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Samr1: Worlds Smartest Bedroom Window

If you're reading this, then you're probably aware that having good air quality is paramount. But when was the last time you considered the air quality where you sleep? With all the farts, offgassing mattresses and (maybe) sex going on, the bedroom is a dutch-oven of festering poor air quality. What if your window could open for you to help you breathe and make sure you sleep smart?

We spend somewhere around a third of our lives in bed. Various body odours will release VOCs; aerobic activity will raise CO2 levels; and many furnishings also release contaminants. You can’t leave the window open permanently, especially if it’s cold or noisy outside. So what if your window could automatically open and close, to balance health and comfort, and optimise the environment for smart sleep?

  1. IAQ sensors in the room, plus temperature and humidity sensor.
  2. Exterior mic to detect noise levels (could filter for mid-high frequencies / repetitive sounds).
  3. Simple ‘one-pixel’ user input: a button for the user to press if they are unhappy (it’s too cold/noisy / etc.) –whereupon the system will switch the state of the window, and learn.
  4. Low-noise stepper motor to control window (much quieter than OTS chain actuator).

    Optional: additional data to infer the quality of sleep (self-reported or movement sensor on bed).

  5. Raspberry pi ‘brain’ gathers information and decides whether the window is open/closed.

This process factors in all the inputs and works to optimise sleep quality and/or comfort.

Draft bill of materials:

  • Raspberry pi 4: £54
  • Stepper motor HAT for raspberry pi: £21
  • Stepper with linear guide: £63 (or this one for the same price)
  • Various mechanical connections: Angle brackets, rods, connector, adhesive pad…(£20 total)
  • Microphone (to sense exterior sound in some detail): c.£40

Total (excl. air quality sensors): £200 approx.

Timeline:

Kit supply in mid-October, 8-10 days’ work over 6 weeks --> late November approx.

Levels of the project:

Brain oxygenation while sleeping promotes deep, good quality sleep.

In my new-build flat, ventilation is not up to code, so until this is fixed, I must keep windows open (this means noise is also an issue, as I live in central London).

Data visualisation: reveal relationships between bedroom air quality and sleep.

Opportunities for crowdsourcing data on how IAQ affects sleep quality across populations (which could be compared with pollution data in cities, for example).

Prior art:

Automatic greenhouse window opener (link)

Follow the Dream Lantern Air Quality Project:

  • Part 1: The dream lantern concept and design
  • Part 2: The final design and a demostration
The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed yet...
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