? Has everything from wifi to radio :P
laptop, there you can now poop while watching utubes ;p
Nothing new to me. Both bathrooms in my house have a TV in view. The main bathroom if i leave the door open i can see the big screen. :)
This is a job for Kinect!
The UI seems to be a bit simplistic and clunky at the moment, but I LOVE the output hardware. I’d much rather have my screen look like a mirror than a faceless black rectangle when turned off.
Yeah, give me Internet on my bathroom mirror and they’ll fire me for always showing up late to work.
Needs voice control instead of the hand waving, good though.
its just perfect …. few more additions would make it insane !!
Wow. What an great use for a half silvered mirror. They need to add Community Core Vision to get rid of that jedi UI.
You could hide the senors with a nice wooden frame round the mirror. Using CE and C# ewwww.. I guess it was required for the class.
Really kind of cool. I thought about using a big screen TV as a mirror in my bedroom. Just use a web cam to provide the picture but this is even cooler.