In the process of developing the Ocean Builders homes, we are doing things that have never been done before and building technology that has never been used before. When you are doing something totally new, you often have to create what you need since there are typically no options sitting on the shelf at the store. Because of this, we have had to create our own designs and make our own technology.
We have recently finished designing and printing four custom PCB boards that fit perfectly with the technology with which they will need to work alongside to complete their assigned tasks. Each board will be used to control a different process in the home automation system. Depending on the purpose, each Pod could have several of the same board in the home, and others will have only one per Pod. Let’s take a look at the boards that we recently completed.
One of the boards that we have completed will be used for the bed presence detector which will act as a switch to turn things on or off when you get in or out of bed. Basically any function in the Pod can be configured to work with the bed presence detector. For example, you can set it to turn off all of the lights in the home, close the window shades, and play soft relaxing music when it sees that you are in your bed. You can also set it to perform tasks like opening the window shades, starting the coffee maker, and adjusting the temperature when you get out of bed.
Next, we have the controller for the hot and cold water mixer which automatically adjusts the water temperature in the sinks or shower. Instead of having to fidget with knobs to get your desired water temperature, the shower controller will work alongside the sensors and valves to automatically adjust and maintain the water temperature at the press of a button.
The Variable Frequency Device will communicate with the pumps that provide water to the shower and sinks so that the user can automatically adjust the flow and water pressure almost instantly. It will be used with the kitchen sink controller to help operate the kitchen sink in a similar way that it will work with the bathroom sink and shower.
The shower controller will be the brain that makes and maintains adjustments to the flow of water in the shower. The shower controller will make the adjustments depending on if you want the water to come out of the overhead rain shower head, the hand wand, or the body massagers. It will work in conjunction with the water mixer and VFD to make sure that the water is coming out of the desired location at the desired pressure and temperature.
Each pod may have one of a certain board while having several of another board. Each one serves a very specific purpose and that will dictate how many we need in each home. The ability to custom-make these boards is extremely advantageous to us as we don’t have to go out and search for something that might work for us. We also don’t have to worry about supply issues since we can make them in bulk as we need them. These boards will be out of sight in the home, but their presence will be felt every single day. Be sure to keep an eye on the blog to see more ways that we are innovating the automation of life on the water!
