Just heard that a guy created a satellite that weighs 64 grams (worlds smallest & lightest) and he's just 18 years old and, he's an Indian. And NASA is launching it. Wonder how these guys can shrink such big things into such small things. Anyway my need here is something similar. Wait! No, No! Not really rocket science. I may one day very well do rocket science. But before I get there, let me start out from the basics. Not the subject basics, but the very basic thing to have a successful career. WAKING UP EARLY IN THE MORNING.
I have a bunch of cousins & we all sleep in the same room. My alarm is so deceiving that it wakes up everybody, but me! (I still cant get it). No wonder I have no more permissions to keep alarms in the house. So I need something which keeps it simple & personal. Something that can wake me up(ONLY ME) without making any noise. Like a wrist strap that contains 1 or 2 or a bunch (if needed) of vibrators (coin vibrators) that can shake me up & wake me(I may be getting a bit rude on myself but believe me, this guy deserves it). I may find something like it online or at a store. But I thought - HOW ABOUT I DO IT BY MYSELF. In fact, that eagerness is what brought me to AAC. I googled & gathered some information. But Experts prevail. Ideas, suggestions & instructions are appreciated.
SO WHO'S ON BOARD IN THIS MISSION OF WAKING ME UP EARLY.

-- R@J

 

A vibrating watch may not solve the problem. I think it would likely be loud enough to wake anyone nearby and possibly not enough to wake you. I suppose you could test it as a strategy, and I recommend you do this before you set off to try to build one. Use a phone that vibrates and strap it to your wrist, or something like that to try the concept.

The little motors that provide the vibration in a phone can be purchased inexpensively, or you could even remove one from an old cellphone. They spin an off-balance weight. If this was removed from the enclosure of a phone or watch so that the rotating weight actually contacts your skin directly (perhaps through a flexible barrier), that might be a more invasive signal to wake you up.

I'm almost afraid to tell you the first thing that crossed my mind - electric shock. Are you familiar with TENS devices? These produce a high voltage series of pulses which are applied to your skin. This stimulates muscles to contract and has therapeutic value. It would also be very difficult to sleep through but is completely silent. Except for your reaction, of course. You might be able to build TENS capability into a watch-like device.

 

Hello @wayneh ! Thanks for the reply.

I think it would likely be loud enough to wake anyone nearby and possibly not enough to wake you.

The sound of the vibration is far less compared to an alarm. No problem if it gets upto the one beside me. I don't think the sound is so much to wake one up. Even if it does, its okay.

The little motors that provide the vibration in a phone can be purchased inexpensively, or you could even remove one from an old cellphone. They spin an off-balance weight.

I think a coin vibrator is preferable over the conventional motor which works based on an off-balanced weight. It works based on some disc, a spring and an electromagnetic field; I suppose. Its flat and can be easily incorporated.

I'm almost afraid to tell you the first thing that crossed my mind - electric shock. Are you familiar with TENS devices?

Oh boy! Alright, I agree I'm bad. But surely not bad enough to be given an electric shock. I'm my mom's only elder son. So lets skip that idea for now.

-- R@J

 

But surely not bad enough to be given an electric shock. I'm my mom's only elder son

Come to think of it, it's not a bad idea... but you would need to be shocked twice... the first one to wake you up... and the second to restart your heart!

 

Come to think of it, it's not a bad idea... but you would need to be shocked twice... the first one to wake you up... and the second to restart your heart!

Yeah! I can consider it. But all the electronic projects that I did till now have a history of working only for once.Now, that sounds fishy!

 

All joking aside, the TENS signal is variable intensity and pattern (ramping, throbbing, frequency variation, etc.). I'm certain you could find an acceptable level that would get the job done. Perhaps the only reason you don't see this already on the market are the regulatory problems for anything that applies electricity to skin. Not a hurdle if you are making it for yourself.

I haven't looked, but it wouldn't surprise me to find a TENS device already on the market that can be programmed to come on at a certain time.

