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*Checklist: personal*
- [ ] DeepL check spelling, grammar
- [ ] GPTcheck for better markdown
- [x] repair file links, replace .png -> .jpg; .mov -> .mp4, .webp
- [x] compress all files before push

- [ ] embed overview picture of the demonstrator board
- [x] embed repro shots Luedo
- [x] migrate old existing final Page

LUEDO - Magnetically charging accessibility light

What is LUEDO?

A multifunctional light that is accessible to people with haptic limitations. 'LUEDO' is magnetically charged by standard MagSafe/Qi2 pucks. It can be mounted on different types of vehicles such as wheelchairs, bicycles, scooters or walkers.

Existing 'LUEDO' Project

In November 2024 I took part in and won the ideas competition for lighting technology at the TU Ilmenau. From there, the LUEDO idea was born and I decided to continue working on it and develop it into a working product prototype.

What motivated me during the development and how did I solve it?

Conventional lights, as we know them from bicycles, have complicated mounting systems that have always disappointed me for various reasons. They are not intuitive to use, require two hands and are difficult to handle for people with motor impairments. They break easily and are not resilient. To make a lamp waterproof, charging ports are covered with rubber. The simplest solution is inductive charging and magnetic fixing. Magnetic charging and fixing means that no charging plugs or cables are needed, so the lamp is a closed system. Water and dirt cannot penetrate.

Another thing that has always bothered me about bicycle lights is that when you come home at night and look for your keys or rummage around in your bag and the light somehow comes on, it's always far too bright, which means it's dazzling. How do we react to bright light? We blink, close our eyes and hold our hand towards the light source to dim it. The way we react, the technology around us should react too! Simply cover the lens of the lamp with your hand and the surroundings are bathed in soft, warm white light.

This is done with the help of an infrared reflection light barrier, which recognizes that an object is in front of the lens, in this case a hand or part of the body, and the lamp switches the cold white main light off and on to the warm white ambient light. With this ambient light, it is easy to play cards in the evening with good lighting or to look for something in a tent when camping.

In order to keep the subsequent production costs low and leave it up to the user to decide whether it is a front or rear light, both lamps are exactly the same. When mounted on a vehicle (bicycle, wheelchair, ...), the light does not need to be switched on, as the microcontroller recognizes the magnetic engagement on the bracket and then switches the light on. The bracket attached to the vehicle uses a Hall sensor to indicate whether the light is white (front light) or red (rear light).

Conventional lamps often have a button with which you have to switch between different menus, between flashing, non-flashing, bright or dark. Intuitive and simple operation and handling are at the forefront of my lamp. If the lamp is to be used after a trip with a vehicle (bicycle, wheelchair, ...), it must also function as a normal flashlight, for which there is a button on the back that is pressed once to switch on the cold white light. People with shaky hands, for example, can operate the large button better, as the concave shape directs the movement to the button. (It is also less likely to be switched on accidentally in a rucksack).

The batteries of commercially available lighting systems are often empty or the appropriate USB-C charging cable is currently occupied by a cell phone - so the lamps are not ready for use or only to a limited extent. Of course, this can be solved with a better routine and repeated charging. But many people find it difficult to sort things out and follow structures to maintain such a routine. (e.g. people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short) This is why the newly developed concept always has a fixed place. There is a docking station, e.g. preferably right next to the front door, like a key that you take with you when you leave the house. With a fixed place, you don't have to worry about where the lamp is or whether it is even charged, i.e. you are always ready to go. As the lamp is charged via Qi2 (standard for inductive charging), smartphones, headphones and other electronic devices can also be charged on the dock.

But the road to a market-ready product is still long, and the list of possible functions and improvements is constantly growing. In the future, I would like to deepen my knowledge of accessibility design in order to design products that are even better tailored to the needs of users.

The section above: What motivated me during the development and how did I solve it? was originally written for the university's competition in German and then auto-translated with DeepL for the FabAcademy.

What will I add to this Project during FabAcademy?

The scope for the FabAcademy Final project:
During the coming weeks I want to improve my product development skills and transform the above shown demonstration board (proof of concept) into a fully thought-out prototype. This prototype will be used to assess a possible development into a marketable product.

The prototype should include the following features: - Qi2 implementation with magnets - opaque upper half-shell with surrounding light - easy access screws - lenses design - reflector design - protection against dust and water - Hall sensors for mounting bracket detection - integrated PCB - charge indicator - IR distance sensor (reflective)

List of Ideas that could be added: - integrate everything into a working prototype - new housing - integrate an bluetooth/gps tracker mount (AirTag integration) - Reverse wireless charging - acceleration sensor - trickle charge between lights magnetically - powerdrop smartphone, headphones

Fist Idea Sketches

first idea sketch with 1. magnetic ring, 2. top view, 3. rear view with button, 4. isometric view

Three-sided view, lamp made of two aligning shells.

Research: FabCare network

I am looking forward to contact the FabCare Network and discuss the accessability aspect of the project. Their Toolbox might be helpful during the product development. FabCare was born in 2021 from an initiative by OpenDot Fab Lab with FabLab Kamp-Lintfort. They are partners of the Tikkun Olam Makers

Tasks:

Management tasks: - Requirements catalog - Accessibility requirements analysis - Stakeholder analysis - Define target group - Create schedule - Sustainability concept - openSource create Business Model Canvas - what is needed for a Qi2 certification? - Company foundation? - StVo requirements - define use cases - create program flowchart - magnet research - measure Hall sensors - ambient light function

Hardware tasks: - Housing material selection - measure the existing acceleration to choose magnets - opaque upper half-shell - Design brackets - Surfaces and haptics analysis - Qi2 implementation - Check Qi2 holding force - select battery - Select hygienic materials - Implement screws - light radiation characteristics - button design - PCB design - protection against dust and water - charging station design - write embedded software - charge indicator - IR function, dimming - slow dimming on approach, snap to ambient lighting