Interactive LED coffee table kits

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By Gareth Branwyn
Posted 2007/09/26 @ 8:00 pm
Category Craft, Electronics

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories has teamed up with Because We Can to create two awesome interactive LED coffee tables with hundreds of LEDs in the tops that respond to motion. Because We Can is selling completed tables for $1800 to $2500. EMS Labs is selling the LED tabletop kits (you provide the table and endless hours of soldering) for $350 or $450 (depending on the number of LED panels).

Interactive LED Coffee Tables: Update and kits! – Link

BY Gareth Branwyn

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture, including the first book about the web (Mosaic Quick Tour) and the Absolute Beginner's Guide to Building Robots. He is currently working on a best-of collection of his writing, called Borg Like Me.

In the Maker Shed

8 Responses to Interactive LED coffee table kits

amp2003 on September 27th, 2007 at 7:13 am said:

I’ve poked around EMS’s and BWC’s websites a bit, but I can’t find any schematics. I’m guessing this isn’t an open source project. If someone knows differently, I’d like to find out.

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secret-agent-toast on September 27th, 2007 at 8:26 am said:

This is Jeffrey from BWC. I bet if you contact Windell directly at EMS he might share them. As far as I know it’s not currently open source.

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amp2003 on September 27th, 2007 at 9:09 am said:

Thanks!

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Larry on March 21st, 2008 at 2:40 pm said:

Are there no smart people that could provide a schematic? Thanks

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Scotchfox on March 28th, 2008 at 1:58 am said:

Yep… I made one.. Well, only one panel. However! I changed their idea from a “motion” detector, which it really isnt. All it’s doing is activating an LED dimming circuit with a phototransistor. Not that hard, seriously. If you want one like the one they have made, you could easily make one yourself, instead of paying $2500 for a bloody table. AND who wants a table that lights up in the light ? Wouldn’t a table that lights up in the dark be better ? Which brings me to my schematic. I have made a similar table that pretty much does the same thing, but without the requierment of light. Light or dark, my table works.. well, at least the one panel

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asteronimo on September 28th, 2008 at 7:13 am said:

Scotchfox,

I also tried to build my own panel, but I’ve found it very difficult to set the threshold for photosensors to respond exactly the same way to levels of light and darkness.

How did you solve this problem?

- Asteronimo

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slobodan on November 7th, 2009 at 7:23 pm said:

hi i am an amateur electronic and i saw this project its looks very very pretty for my room but when i saw the price on evilmadscientist i disapointed because its too much mabye he askas for real price but most peoples cant afford it so i start searching the diagram to try to make it my self but after i find 4 diagrams none of it wasnt working (. so does anyone have an idea how this functions and what parts are in game or the best its does anyone have any diagram solution of this?. Thanks in front guys

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Leonard on November 13th, 2009 at 11:57 am said:

Erm I also though phototransistor would work but “it only switches on when there is an absence of light, right? That brings me to “motion detectors” the type used in house alarms. It sounds like the obvious solutions. But I feel to make it more realistic there is a bit more behind this project.

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