What is the Dibs LightLink System?
The objective of this project was to design a lighted pathway system that could be used in a wide variety of places, both public and private. The resulting device was to be lightweight, portable, stable, waterproof, and provide light. The group opted to construct this project for senior design because it provided utility and versatility while not being overly complex.
Lighting your life
When children are frightened of the dark, they sometimes need to sleep with a nightlight. A night light soothes and grants comfort as it permits them to partially see in the darkness. As people grow older, this fear often goes away, but usually their inability to see in the dark does not. People accept that they cannot see and the need for a night light diminishes. Yet, they still have nighttime activities for which they need light: waking up in the middle of the night with need to use the restroom; turning off the lights before crossing a room or going upstairs; getting prepared for early morning work hours. Often people need a light to pave their way through the darkness. Providing a method of simplistic low level lighting would greatly assist nighttime activity.
To address the problems, a low-level lighting system is proposed that can be used for direction in the dark. The Dibs LightLink System is a series of blocks with interconnected capabilities. The system is designed to output low level lighting across all connected units with intent to provide a pathway for the user to follow. Additionally, integrated PIR sensors and RGB LEDs grant multiple modes of operation and utility to the system.
The Dibs LightLink System is composed of three flavors of links. The three flavors are Door Links, Interface Links, and Standard Links. Standard Links are the most prominent. They contain LEDs and sensors. Door Links are constructed to inform the user whether or not a door is open or closed by the path. They are different from other links in that they are a connector linked to a small device that contains a proximity infrared sensor. Lastly, Interface Links are designed to receive the inputs from the user and inform the rest of the system of what actions to take. They contain the components of the Standard Links in addition to Bluetooth compatibility.
Ultimately, the device will offer a wide variety of commercial use and the customizability for the user to make it perform as they need. If the user so requires it, the device could be used solely for its original purpose, to light up and provide a path at night. If, however, the user would like more security capabilities and the option to alternate the lights for ambience, they can use the device to its full potential.
