A set of programmable, wireless, solar, waterproof woodpeckers that alert you, in Morse code, to various goings on.
Uses include:
Patio Bird can mark the cooking time while you grill on the patio (controlled by the woodpecker stopwatch).
Study Bird will lean over slightly, look at you with one eye and then tap on the glass that on your window that the mail has come. (controlled by the included break beam sensor)
Parlor Bird taps on the eaves to alert you that someone is in the driveway. (another break beam)
Reminds you to take those library books, movies, etc. back at a certain time. (controlled by an online calendar).
Stock updates, emails from certain people, weather warnings.
Next: Pink Flamingo Semaphores.-- nomocrow, Jul 20 2007 Telegraph clacks out RSS http://steampunkwor...com/telegraph.shtmlrobot-birds are kinda like telegraph sounders, i guess. [JordanG, Jun 06 2008] So you want a mechanical spouse with a very hard beak.-- Galbinus_Caeli, Jul 20 2007 do you know Morse Code?-- xandram, Jul 20 2007 .._. .. ... .... _... _ _ _ _. .-- globaltourniquet, Jul 20 2007 cool [Brau]-so you, jutta, and global just cheated?-- xandram, Jul 21 2007 I didn't, and I can tell that globaltourniquet didn't - at least not with that webpage!-- jutta, Jul 21 2007 I did the best I could with my limited means. And I'm referring to available brain cells. And I fishboned it for a very self-centered reason; I couldn't manage morse code if a woodpecker were beating it onto my skull. Make it a monkey on a rock with semaphore flags, and I'll reconsider.-- globaltourniquet, Jul 21 2007 OK, I'll believe you both. I find it amazing that someone could actually remember that, but then again I guess it's just another language. (I'm still impressed.)-- xandram, Jul 21 2007 - .... .. ... .. -.. . .- --. .. ...- . ... -. . .-- -- . .- -. .. -. --. - --- - .... . .--. .... .-. .- ... . .-..-. .... . -. .--. . -.-. -.- . -.. .-..-.
-.-. .-. --- .. ... ... .- -. --- Klaatu, Jul 21 2007 You would probably learn to recognize the rhythm of a few short messages without parsing all the code. I think the semaphore thing is going to be a bit more costly to maintain.-- normzone, Jul 21 2007 -.. .- .... -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .. - -....- -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .- .... -....- -.. .- .... -.. .. --- lurch, Jul 22 2007 No fair, I've forgotten morse code.
[Lurch] Ooh, double morse.-- marklar, Jul 22 2007 No re-morse then?-- xandram, Jun 05 2008 Not to pick nits, but how one supposed to distinguish a dit (.) from a dash (-) pecked by a bird? Seems a dash would be confused easily with a letter "e" followed by a pause.-- csea, Jun 05 2008 If you can't make "short" and "long" sounds, it is acceptable to make sounds of differing tone - the higher pitch, or sharper impact, being associated with the "dots". If different sounds cannot be generated, then the code is adapted through the use of the double-tap - two close together for the dot; with a pause denoting the dash.
The faux-bird device could use either - glass (dot) sash (dash) in the one instance, or just baboom boom-boom on the siding in the other.-- lurch, Jun 05 2008 Somewhat baked... The birds are basically just telegraph sounders, which have already been used for alerts, tapping out RSS feeds, etc. I'll try and re-find the link.-- JordanG, Jun 06 2008 read the title, wondered if anybody's asked Mrs. Morse her feelings in the matter...-- FlyingToaster, Jun 06 2008 -.. .- -.. .- -.. .. - -.. .- -.. .- -.. .. - -.. .- -.. .- -.. .- -.. .- -.. .- -.. .- -.. .. - -.. .- -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .. --- Voice, Jun 06 2008 [-.. .- .... -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .. - -....- -.. .. - -.. .. - -.. .- .... -....- -.. .- .... -.. .. -] //marked-for-tagline//-- Voice, Jun 06 2008 random, halfbakery