Concept: Domestic / Theme Control Tools
Prototype
Presentation
This concept attempts to bring about control tools. These can range from environmental and domestic controls, to theme control in nightclubs or larger expansive areas (such as warehouses where getting back to the master controls could take a long time). It is similar to the idea of a remote control in terms of actually controlling other external appliances and devices, but serves more as a control system rather than individual master-slave.
Applications of this would hold series of Pins that would control different functions. This would control a variety of domestic or entertainment appliances. For entertainment control, volume bars would be assigned to potentiometers and media control functions to individual buttons could be play, pause, rewind etc. There are also environmental control functions, for example, environmental control would have a potentiometer to dim the lights, and a slider bar to control the AC Climate control for a given room.
Depending on the users preference, different buttons could be assigned to one function only, i.e. one pin would start playback of DVDs, others for other devices. However, this means different chips would need to be nearby to store or retrieve.
Alternatively, profile chips could be used to share the functions of “media control”. So, if one profile chip is in, the controls would rewind and play DVDS. If another is plugged in and the previous one removed, it would control a Hi Fi.
Buttons could be used to schedule tasks and events, i.e. play DVD, then play CD player, then open satellite, etc. They could also double up as track number selection, or temperature input.
This TUI would serve as the input and the appliances would serve as the output. However, confirmation of input could be provided from L.E.D.s displaying levels (e.g. Temperature levels in centigrade).