Introduction: The Blinds Buddy
The Blinds Buddy is an automated device that detects sunlight and runs a motorized pulley system connected to the user's window blinds. The purpose of this device is to prevent the user’s home from heating up throughout the day when they are not home to shut their own blinds during periods of excessive sunlight. Rather than just leaving the blinds closed from morning until night, the Blinds Buddy allows plants to get the natural lighting they need, but closes the blinds when direct sunlight hits, preventing the user from coming home to a hot apartment at the end of the day. The system is started by sliding a switch, which then sets a green LED to high, indicating to the user that the device is on. If the push button is not pressed, meaning that the user wants to run the system automatically rather than manually, the arduino measures the resistance of the photoresistor. If this resistance is below a certain threshold, it indicates that sunlight is present. The program then delays for one minute and takes another reading of the resistance of the photoresistor. The purpose of this delay is to prevent the program from running and activating the rest of the components for a sudden flash of light. If the resistance of the second reading is still below the threshold, the continuous servo motor is set to high. This servo runs for approximately five seconds, during which the pulley system runs and closes the user's blinds. If however, the user wanted to manually run the system rather than rely on the detection of sunlight, the servo and pulley system can be activated with the push button.
Supplies
- arduino uno
- mini bread board
- tactile switch push button
- wire kit
- 220 ohm resistor
- 10k ohm resistor (x2)
- green LED
- USB cable A to B
- mini power switch
- photoresistor
- cardstock
- string
- tongue depressor (x2)
- toilet paper tube
- epoxy
- continuous servo motor
Step 1: Assembly Instructions
- Build the circuit following the diagram, in particular making sure that the wires attached to the servo are long enough to move the servo away from the rest of the components
- Cut a piece of cardboard that is approximately 6 inches long x 7 inches wide
- Fold the cardboard at a 90 degree angle at 4 inches wide, creating a square that is 5” x 4”
- On the shorter end of the folded cardboard, create another 90 degree fold 1 inch from the edge in the opposite direction from the first fold
- Secure both folds with duct tape and set aside
- Cut a toilet paper tube to approximately 2 inches long
- Separate the tube by making a cut lengthwise
- Wrap cardboard tube in duct tape
- Cut a piece of string 2.5 feet long
- Tie one end of the string to the X extension on the servo
- Using the epoxy, secure the X extension piece to one end of the toilet paper tube, placing the string directly through the opening in the lengthwise side of the tube
- Attach the X extension back onto the servo
- Secure the servo to the 1” x 5” stand of the cardboard
- Place the arduino and breadboard on the widest part of the cardboard support
- Tie the other end of the string to your window blind’s pulley system
- Place the entire cardboard support directly under the pulley system, ensuring that the string is taught
- Connect the arduino board to a power supply using the USB Cable A to B
Step 2: Operation Instructions
- Connect the Ardunio to a computer using the provided USB Cable A to B
- Upload the code
- To run the system manually
- Slide the switch to the on position, indicated by the LED lighting up
- Press the button once
- To run the system automatically: slide the switch to the on position, indicated by the LED lighting up
