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Fun things to automate?

jcereckejcerecke Posts: 40
in AMX General Discussion
Just won this auction for $1. Woo! First piece of personal kit. Now need some suggestions as to what to do with it. I don't have anything I can really think of that I want to automate (that would be a fun/cool project). I was thinking of sticking it in my car, but it's too old for OBD and I don't want to go sticking heaps of screens in it and other crap. Also boot times would annoy me I think.

What fun things have people automated?

I was thinking of automating my espresso maker and toaster, so I can set it up the night before and have breakfast almost ready for me by the time I wake up. Incorporating a smoke alarm kill switch just in case something goes horribly wrong haha.

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    HedbergHedberg Posts: 671
    Pretty good idea -- all you need to do is find an RS232 controlled toaster/espresso machine.
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    ryanwwryanww Posts: 196
    Get a DMX interface, and you are good to go:

    http://www.dfd.com/coffee.html
    http://qik.com/video/3623414

    Or learn Arduino.. Super cheap and you can make lots of things serial.
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    HedbergHedberg Posts: 671
    Guess I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. How about an RS232 controlled electric tooth brush? Can opener?
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    John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,734
    I was going to post something about controlling breakfast using cereal protocols but thought better of it.
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    TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    Purchase an aftermarket power lock actuator for a car. Hot melt glue it to the inside of your toilet bowl and attach to the lift arm for the flush mechanism.
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    jcereckejcerecke Posts: 40
    TurnipTruck wrote: »
    Purchase an aftermarket power lock actuator for a car. Hot melt glue it to the inside of your toilet bowl and attach to the lift arm for the flush mechanism.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIbkLjjlMV8
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    annuelloannuello Posts: 294
    jcerecke wrote: »
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIbkLjjlMV8

    Inspired by the Craig Turner "Cat Hater" video above, here is a shameless plug for my latest video. I don't have the pizzazz that he has and I tend to mumble a bit, but oh well. Enjoy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7OFSHXgVoQ

    Roger McLean
    [With my work hat "off"]
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    PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    John Nagy wrote: »
    I was going to post something about controlling breakfast using cereal protocols but thought better of it.
    Ha!

    Also, AMX + Siri + espresso machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHKk5ju3jVU

    Our office machine is on the way out (pump etc is fine, control board is rather temperamental) so it's currently on a PC2 and there's a spare panel next to it with a a single button labelled "Oh god, make it stop".
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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    I am seriously considering (and I'm seriously serious about this...) creating some kind of AMX controlled squirrel deterrent for my bird feeders. I have an NXI already ear marked for this project. I hae plenty of relays too. (seriously)
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    PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    ericmedley wrote: »
    I have an NXI already ear marked for this project.
    I'm picturing it covered in spikes and set up on a rope to swing right past your bird feeder.
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    jjamesjjames Posts: 2,908
    Haha - Roger, that was great!
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    ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    PhreaK wrote: »
    I'm picturing it covered in spikes and set up on a rope to swing right past your bird feeder.

    Well... not so much that. Bear in mind I like squirrels well enough. (In fact we have quite a few albino squirrels in our yard. they're all white fur with pink eyes and everything..) But, it will involve optical sensors and a couple actualted owl dummies or something.
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    AuserAuser Posts: 506
    ericmedley wrote: »
    Bear in mind I like squirrels well enough.

    They're especially tasty in barbecue sauce.
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    TurnipTruckTurnipTruck Posts: 1,485
    RF

    Perhaps squirrels and birds have different resonances in the RF spectrum. Maybe you could find a frequency that would warm up the squirrels but leave the birds alone???

    An FCC guy once told me that 96.1 MHz is the easiest absorbed frequency in the FM band to humans.
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    PhreaKPhreaK Posts: 966
    Just gaff tape RFID fobs to all the regular offenders.
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    Don DeLongDon DeLong Posts: 43
    I'm still kicking around using an old card frame with relay cards and a small netlinx+TP to automate my brewery. Would be nice in the winter since it's in the basement which involves going outside and around the house to access it. Could just load ingredients, input various parameters via touch panel, and push GO. Could even watch via an IP camera to make sure there's no leaks or boilovers. One of these days when I have spare time.
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