Some people dislike wind chimes. (See several of the other ideas in this category.) (Off topic: I feel like I haven't seen [Vernon] in a while.) I, on the other hand, like wind chimes, and I see them around, so I must not be the only one. (Also off topic: The site has been having connection timeouts lately.)

To avoid annoying those people who dislike wind chimes, while still pleasing those who do like them, at least when the former people aren't about, Approximate Industries is introducing our new face-recognizing wind chimes! These are equipped with a 360° camera in the top part, which is capable of recognizing faces and tracking humans in its vicinity, as well as a damper connected to a bistable actuator that consumes power only when changing state, and a solar panel and battery.

All you have to do is face the wind chimes and say "I find wind chimes annoying", "I don't like wind chimes", or similar, and they will stop ringing (by means of said damper and actuator). Furthermore, the chimes will memorize your face, and automatically disable themselves whenever they see it. Even if you turn and face away from the chimes, they will still track your body until you leave the room, and then recognize your face again when you return, to avoid chiming when you're around.

(Yay, another thing in your home with an always-on camera… (though this one isn't internet-connected (but its competitors all will be)))

N/A [2019-07-18]
-- notexactly, Jul 18 2019

Hippo's Silent Dodgy Chimes Hippo_27s_20Silent_20Dodgy_20Chimes
A premium model could use this kind of mechanism to let the chimes keep swinging without hitting each other, instead of damping their swings. [notexactly, Jul 18 2019]

I think I read windchimes always have tones that sound good with each other because of "pentatonics". Perhaps the camera could look at people, then adjust the tones based on their projected user preferences, possible from music history from smart speaker searches. Lovely higher pitch ones, etc. Also, the wind chiming elements could actually not make sound, just have motion detectors noting when they meet each other.

You could have acoustically pleasant bead curtains swaying in the wind...
-- beanangel, Jul 18 2019


I see this leading to a whole suite if devices which mutter about you behind your back and fall silent when you turn to face them.

Actually, that might make quite a good non-violent home security system.
-- pertinax, Jul 19 2019


Ah, but with AI's ability to generate fake video, how long before your face gets hacked, and the conflicting programming 'I love wind chimes/ I abhor wind chimes' cycle results in wind-chime shrapnel?!

Halfbakery: an excellent unintended consequences incubator
-- Sgt Teacup, Jul 19 2019



random, halfbakery