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Automated Dorm Room Causes a School Inquiry

Posted by samzenpus on from the dorm-of-tomorrow dept.

First time accepted submitter ElectronicHouseGrant writes "Freshman Derek Low rigged up his Berkeley dorm room with something he calls B.R.A.D., which is short for 'Berkeley Ridiculously Automated Dorm.' The room includes automated lighting, drapes, music, motion detection, and more. He can control everything through voice recognition, but a wireless remote, his iPhone and his iPad are also in on the control party. Derek started the install on February 4 and finished just a few days ago."

6 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. School inquiry? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe I missed something, but since the headline said school inquiry, shouldn't there be some info about that either in the blurb or the article it's linking to?

    1. Re:School inquiry? by jklovanc · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here is a more complete article.

    2. Re:School inquiry? by terrab0t · · Score: 5, Funny

      This discussion thread is only for those of us who do not read the article. There will be another post later that actually links to the article to allow those annoying fact checkers to join in.

    3. Re:School inquiry? by vlm · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not very hard to guess the problem.

      Take a look a the third or so pic on http://lab.dereklow.co/brad/ The one with the light switch hanging out of the wall as he screws around with the wiring. If he could have just stuck to plug in modules like everyone else, but no he has to go all amateur electrician... I love this quote "With no access to the circuit breakers of the dorms, the contacts and wiring inside the wall switch remains live even as I open and try to modify it.". This dude is the stereotype of nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver... damn...

      Screwing around with the drapes might have pissed them off too. Worst case is losing some security deposit unless he can return it all exactly to original operation.

      Oh and the fog machine. My dorm didn't allow gasoline and oil products in the rooms, to discourage people from putting their scooter in the room, or doing oil changes in the dorms. Maybe they're worked up about fog juice and treating it as automotive lubrication oil.

      --
      "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    4. Re:School inquiry? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Messing with the fixed wiring in a room that you do not own is not "initiative", especially when you can't turn off the power while you're working on it. In that case it's called "recklessness". Faulty contacts are a serious fire hazard, and unlike the stuff you just plug in, the installed wires do not simply revert back to safe when you move out.

  2. Notice he's by himself by commodore73 · · Score: 5, Funny

    During romantic mode.