Automatic Toilet Flusher

[b1arrk5]

Take a look at the Parallax website, they have some tutorials that you can download. One of them gives an example of using the Basic Stamp freqout command to drive an infrared emitter, and then collecting the signal if it is reflected back by an object in close proximity. The neat thing about their approach is that they demonstrate that by changing the modulated frequency you can determine a relative distance to the object. So, no one in the room, no reflection, someone approaches the toilet, wait, they leave, then gosub flush. I would suggest that you also monitor the temperature of the water feed line into the toilet. If unused, the water temperature will be close to room temperature. If you sense a drop in temperature while the infrared sensor senses someone close, or shortly thereafter, then that person flushed, (your fresh water should be colder,) and you don't waste any water flushing a second time.

I'm sure that the infra-red information is in the 'Toddler' robot section of the Parallax site, and I think it appears in a few other places. You'll have to experiment to find the maximum range. Radio-Shack now carries some Parallax sensors, they have a passive infra-red motion sensor, I believe that it's only seven or eight dollars. Might be worth a look.

Good luck!

Jerry.

[Techbuilder]

That's kind of want to do

What I want is just an IR sensor that reads when a hand has been passed by it and turns the servo all the way to the left (or right) and flushes the toilet.

I made a drawing

[Pic_User]

Some ideas about this here:
Infrared Proximity Sensor
http://www.g9toengineering.com/AllSa...dproximity.htm

-Adam-

[Techbuilder]

Some ideas about this here:
Infrared Proximity Sensor
http://www.g9toengineering.com/AllSa...dproximity.htm

-Adam-

This is exactly what I am talking about

but how hard would it be to interface with a PIC?

[BobK]

Hi Techbuilder,

I really like your determination to build something. BUT, if they won't flush the toilet, what makes you think they'll wave their hand in front of a motion sensor that'll cause the toilet to flush? Here's an idea---get an under the carpet pressure pad and hook it up to an 12Fpic. Get a pretty pink toilet mat to pu over the pad. The system will sit in a WHILE/WEND loop until the USER is off the pad then it activates your solenoid to flush the toilet. Oh my gosh. I can feel the idea juices starting to flow. Is it exciting. Keep going and let us know your progress. I love this idea stuff.

HTH,

BobK

[Techbuilder]

I asked them would you at least wave your hand
and they said they would.

We don't have a carpet

Plus I think the way I drew it would be the best solution
to get them in the habbit

Yelling does nothing