Automated Bathtub Prepares Your Bath Just The Way You Like It

Automated Bathtub Controlled by Arduino

We live in the future don’t we? Is there a reason why only rich people have touchscreen controlled showers and temperature regulated bathtubs? [Raptor_Demon] shows us how to make our very own automated bathtub for cheap, using our favorite microprocessor — the Arduino.

The system controls the filling of the tub, monitors the temperature based on a user profile — and it even adds bubbles. Why do you need this? You probably don’t — but why not, wouldn’t it be nice to press a button and have a bath drawn for you? It uses an Arduino compatible board that controls 3 relays for the water system, a DS18b20 temperature sensor on the inlet and a second wireless (434mhz) Arduino compatible board for monitoring the tub temperature and adding bubble bath using a hacked automated soap dispenser.

[Raptor_Demon] showcased his prototype at the Maker Faire NC 2013 and 2014 where it was a huge hit. He even had a full size tub going, in which he would sit in during his explanation — check it out!

[Thanks Hardik!]

21 thoughts on “Automated Bathtub Prepares Your Bath Just The Way You Like It

  1. Arduino dev board/ Atmel microcontroller not microprocessor and usually only the favorite of people who haven’t tried anything else.

    Tough to get the height of water in a bath without modifying the bath at all. Flow-meter would only work with people of similar volume, ultrasonic no good with moving people, timing has similar issues to flow meter with a few more inaccuracy’s… Maybe machine vision – though people may not like the camera?

      1. Thought of that but I consider it modifying the bath + you can’t set the height based on resistivity because what’s actually in the water would be unpredictable… I think the point is to have the bath still look like an ordinary bath without a whole lot of wires etc coming out of it – else wise this would be a simple affair.

        1. You could make a wireless sensor that you clip on the side at the level you want the water to be at (adjustable height)…stuff it in a rubber duck or something for aesthetics if you must be so picky. Nothing fancy…if there’s less than x resistance sustained for y time then the water is at sensor height (this is how simple water sensors used in various applications work, no ultrasound or machine vision BS necessary). Then sit in the tub while it fills (wow, what a concept) so varying displacement isn’t a problem.

          I’m tired of needlessly complicated solutions to simple problems. It leads to terrible things like wireless printers, all-in-one desktops, wireless modem/router gateways, car stereos that run half the dashboard (and thus can’t easily be replaced) instead of just playing music, and the like.

    1. Seems simple enough since you’re creating user profiles anyways.
      A calibration bath.
      1) Pour a known volume of fluid using the flow meter.
      2) Use ultrasonic sensor to measure water height
      3) Have human enter the bath
      4) Use ultrasonic sensor to measure water height. Wait for values to settle down. (i.e. for human to stop moving)
      5) You now know how many inches of water the human displaces.
      6) ????
      7) Profit.

    2. Indeed! this was my first micro controller project. in testing i found that given the size of the tub timing was the best option. As flow was more or less constant running the water for an extra second or 2 only added about 1mm of extra water and we didnt have to have extra sensors in or around the tub.

  2. The reason only rich people have touch screens in bathtubs and similar toys is because those are novelties only a few companies produce for a restricted set of whealthy customers, hece the hugely inflated prices. If you ever looked at the technology behind and licensing fees for systems such as KNX you understand it’s a niche market where a few lucky companies make a shitload of money by selling to the rich toys most hackers could make in their basement.

  3. Who has time for a bath, and the time to fill it.
    When you sit down in a bath you’re sitting in a toilet.
    Needed badly in California! Please hack and develop a rinse first then a pause for lathering and then recirculated water for invigorating hydro massage (beats sitting in a tub) with small amounts of hot water added while in recirc mode to keep up temp then finish off with fresh water and cool down shower. Your washer does this with clothes.
    Water scarce places need this a lot more than a fancy bath.

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