Useless Mirror

This Useless Mirror is a project that uses facial regocnition and DC Gear Motors to create a mirror that tilts its angles in response to a person's gaze. The mirror is equipped with a camera (in our case the OpenMV Cam H7) that detect when a person is looking at it, and then adjusts its angles accordingly and therefore makes it useless.

Project by:

Simon Joller, Hamed Behmanesh, and Seyedehgelareh Sanei

This project was conducted as part of the Computational Design and Digital Fabrication seminar in the ITECH master's program.

Electronics:

• OpenMV Cam H7 or Arduino Portenta H7
• 2x DC Motor
• L298N Motor Driver
• 9V Battery
• Jumper wires

Frame:

• Mirror
• Plexiglass or Wood 2mm
• Wooden handle
• Glue
• Paint, glitter, strings or whatever you like for decration

The first step involves measuring the mirror and designing a frame to accommodate it.

The mirror is fixed to a backplate using glue, ensuring a secure attachment. To provide further stability and support, an additional spacer frame is placed around the edges of the mirror. A front plate is added to prevent the mirror from accidentally falling out of the frame and acts as a decorative layer.

Important: In order to integrate the OpenMV camera into the frame, a specific cutout is required. This cutout allows for the camera to be embedded seamlessly into the frame, ensuring proper alignment and functionality

The mechanical component responsible for adjusting the mirror angles is connected to a secondary plate. Within this assembly, a universal ball joint is located at the midpoint, serving as the pivotal point for the mirror. This ball joint allows for flexible movement and rotation, enabling the mirror to change its angles smoothly. Two smaller-scale ball joints positioned on either side of the mirror facilitate its movement. These identical ball joints enable the mirror to adjust its orientation.

With the essential parts assembled and the glue dried, the mechanism assembly begins. Two DC gear motors are positioned at the ends of the top and side ball joints. A rotating disk with a hole is attached to the ends of the hooks connected to the ball joint, enabling the motors to translate rotational motion into linear movement for adjusting the mirror. (Make sure that the hooks are fixed propperly to the rotating disk)

Attach the camera securely into the designated hole on the mirror frame, ensuring proper alignment. Connect the L298N Motor Driver and a 9V battery to the backplate, providing power and control for the motorized movement of the mirror.

To hook up the circuit, follow the circuit diagram and connect the L298N Motor Driver, OpenMV camera, two DC Gear Motors, and 9V battery accordingly. Ensure the proper wiring connections to establish the functional circuitry for controlling the mirror's movement.

To enable motor movement in response to a face appearing in front of the mirror, we utilized the facial recognition features of OpenMV. The logic for this functionality is described in the diagram. When a face is detected, two DC motors are activated. These motors are connected to mechanical parts that convert circular motion into back and forth linear motion. These mechanical parts are attached to the mirror and cause it to shake, creating a dynamic effect.

In the final step, a wooden handle was attached to the backplate of the mirror, serving both functional and aesthetic purposes. The mirror was then decorated by applying golden paint with glitter, creating a visually appealing finish. Additionally, strings were wrapped around the handle, adding an extra decorative touch to the mirror assembly.