This Lego Mindstorms NXT Appliance Controller allows you to turn on-and-off your Household mains powered equipment such as lights, radios, heaters, etc. via your Robot. Using this Controller in conjunction with a Lego Temperature Sensor you can control your aquarium, and even as a incubator control to hatch out bird eggs. The appliance is switched on and off using an Optically Isolated TRIAC (Electronic Relay) to safe guard the NXT from damage. You treat the controller as a standard Lego Light Sensor. The controller uses the software toggling as used for a standard Lego Light Sensor LED switching from reflected to ambient light sensing. This project needs a lot of care during construction due to the Voltages involved. 120-240V AC KILLS! Only for experienced hackers. For SAFETY the NXT 240V AC Appliance Controller has to be fitted into a suitable electrically isolated case. Full Project Details at: www.rjmcnamara.com/mindstorms/ Check-out www.youtube.com for an application of the NXT 240V AC Appliance Controller.
It’s hard to find something more ridiculous than a ,000 induction cooktop. The Thermador Freedom Induction Cooktop is further evidence that Thermador has been moving in the wrong direction. Cheap marketing gimmicks over substance, this cooktop boasts an entire surface of induction magnets, allowing you to place your pan (any size, so long as it’s induction compatible) in any part of the cooking surface. Leave it to the engineers at Thermador to bring us a feature no one has ever asked for, while ignoring the many features we do ask for. While it’s touch screen controls are very pretty, this cooktop brings nothing new to the induction technology other than a useless gimmick and a stratospheric price tag.
No one designs more ridiculous (and unreliable) toys as the Italians. The Fulgor CPLO6013TC, dubbed the “Lift”, is a full convection oven mounted into a cabinet much like a cooktop. One press of the button and it rises out of the top of your counter to greet you. This is ridiculous on so many levels, I’m not sure where to begin. For one, every single decent cook I know likes to peek through the window of the oven to check the progress of the food. Oh, and by the way, those pretty glass racks are not movable. So your food better fit.
And who doesn’t like hot food rising out of their counter-top? Or the risk of chopping off a finger when closing your oven door? In all fairness they do have a sensor to detect stray fingers. Which is mildly comforting. Price on this brilliant piece of cooking torture is a mystery to me, although it’s no doubt expensive.
