Team IOT22: Georgia, Andrew Lanier

Published November 17, 2018

Photon Automatic Blinds

A Photon that uses a light sensor to control a motor to open and close the blinds when the light is shining in.

BeginnerFull instructions provided3 hours1,008

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Particle Photon

Americal MG-360M Robotic Supply

Solderless Breadboard Half Size

Resister 220 Ohms

Popsicle Sticks

Super Glue

Anker Powercore

Wires

Blinds

Custom Spool Component

Software apps and online services

Particle Pi

IFTTT Maker service

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Exacto Blade

Sharpie

Story

Decision Behind Build

For this project we wanted to create something that could be put to use in our own homes. For the prototype a set of unused blinds were used so that nothing was damaged if something did not work out right. Once this project is completed this device will be set up in an actual home for everyday uses.

How It's Set Up

We used two Photons one working as the light detector with a photoresistor on it and one working as a servo motor to control the actual motion of the blinds. The photoresistor uses the voltage across to change the variance in resistance. The higher the light intensity the larger the resistance drop is. This is how the threshold was determined. To allow the Photons the send a messages when the device is used two separate IFTTT programs must be made. One for “Day” and one for “Night”. Two more programs are made to record the data so that the automatic blinds have a record of when it is opened and closed.

Photoresistor

Servo

Setting Up the Build

Photoresistor

Take the Photon and place on the breadboard.
Take the photoresistor and place one end on A0 and the other end on A5.
Then take a 220 Ohm resistor and place on A0 and A5. (This set up came with the Photon kit as one of the starter builds)
Lastly connect to a power pack or a wall plug to apply power to the Photon and place in window sill.

Servo

Take the Photon and place on the breadboard.
Connect the brown wire of the servo to ground (GND), the red wire of the servo to VIN, and the orange wire to D1.
Connect the rood into the spool with superglue.
Cut the tooth picks to make a holder for the servo.
Place the rod back into the blinds and connect the Photon.

Blinds Setup

The 3D-printed spool is glued on to the end of the blinds rod and the safety pin is placed in it.

Spool on the Rod

After the glue dries, the rood can be placed back into the blinds. A small end cap is placed on the end of the blinds so that the rod can not pull out.

Rod in the Blinds

Rod With End Cap and Motor attached

A motor holder was crafted out of popsicle sticks as seen below and then is placed on and glued to prevent the motor from shifting side to side.

Motor Holder

Final Setup

Photoresistor

Photo Resistor Final Set Up

Servo

Servo Final Set Up

Final Results

IFTTT

For this project 4 IFTTT applications where made. Two were for notifications if the blinds where open or closed and two were for tracking of the open and closing of the blinds with a time stamp. The google sheet automatically collects the data from the IFTTT application.

The Application that Sends Data to the Google Sheets

The Application that Notifies When the Blinds are Closed

The Application that Notifies When the Blinds are Open

The Google Sheet the Data is Collected In

The Google Sheet the Data Graphed

Automated Blinds in Action

Schematics

Code

Servo myservo;

int position = 0;
void setup() {
  

Particle.subscribe("BlindVal", myHandler);


}

void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data)
{


 if (strcmp(data,"Night")==0) {
   
    
     myservo.attach(D0);
     
 
myservo.write(120);

delay(500);

 
myservo.detach();


Particle.publish("Respond", "ON", 60, PUBLIC);
}


else if (strcmp(data,"Day")==0) {
  
  
myservo.attach(D0);

 
myservo.write(60);


delay(500);

 
myservo.detach();


Particle.publish("Respond", "ON", 60, PUBLIC);
}


else{}
}

int power = A5; 
int BlindVal = A0; 
int light_intake = 100; 
int temp = 0; 
int analogvalue=0; 
void setup() {

    pinMode(BlindVal,INPUT); 
    pinMode(power,OUTPUT);
    digitalWrite(power,HIGH);

    Particle.variable("analogvalue", &analogvalue, INT); 
   Particle.subscribe("Respond", myHandler);
   
}
void loop() {
    temp = analogvalue; 
    analogvalue = analogRead(BlindVal); 
   if (analogRead(A0) >= light_intake & temp < light_intake){
       Particle.publish("BlindVal", "Day", 60, PUBLIC);
       }
   if (analogRead(A0) < light_intake & temp>= light_intake){
   Particle.publish("BlindVal", "Night", 60, PUBLIC);
   }
    delay(1000); 
}
void myHandler(const char *event, const char *data){
 if (strcmp(data,"ON")==0) {
     digitalWrite(D7,HIGH);
     delay(1000);
     digitalWrite(D7,LOW);
     
 }
}

Credits

Georgia

1 project • 1 follower

Andrew Lanier

1 project • 1 follower

Photon Automatic Blinds