From Scars to Strength

Category: Internet of Things (IoT)

Ian Boake’s use of internet of things to solve various problems that we all experience

  • Hootie the animatronic owl

    3 June 2018 and updated 27 June 2020

    Conceived as a scarecrow, albeit in owl and not human form, Hootie changes randomly between pre-recorded, real owl calls, flapping its wing tips and turning its head, which holds a 10mW laser beam. Birds hate the laser beam. Watch the video, which shows birds (actually flying rats) offered yummy food, and yet even the most brazen of them scatter when the head turns and they are exposed to his imposing laser beam. Its main use is to keep other birds from defecating on garden furniture (what my wife originally wanted it for) around homes or, more significantly, preventing them from pooping on PV solar panel,s thereby shading them from the sun and reducing the energy that they produce. I keep seeing other applications, like keeping seagulls off of boats.

    Boat owners could benefit from owning a Hootie to keep seagulls off of their canvas biminis.

    I had a glitch with Hootie because I didn’t keep up with technology in power converters. I used the 7805 voltage regulator, and yet the cost of buck converters has dropped in price. A far superior way to derive the 5V from the 12V is to use the LM2596S buck converter. The 7805 degraded over time until it was struggling to produce the required current to charge the battery of the powered speaker and supply the Bluno controller with Bluetooth. I rewired the system and tested Hootie from the phone APP.

    The current ones I see at Bunning were developed long after my first incarnation of Hootie; perhaps they got their idea from me. I like to think so 😁

    Good on them for commercialising what I discovered by trial-and-error:

    AVIX Autonomic the automated laser bird repellent

  • 3D Immortal – DIY 3D Scanner for human busts, scanner and 3D printing

    3D Immortal – DIY 3D Scanner for human busts, scanner and 3D printing

    3 June 2018 (updated 12 July 2020)

    This product uses an Arduino Uno (IoT device) to control the movement of the time-of-flight ToF  sensor. It also gives voice instructions to the user to toggle various buttons, instructs them to look directly at the ToF sensor and then press a push-button when the 3D scanning is completed.

    The completed 3D-printed bust using this Ianboake.com IoT product is shown. It shows the bust printed in black PLA, albeit with the support material not removed, as yet, under my chin and it was not printed on a very good 3D printer.

    The definition was rather poor owing to the resolution of the time-of-flight sensor

    If you want me to 3D-scan a similar bust of you, these will cost $50 each, so please email me. I do, however, suggest that you get it professionally 3D-printed, as the results will be substantially better than the example that you see here.

    Gallery of images during the development stages:

    Toggle switches and push-button used to control the ToF sensor, after being wired up.
    The worm drive dc-motor, control box and limit switch
    unpainted control box and wiring of limit switches

    Nicely 3D printed power line lattice towers (I did a model for work, demonstrating the principle of dynamic line ratings for power transmission lines for Ampeak2018 in Hobart, Tasmania)

    When you have a great idea, it is only a matter of time until that idea is copied and then monetised. I call this the “thousand monkey principle”. Up to a thousand people are given a similar idea at the same time. It is then a race to the finish for who can exploit the idea for commercial gain in the quickest way. In this instance, I conceived this idea, without any outside influence, in 2014 and then developed the above working prototype. I tried to get investors and partners, but didn’t have the right relationships and connections to commercialise the idea. The developers of the product below came after me and have achieved that success. In Aus we say “Good on them!”. One advantage of mine is that it can scan a human bust, which only much more expensive derivatives can do.

    If don’t want to build one as I have and you want to buy a high definition 3D scanner, go to these products from RevPoint

    Link to above product website: https://amzn.to/47iyMhr

    Produce page for the above 3D scanner: https://amzn.to/4n4mvSk