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USB MOTION DETECTOR
Turn your PC into an ambush multimedia
presenter. By Ken Delahoussaye
Gone are the days when people’s interest could hey-you ability, using a free Windows presentation
be held by simple radio or television. Today we’re applet I wrote, USB Multimedia Presenter, so that you
bombarded with information and we crave interac- can start your own kiosk advertising campaign. You
tive experiences that don’t waste a single second can also use the setup for practical jokes, or just to
of our time. Advertisers recognize the difficulty of amaze or amuse your friends.
presenting messages that cut through the clutter, To interface between the detector and computer,
and they’ve come up with creative ways to capture I used an off-the-shelf USB device which requires no
our attention. drivers to install, since it uses existing Windows driv-
Photograph by Ed Troxell
One example: the multimedia kiosk, now common ers. The detector draws all the power it needs from
in shopping malls, movie theaters, and airports. the computer, which further simplifies things. All the
Complete with an internal computer, sound card, parts for the project are easy to find, and if you have
and video graphics monitor, these dazzle stations basic soldering and mechanical skills, you can put it
can be a powerful advertising tool — especially together in a single evening.
when they have motion detection circuitry that
triggers a video presentation at the precise moment
an unsuspecting patron comes near.
This article explains how to construct a USB
motion detector that will give your computer this
Connect the Detector to
the USB Interface
Drill a
6" hole in the top of the motion detector
enclosure, to accommodate the USB cable. Center
Make: 165
