maemo.org - Talk - Control Power from the N900! (or other web-enabled device)

Hi guys,

For school (UC Irvine, if you didn't read my intro post), some friends and I have been working on a side project that you guys might find useful!

Using a power relay, Arduino, and wifi chip, we've been able to control power outlets using external devices from the Internet. Using any web-enabled devices (say, the N900), you can access your home's power grid (anything connected to our devices) and turn things on/off. Useful for those times when you forget to turn off a light or other appliance, or if you want to have lights on waiting for you when you get home.

Anyway, we're in a competition to get recognized by investors to manufacture our product and sell it in retail stores and everything, but we need your help. This first part is just getting enough votes, and hopefully when we demo it for the judges, they'll be able to help us and get us started with making it popular tool. We plan on implementing plenty of other great stuff, like temperature, light, and sound sensors, plus it already has features like power profiles/themes.

Yeah, I know products like this exist already, but they're INSANELY expensive or complicated compared to ours-- we've really improved on all aspects of it, and we'd love to keep this going to open up the idea of home automation to average mobile device users.

Here's a more thorough description, plus some instructions on voting:

Quote:

POWERSCAPE
-----------------
For a quick overview, Powerscape is a new hardware/software that we've been developing that gives you the ability to control power outlets in your home through wireless internet. Essentially, you can use your iPhone or other web-enabled device to control power in your house. Now in case you forget to turn off a light, the stove, a TV, etc, you can just do it using Powerscape!

BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION
-------------------------------------
For the past few months, we've been working this product to get it manufactured and marketed in retail stores, but we need your help! Vator.tv is hosting a People's Choice Award competition, so we need all of you to vote for our idea to help us get recognized by businesses!

HOW TO VOTE
------------------
1. Go to: http://vator.tv/company/powerscape-1 -- The video on the page is another short summary of the product, so watch it!

2. At the top right of the info, it says "Don't forget to vote!" -- Click the "Submit your vote" link right below it.

3. Click on the vote button below our picture (it should be the first one-- if not, remember, you're looking for Powerscape!).

3. I'm sorry, but you will have to make an account, but it's for a good cause. Use a valid email because you'll have to activate it after.

4. Go to your email and click the activation link-- when you click it, it'll automatically register your vote!

I really appreciate the vote, or any feedback you can offer. We can't change the product much at this point (the demo is soon, and we've already mostly developed all the hardware and software), but if we can keep going with this, we can make changes later.

Thanks!