This Memory Box Uses NFC Cards to Trigger Videos
Redditor Kind-Rope5478 built a Memory Box that plays videos when users insert NFC cards.
We all get to a point where our memories become very dear to us, but memories aren't always reliable and sometimes we need reminders of the good times. Printed photos and digital picture frames can serve that purpose, but in some cases they don't tell the full story. Many of us keep videos on our smartphones that we scroll through on occasion, but wouldn't it be nice if some of those were more easily accessible to everyone in your household? That's why Redditor Kind-Rope5478 built this Memory Box for videos.
This Memory Box is a device in a gorgeous wood enclosure with a 10.1" screen. Beside it is a stack of NFC cards. When someone wants to watch a video, all they need to do is grab the corresponding NFC card and stick it into a slot on the side of the device. That tells the device to start playing the videos in a local folder associated with that particular NFC tag's ID. If they want an NFC card to trigger a single video, as opposed to a collection, then they can just make that the only video in the folder.
A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB) handles this functionality with a connected NFC reader. The display is a 10.1 touchscreen that includes built-in speakers. But that audio quality is poor, so the device includes a dedicated 5W amplifier and 2" speakers. A rotary control knob on the front lets people adjust the volume and pushing that knob switches to a clock mode. That mode shows the time and inspirational quotes.
Redditor Kind-Rope5478 is a novice when it comes to programming, so they used ChatGPT to generate most of the Python code for the Memory Box. That includes a script for associating new unregistered NFC cards with folders. The enclosure is red oak with an acrylic back plate.