It’s often said that necessity breeds creativity, and during a global pandemic such words have proved truer than ever. Realising the common doorbell could be a potential surface transmission point for coronavirus, [CasperHuang] whipped up a quick build.
The build eschews the typical pushbutton we’re all familiar with. Instead, it relies on an ultrasonic distance sensor to detect a hand (or foot) waved in front of the door. An Arduino Leonardo runs the show, sounding a buzzer when the ultrasonic sensor is triggered. In order to avoid modifying the apartment door, the build is housed in a pair of cardboard boxes, taped to the base of the door, with wires passing underneath.
It’s a tidy way to handle contactless deliveries. We imagine little touches like this may become far more common in future design, as the world learns lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every little bit helps, after all. Video after the break.
I like my way better. Just be so anti-social people don’t even dare to try to push the button. As a backup, I put out a sign that says ‘If you don’t KNOW that you are welcome here, you’re NOT. I’d run if I was you!’. Work pretty well. :D
You have a doorbell? Amateur. I just coat my door in five inch steel spikes to prevent knocking too.
You need a door mat…
https://cdn3.volusion.com/gkolw.ygxrb/v/vspfiles/photos/FuckOff-CustomDoormat-1.jpg?v-cache=1458720901
Just put up a sign that say “Quarantine – Biohazard Level 4”.
Epoxy a penny on the pushbutton LOL
Yes or stick on copper tape, which we all have in our workshops, don’t we?
Pennies are cheaper :-D
Though for real hacker cred you can disassemble, paint a conductive glass type solution on it (Or defogger repair paint, circuit pen or whatevs) and electroplate it with root clear (CuSO4)
Ah, just the front though, I mean people WOULD notice if it touches both the contacts that it mashes together and I shouldn’t have to mention to superclever hacker types that if the back of it is conductive you will just have it close the circuit all the time, right?
How many times does the CDC need to say “primarily spread through airborne droplets, transmission via surfaces is rare”? For a bunch of nerds you people sure are clueless about how this thing actually works.
You can practically dip your hands in a vat of covid-19-containing phlem, and you won’t get sick unless you then touch a mucous membrane such as your nose, eyes, or mouth.
Also, if you’re truly worried about it, just make whatever surface it is…out of one of the metals that naturally kill germs.
“You can practically dip your hands in a vat of covid-19-containing phlem, and you won’t get sick…” Trust me, if I dipped my hands in a vat of phlegm I would get sick!
The whole ‘we are contactless’ line is getting old. I laugh at stores advertising this like it is some virtue or somehow achievable. But it sounds good. Contactless, but within breathing distance….
Yo. Hate to break it to everyone, but quarantine was effectively all for nothing. No, I’m not a denialist, but since the state didn’t provide any support or planning until it all broke down into riots from an unemployment level of more than one in three… it’s just gonna spike as if we did nothing at all. Except now everyone’s weary of it and not as willing to be vigilant. We cratered the economy for no reason. We can cut it out with the “corona hacks” now.
AAAAAAMEN BROTHER!
I had a vision of Stargate Atlantis and other SciFi shows where they had to wave their hand over a lighted wall panel to “ring” the doorbell. This would be a nice adaptation for this.