In an exhibit created by Expology for Stavanger Museeum, users can use a heavy duty microscope to view specimens from the exhibit. The exhibit formerly used PIR sensors, but these had the habit of turning off if a viewer was fascinated and stood still.
Switching to the RadSense 1 sensor, removes this problem since the radar can see millimeter movements such as the viewer breathing or just moving a hand. It’s a real Presence sensor that actually knows if you are present or not. With a range of 3 meters (9 feet), the radar is perfect for projects where you want to trigger something when the viewer stands in front of it.
The sensor works without any programming right out of the box. Just connect two wires and it will work. When combined with a digital signage player from BrightSign and the IO connector on the back of it, you can create experiences that really react to the presence of exhibition visitors. We provide a full tutorial for getting started with programming the BrightSign video player as well as making the connections. To make an experience like this, you’ll only swap out the pre-recorded video with a HDMI source in the BrightAuthor software. View the sensor in action in the video below.
In the video, you can see that every time someone is away from the microscope, the BrightSIgn player will start a slideshow. When the user moves closer, the slideshow is swapped for the microscope output, allowing the user to inspect the specimens on display. So why show a slideshow? Most of the time, a user will play around with the microscope and leave it zoomed in to a detail that does not show other users why they also should play around with the Microscope. The slideshow thus serves as an “Attract mode” – pulling the user in so they want to spend time getting the microscope settings right.
The RadSense sensor is well protected in the wooden panel underneath each screen. Since it’s radar based, it can be hidden behind any non-metal object. This means that you can embed it inside furniture, walls and other objects, making it fully vandal proof. You can read more and pick up a RadSense device from here.
Please note that while the device is fully working and requires no programming, we also support customizing the device if you want to. Check our Support section for details such as schematics, pinouts and more.