Let's Control It

It's day two of self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirits are high, mostly because I stay off social media and avoid all 24 hour commentary (a.k.a "news") channels. Our local community leaders are advising that we stay at home, so I am doing my part.

But my wife is required to go to work. The commute has been fantastic for her (empty roads), but she is traumatized by co-workers that are slowly going insane with panic. She feels unprotected and vulnerable. But that's about to change.

I've used all our rolls of toilet paper and canned goods to construct a padded suit of armor. It has a wearable backpack that's equipped with an ACDelco Group 65 (650 CCA) car battery, which powers the ESP8266 module, various sensors, and personal protection devices. The battery also powers a small motorized trailer that follows the user (holds radar antenna, high voltage power supplies, 3D printed target acquisition hardware, etc.).

I've created an ESPEasy Plugin for controlling it. It is still experimental, so a formal release is not ready for public use. In the meantime, here's a screenshot of the various settings; You should find that it is self-explanatory.


My wife is still at work, so I can't wait for her to get home and try it on. I put a lot of effort into satisfying the common WAF issues (wrong color and such); So unlike my other DiY projects, this time I expect she will appreciate my hard work. And hopefully it helps her feel safe while working at the office.

@Everyone: Do your best to stay calm. Find something to laugh at. Stay safe and keep the faith.

- Thomas

A few feature requests:
- Use of Celcius.
- Field for excuse generator for the permission slip used here in some countries in the EU to be allowed on the street.
- Minimum pulse interval for the taser. Not sure if there are national regulations for this?
- Integration with the SDS011 plugin to detect the sneeze-content.
- Formula field for the output values


And I wonder if there is an integration needed with the toilet-roll count.
Not sure if this should be counted using the weight sensor, ultrasonic sensor or VOC sensor.

Thanks for the suggestions. They are all must-have features. But I won't have use for the toilet paper roll monitor since the hoarders have made that a no-go opportunity.

My wife came home a few minutes ago and her stress levels were at code red. A 60+ year old co-worker didn't show up today. She learned that this person spent time with a friend that has COVID-19. Now the co-worker has the symptoms (fever, cough) too. Until the ill worker's COVID test results are known, my wife is expected to continue working at the office. Instead of that nonsense, she requested personal time off until the end of the week. Hopefully the test results will be released by then so she can decide what to do next.

So now we're both at home while some members of the human race continue to ignore the health warnings and further spread this disease. Well played C. Darwin, well played.

- Thomas

Oooooh, please add the options to display temperature in °C, cause here in europe nobody can deal with °F. And ofcourse the calculation of the amount of needed flour, rice and pasta for the next 12 months has to be added depending on the alarm state.

I think, I do have a special line to our Federal Chancellor so probably I could try to push this plugin together wih ESPEasy into the line of must-have. This would give an incredible acceleration to support ESPEasy.

@TD-er: you should consider to add this plugin urgently from development to normal, including the instant build of a new release.

....eeehm, and could you please post a link in thingiverse for the 3D printed target acquisition hardware?

ThomasB wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 01:56 [...]
But I won't have use for the toilet paper roll monitor since the hoarders have made that a no-go opportunity.
[...]

Well I guess you could use the VOC sensor then, also known as the flatulence detector, but maybe it can be tweaked to advice on the number of sheets to use so you can optimize the stock of rolls available.

On TV here one explained the run on toilet paper very well.
The current generations are unknown to food shortage, but they may have experienced the disastrous effects of toilet paper shortage.
As the presenter suggested that even news paper subscriptions could then be very useful.
Only problem he has is that his subscription is an iPad subscription and before you know it, you may swipe a nice girl away with your behind.

Well I guess you could use the VOC sensor then, also known as the flatulence detector, but maybe it can be tweaked to advice on the number of sheets to use so you can optimize the stock of rolls available.

Good use for a Flatulence Airborne Recovery Transformer (FART) sensor.

... could you please post a link in thingiverse for the 3D printed target acquisition hardware?

The STL files are available by private transaction. Please deposit 12 rolls of 2-ply toilet paper into my PooPal account.

- Thomas

How can users of countries like Great Britain donate?
Their rolls will be wound for left rotating consumption.

No worries, I have an old T.P. roll rewinding machine (runs on ESPEz R120). So I can accept either CW or CCW wound rolls.

But the rolls must be 2-ply tissue to prevent breakage while in the rewinder. So 1-ply payments are not accepted at this time.

- Thomas

I only have 1-layer, so I don't qualify?

Well as living in a “Lockdown” country I find most if not all if not all of the functions useful.

Count me in for the beta testing “roll”

By the way, what is the exchange rate for the 3 ply to 2 ply ? Yes I know ... luxury, I know how to spend...

I only have 1-layer, so I don't qualify?

A week ago I would have been interested in your 1-ply offer. But our world is quickly changing. Toilet paper will soon become the only accepted currency and I want to be prepared.

But hang on to your 1-ply. It can be used to start a fire that warms up your canned soup and MRE's.

what is the exchange rate for the 3 ply to 2 ply ?

The 3-ply is hard on my septic system. If I can figure out how to rewind it into 2-ply then we may be able to strike a deal. Sorry, but for now I don't accept it.

- Thomas

ThomasB wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 16:58

... could you please post a link in thingiverse for the 3D printed target acquisition hardware?

The STL files are available by private transaction. Please deposit 12 rolls of 2-ply toilet paper into my PooPal account.

Öhm, may I e-mail them to you? I'm not subscribed to PooPal.

Oh, btw, and I noticed your need of 2-ply . I could modfy my scanner to convert my 3-ply into 2-ply

TD-er wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 18:26 I only have 1-layer, so I don't qualify?

So is this were all the sponsoring funds end up ??

Too busy working on ESPEasy, so by the time I can go to the store it is all sold out....

martinus wrote: ↑20 Mar 2020, 15:44

TD-er wrote: ↑19 Mar 2020, 18:26 I only have 1-layer, so I don't qualify?

So is this were all the sponsoring funds end up ??

Jees you made me laugh Needed thanks

ESPEASY fills more needs than we think