 

Here's my strategy:

When I first realised the need for something like this, I thought of a simple wrist band that can vibrate at a pre-defined time. The wrist band contains, like, 3 or 4 vibrators arranged in a serial order. Cause 1 vibrator definitely doesn't have the capability to wake me up. Vibrators come all around my wrist, packed inside the strap. But how to make all the vibrators go buzzzzz at the same time? How to tell them that the time is up?
At first I thought of integrating a bluetooth module into the wrist band, create a mobile app, connect the wrist band to mobile through bluetooth, make the mobile take care of the time keeping and alert the wrist band to go buzzzz through bluetooth.(Alright, not an ideal approach. Agreed. But somehow I wanna get the job done.)
It may work. But later I realised, instead of a bluetooth module I may very well bring on the entire time module into the gear. Depending on another device(a smart phone) for this one to work isn't a good idea. More over a time module eliminates the bluetooth module, mobile and mobile app.
This is the design I have in mind - The time module and the display comes in the center(like any other watch). The straps on both ends come packed with vibrators(may be 2 on either side).
Other points to note:
• I'm not a professional in Electronics. I CAN'T design circuits. I saw guys design circuits and order pcbs where all the parts come together integrated in the single board.
• So I thought of buying the different parts (display, microcontroller board,a 3 way navigation switch, battery, vibrators) individually and bring them together.
• An additional time module makes the set up heavy. I prefer to use some time function to keep time. It may deprive me of accuracy. But I dont mind adjusting the time often.Cause my aim isn't to build a watch that shows me accurate time, but which can wake me up at a certain time.
• Microcontrollers are a mystery to me. I know not how to get along with them. Of course I haven't ever tried. I want an MC board small enough for the apparatus with enough memory.

Uffff.......That's it. Over to you guys.

 

@wayneh
An electric shock is what came into my mind first. But my heart was a bit reluctant about it. I agree with you that the TENS signal will get the job done. I will try it someday. But first I wanna see how the vibrator thing works out. If it fails then I'll think of employing the TENS signal.

 

At first I thought of integrating a bluetooth module into the wrist band, create a mobile app, connect the wrist band to mobile through bluetooth, make the mobile take care of the time keeping and alert the wrist band to go buzzzz through bluetooth.

I actually think that's the best approach. It offloads as many functions as possible to the smartphone and thus simplifies your work.

To get started on a prototype, I'd be tempted to use a very simple device that can see the downturned face of your smartphone. Lay your phone face down over a photocell. When the phone lights up in the morning – no sound – the 'receiver' triggers your wrist band. That trigger could be over bluetooth, but for testing purposes it could just be a wire. A wire in bed is not viable in a finished product but it could help get started testing.

Another idea is to hack a wristwatch and intercept the alarm signal for your trigger. There are many projects on the internet that do exactly this.

 

Perhaps the only reason you don't see this already on the market are the regulatory problems for anything that applies electricity to skin. Not a hurdle if you are making it for yourself.

Going by recent TV commercials for TENS-like devices for things like pain relief, I am guessing that the restrictions have been greatly reduced. These devices seem to be available without a prescription.

Edit: I just remembered seeing a TV commercial for a belt that exercises the abs. This says that the TENS signal is strong enough to tense the muscles (painfully).

 

Going by recent TV commercials for TENS-like devices for things like pain relief, I am guessing that the restrictions have been greatly reduced. These devices seem to be available without a prescription.

Oh absolutely they are. They're only about $30 (after a 90% discount from the $300 MSRP ) and include a microprocessor interface controller. It's possible there is a limit to the power they can deliver. I had one treatment at my chiropractor's office that was considerably more powerful than these small devices.

 

Oh absolutely they are. They're only about $30 (after a 90% discount from the $300 MSRP ) and include a microprocessor interface controller. It's possible there is a limit to the power they can deliver. I had one treatment at my chiropractor's office that was considerably more powerful than these small devices.

I just did this search: electric musle exerciser.
A real eye-opener. I did not see any for $30, though.

 

I just did this search: electric musle exerciser.
A real eye-opener. I did not see any for $30, though.

Here's just one. Many, many others.

 

Here's just one. Many, many others.

I was fixating on muscle exercisers. Do you think the pain relieving units are powerful enough to wake someone up from sleep?

 

I was fixating on muscle exercisers. Do you think the pain relieving units are powerful enough to wake someone up from sleep?

Oh yes!

 

Some water that dumps on you. A modified super soaker squirt gun. I'm thinking more of a small amount that literally drops on your face.

 

Some water that dumps on you. A modified super soaker squirt gun. I'm thinking more of a small amount that literally drops on your face.

I have a feeling that this is going to be a fun thread.
A.H.W.

 

Read the AAC User Agreement. An electric shock circuit is strickly verboten. A 42-pound cannonball to the head is perfectly acceptable.

 

Like this one:

 

Read the AAC User Agreement. An electric shock circuit is strickly verboten. A 42-pound cannonball to the head is perfectly acceptable.

@MrChips @Wendy @nerdegutta @bertus @DickCappels @Georacer
Think it's time to revise the AAC User Agreement to include cannon balls.
A.H.W.