Breath-over-IP a new sense of feeling online

Taking the word "feel” to a new horizon, Breath-over-IP, a new PHY2PHY project by Thomas Edwards, enables the user to deliver his breath across the internet and receive it back.

This project is based on Arduino with a double stack of SparkFun protoshield, an AdaFruit Xport shield and Lantronix Xport Direct for the communications and control modules. This project is composed of a Breath sensor and Breath Impeller.

First he constructed a breath impeller with a Kestrel anemometer impellers and FastSteel, used to mount the IR LED and phototransistor. Gutted case fans could've been used but they are a bit too hard to blow, which would've reduced the sensors' sensitivity.

To build a breath sensor, Edwards used a side-looking NTE 3029B IR LED and a NTE 3034A IR phototransistor detector. For transporting the breath to the other side he used a powerful 12VDC fan, over which he mounted and welded the impeller, IR LED and phototransistor into a piece of PVC pipe. PVC pipe was use to guard the sensitive impeller against stray wind from the fan.

Via: TechArtBlog/Make