Voice Controlled Lamp
A one-of-a-kind table lamp that can be controlled using voice commands
#software #voicerecognition #hardware #PCBdesign #EAGLE #Arduino
OBJECTIVE
Our client, desiring a unique piece of technology for his Manhattan apartment, expressed interest in having a lamp that could be controlled simply by talking to it. Renowned architecture and design firm Shim-Sutcliffe designed and built the lamp, and it was my responsibility to make it respond to voice commands.
PRocess
I based the system on an Arduino Uno paired with an EasyVR 3 shield. Initial voice recognition tests were carried out, and the power management circuit was designed and tested.
Using EAGLE, I designed the printed circuit board as an Arduino shield.
Programming the microcontroller was a challenge. A lot of time was put into fine tuning the voice recognition module's sensitivity, and the visual feedback system was carefully designed.
Design
A user gets the lamp's attention by saying, "Set lamp brightness." The lamp will gently flicker in acknowledgement. The user can then adjust the brightness by saying a number between one and five, or they can turn the lamp off by saying, "Off." If the lamp does not understand a command it will quickly flash twice, and the user is given a chance to repeat the command. The lamp features a three-way switch so that it can be turned on with or without voice control enabled.
Collaborators
The Voice Controlled Lamp was made in collaboration with Shim-Sutcliffe Architects.