Summary of The Twittering Office Chair using Arduino
This article humorously describes a DIY project: an office chair that automatically tweets when it detects natural gas (flatulence). The goal is to document life events without human interference by automating the posting process. The project involves integrating a gas sensor with a microcontroller to trigger Twitter updates whenever the user sits down and releases gas, fulfilling a commitment to "accurately document" daily occurrences.
Parts used in the Twittering Office Chair:
- Office chair
- Squidbee TX/RX pair
- 1/8 inch piece of acrylic
- 50K trimpot
- Natural gas sensor
- Solid hookup wire
- Soldering setup
- Laser cutter (or saw and drill)
- Razor blade
- Screwdriver set
- Drill
- Nuts and bolts (or screws)
- Pliers
- A staple gun
- Python
- A Twitter account
- Arduino
The Twittering office chair “tweets” (posts a Twitter update) upon the detection of natural gas such as that produced by human flatulence. This is part of my commitment to accurately document and share my life as it happens.
For more in depth theory, please see the next step entitled Theory.
See the results of the toots of your on labor on Twitter.
Step 1: Theory
According to my coworker, Twitter is supposed to happen in that space between Flickr posts and Facebook updates, in the space when life actually happens. Well, in the space of time “when life actually happens,” life actually happens. It is neither pretty nor ugly. It is just life. If Twitter is supposed to be a document of life as it happens, then it should really document life, indiscriminately, as it happens without interference. If it fails to do this, then life then becomes the space between “tweets” (Twitter posts).
Therefore, it is of the utmost importance, to be able to update Twitter with life events without actually interfering with the event themselves. The documentation of life, henceforth, needs to be automated.
That said, I decided the first part of life that needed to be documented was my daily flatulence at work. I am not going to lie, I am a gassy individual. Since my flatulence is a part of life, it would be fraudulent of me to document life as it happens without documenting these occurrences.
In keeping with the process of non-interference in daily activity, I have created an office chair to both detect and Twitter my flatulence without having to bother me to update it myself.
Step 2: Go get stuff
You will need:
– Office chair
– Squidbee TX/RX pair
– 1/8″ piece of acrylic
– 50K trimpot
– Natural gas sensor
– Solid hookup wire
– Soldering setup
– Laser cutter (or saw and drill)
– Razor blade
– Screwdriver set
– Drill
– Nuts and bolts (or screws)
– Pliers
– A staple gun
– Python
– A Twitter account
Step 3: Make a sensor mount
Did I mention how awesome Epilog laser cutters are?
Anyhow… If, unlike us at Instructables, you do not have a laser cutter, you can download the file and print it to paper. Cut out the circular outline from the sheet of paper and tape this to your acrylic as a guide. Where necessary, drill holes through the acrylic using a power drill and cut around the outline with a jigsaw (or similar).
naturalGasTemplate.cdrStep 4: Attach the sensor
Attach the sensor to the mounting bracket by follow the wiring in the schematic pictured. If you don’t have a trimpot, you can insert a resistor value between 22K and 47K (a trimpot is recommended).
When the components are inserted, solder them in place. You may want to first cut off any extra leads that may confuse you.
See the datasheet here.
For more detail: The Twittering Office Chair using Arduino
-
What is the primary function of this project?
The chair detects natural gas such as flatulence and automatically posts a Twitter update upon detection. -
Why was automation chosen for documenting life events?
Automation allows for updating Twitter with life events without interfering with the actual events themselves. -
What material is used to make the sensor mount?
A 1/8 inch piece of acrylic is used to create the sensor mount. -
How can you cut the sensor mount if you do not have a laser cutter?
You can print the template on paper, tape it to the acrylic, drill holes, and cut around the outline with a jigsaw or similar tool. -
What component replaces the trimpot if one is unavailable?
A resistor value between 22K and 47K can be inserted if a trimpot is not available. -
Which programming language is required for this project?
Python is listed as a necessary item for the project setup. -
What is the recommended method for attaching the sensor to the bracket?
The sensor should be attached by following the wiring in the schematic and soldering the components in place.
