Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Single Room Lighting

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A control panel allows you to switch your whole house into this mode, so as you turn one light switch on, a system of relays turns the previous room's light off.

Could also be set to limit the number of lights on to two or three, so as you walk around the house you have a tail of lights on which can keep away the ghosts, but at the same time saves energy.

An even cleverer system would work out common pathways between rooms by monitoring your operation of their lights, and then learning to illuminate the next room you'll be walking into. This should give a single person the illusion that the whole house is lit up, but actually very little power is used.

If it knew the location of every light, it may be possible to track two or more people through the house like this, knowing which lights to turn off by acknowledging adjacent rooms.

mitxela, Mar 20 2009

Good idea...Baked http://en.wikipedia...i/Bill_Gates'_house
[knowtion, Mar 21 2009]

Domotics http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domotics
[knowtion, Mar 21 2009]

Relay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay
[mitxela, Mar 22 2009]

Lighting Control System http://en.wikipedia...ting_control_system
[knowtion, Mar 22 2009]

[link]






       I've experienced motion sensing lighting many times - usually I find it very annoying, because the lights go off while you're working at a desk. You have to run around and wave your arms to turn it back on.   

       This isn't a solution for offices or situations with lots of people. This is more of a personal thing, crucially, an alternative which doesn't mean turning lights off after a set time, which I've always been annoyed by.
mitxela, Mar 20 2009
  

       Now wait a minute, 21. This is an idea, actually two ideas, that have nothing to do with traditional motion sensing. You are so quick! to *attempt to* debunk.
daseva, Mar 20 2009
  

       In one office I worked in many moons ago, I was shown round on my first day (night, actually).   

       As we walked into the darkened corridor, my new colleague shouted "Lights!", and the lights came on.   

       I did this for a week until I realised that the lights were motion sensitive.
jtp, Mar 20 2009
  

       I've seen lights that are activated by clapping your hands, and many other similar ideas, but this really was about keeping the tactile feedback and control you have when you turn a light on, and knowing that it will stay on until you turn another one on.   

       The worst experience with automated lighting I've had was when my old school had a wall built to separate one classroom into two, forgetting to move the PIR sensor, causing many annoying problems.
mitxela, Mar 20 2009
  

       Motion sensor combined with RFID badges and IR sensing cameras linked to a computer that keeps the light on as long as the badge is in proximity or the heat signature is on the thermal, IR image recognition so it doesn't turn on the light for the dog ... anything else we can add to overcomplicate this?
tatterdemalion, Mar 20 2009
  

       I think you should just ask the ghosts to turn off the lights...and on...and off...
blissmiss, Mar 20 2009
  

       It's a good idea, but it's baked. Bill Gates' house has had this for at least 15 years. Quote from link: "Guests wear pins that upon entrance of a room automatically adjust temperature, music, and lighting based on the guest's preferences."
knowtion, Mar 21 2009
  

       One thing you can be sure of though, is that Bill Gates' house uses more electricity than it needs to.   

       From a completely energy-saving perspective, this system could be built using only analogue relays, so that no electricity at all is used while the system is idle.
mitxela, Mar 21 2009
  

       //One thing you can be sure of though, is that Bill Gates' house uses more electricity than it needs to//
houses don't generally "need" things except to have themselves maintained in good working condition.
  

       anyways... LOFO or FOFO ?
FlyingToaster, Mar 21 2009
  

       //From a completely energy-saving perspective, this system could be built using only analogue relays, so that no electricity at all is used while the system is idle.//   

       Kindly expand this idea.
knowtion, Mar 21 2009
  

       What's an analogue relay?
Srimech, Mar 21 2009
  

       //Kindly expand this idea.//   

       For the basic one-light-on only system, you could use a thyristor-like set up which would turn all the lights off, then only the current room's light back on. Obviously the more complicated system would need some kind of processor, but even then it would only need power the moment a switch is hit, as that would be the only time the lighting status would be changing. The rest of the time it could be powered down.
mitxela, Mar 22 2009
  

       It's all quite do-able (and done a very few times). The "domotics" wiki link discusses all aspects of home living. The "lighting control system" link is specific to lighting. Controlling the curtains/blinds is also discussed in that link.   

       In all seriousness, I think the best idea is to wear a hat with a lamp on top.
knowtion, Mar 22 2009
  
      
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