Light Cube – LorenH

Autobotography Intent

Abstract: I want to make two “light cubes” that are shared between two people across a distance that are interactable, so when one person interacts with their cube, it has an effect on the other person’s.

Description:

I want to make two “light cubes” that are shared between two loved ones. They light up when the other person, across potentially miles of distance, touches theirs. I want the design to stay minimalistic so that it blends into nearly any environment, and so that they can be personalized.

Some ways I’m thinking that the user could personalize it is to be able to choose what colors glow when the other person sees that they are touching it. This opens up the potential for more meaning in the message – colors have certain moods, or one may know the other person’s favorite color and choose to light up their cube with that color as a means to cheer them up, etc.

I want this to be different than what a phone can do. I want the cube to be holdable and tactile, and incorporate a sense of touch that communicating through a phone can’t provide. The cube would also heat up where ever the other person was specifically touching it, and the heat would increase with how hard the user was squeezing it, which would mimic human warmth and touch. This project also allows people to communicate without words. If I want to tell my best friend that I miss them, I can make their cube glow and they may see it while cooking dinner or doing homework, and in that way I am quietly whispering that I love them to them without the ding of a text or having to use words.

I’m thinking there would be two versions – a small, palm sized one that is mobile and can connect to wifi, or a phone’s mobile wifi, and a larger one that is about 10” x 10”.

There would also be a sleep mode where the cube is off in times where it needs to be. When one person’s cube is in sleep mode, the others’ cube would turn dark blue or black, unless theirs is off too.

I’m also considering a function where if one person shakes the cube, the other persons’ cube vibrates, or the light oscillates.

The cube would be rechargeable and could be plugged in to any USB port or USB-to-outlet.

Budget:

Building of the two cubes: I would need more info on what materials I could use, but I imagine some basic wiring and LEDs would do the trick, as well as some sort of circuit-board (if that’s the name?) inside. The cubes themselves could be a smooth, weather and life resistant plastic or clear squeezable rubber.

So: ~$100, but this is definitely tentative as I am new to learning about this technology.

Time to Build It: ~20 hours. At $10/hr, $200.

Total: $300.