Author Topic: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector  (Read 1634 times)

Offline Steve Gase

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2915
    • WinterLightShow in Georgetown, TX
Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« on: September 19, 2012, »
I'm creating multiple threads to launch discussions on how to create various kinds of triggers.

I'm looking for some discussion to help guide me in making a decision about the "best" way for my particular needs, and I really don't know what those requirements are at this time.  So, I'm intending the discussion to be pretty open-ended, and something that might help others with similar questions.

"best" might be based on various factors:
  • price and availability of the parts
  • ease of assembly (to me)
  • ease of use (to my visitors)
  • flexibility in placement (how far can it be from my conductor and/or power source and/or wireless? and/or ???)

In this thread I am interested in a motion detector, typically something that sees movement in your yard.  I'd normally expect this to detect movement in a space 10ft X 10ft or even larger.

As is the case with all of the ideas, it must be able to interface with the conductor's trigger solution.

After discussing ideas, I'm hoping that final concepts could be written up as assembly manuals in the wiki, complete with answers to the "how" and "what", and "where" questions.

Any takers?
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  |  110K channels, 50K lights  |  Nutcracker, Falcon, DLA, HolidayCoro

Offline Steve Gase

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2915
    • WinterLightShow in Georgetown, TX
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2012, »
my house and its security system has a motion detector in the living room.  I've not attempted to see how it works...  has anyone experimented with these?

the interface and power for such a component has me scratching my head.  :o
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  |  110K channels, 50K lights  |  Nutcracker, Falcon, DLA, HolidayCoro

Offline rrowan

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5899
  • 08096
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2012, »
Couldn't all of these ideas been put in one post?

Rick R.
Light Animation Hobby - Having fun and Learning at the same time. (21st member of DLA)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Warning SOME assembly required

Offline DanHouston

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 499
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2012, »
I am looking at experimenting with some things with an arduino. There are lots of projects/tutorials for how to do it with an arduino, so I was going to start there and then (hopefully) develop that into a project. There are also some that are based on SONAR so you could calculate distance (possibly even location) which I thought might be interesting as well.


There are probably motion sensors that you can buy that would work with the conductor, but I want to expriment with circuit design anyway.


Here's one I found that might work right out of the box (although I need to re-read RJs comments about how the triggers work again):
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
2011 - Year #1
    4000 lights and 16 channels
    5 Songs sequenced
2012 - Year #2
    5000 lights and 123 channels
    8 Songs sequenced

Offline deplanche

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #4 on: September 19, 2012, »
Using an XBOX Kinetc Senor to trigger the lights based on movement and location of people would certainly be fun.  I've seen videos of people controlling a smart string-like set of lights by movement.  Not sure if RJs trigger will allow that type of control or not, but would certainly be fun.

Offline DanHouston

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 499
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2012, »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Using an XBOX Kinetc Senor to trigger the lights based on movement and location of people would certainly be fun.  I've seen videos of people controlling a smart string-like set of lights by movement.  Not sure if RJs trigger will allow that type of control or not, but would certainly be fun.

Do you have a link to lights being controlled that way? That sounds very cool!
2011 - Year #1
    4000 lights and 16 channels
    5 Songs sequenced
2012 - Year #2
    5000 lights and 123 channels
    8 Songs sequenced

Offline deplanche

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 347
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2012, »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Using an XBOX Kinetc Senor to trigger the lights based on movement and location of people would certainly be fun.  I've seen videos of people controlling a smart string-like set of lights by movement.  Not sure if RJs trigger will allow that type of control or not, but would certainly be fun.

Do you have a link to lights being controlled that way? That sounds very cool!

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Not sure what board that is... but certainly looks similiar to what we would use.

Offline Steve Gase

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2915
    • WinterLightShow in Georgetown, TX
Re: Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2012, »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Couldn't all of these ideas been put in one post?

Rick R.

I think each discussion could go different directions and might have many replies, making it hard to follow later.

Is there a quota on topics?  :)
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login  |  110K channels, 50K lights  |  Nutcracker, Falcon, DLA, HolidayCoro

Offline rrawlings

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 141
Re: Trigger implementation idea: motion detector
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2012, »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Here is a motion sensor you could play with, and cheap too.