Process

- We began the process by brainstorming about ideas through which we can connect people over long distance with Internet of Things . We generated concepts such as Teddy Hug , two teddy bears that are separated and light up when hugged , Replicating or mirroring music played by the partner . Post a few rounds of brainstorming we conceptualized an idea of connecting people over the most loved beverage - A cup of Coffee !! We chose to use the weight of coffee when poured in as an indicator to communicate with a cup situated at a distance .

- Next, we started working on the code to realize this concept. It is written in such a way that when liquid(coffee) is being poured into the glass, the increase in weight is detected by a force sensor and the mug lights up in blue. The matching cup lights up in blue indicating to the partner that it is time for a coffee break. When they pour their drink into their glass, both the mugs turn green. The same code runs on both devices.

- The hardware for this concept was designed initially using a button switch. However, we wanted to add another layer of intimacy and decided to use an fsr sensor so that the brightness of the lights depends directly on the amount of liquid poured into the mug. This way, the second partner can see how much coffee is poured into the first mug and understand how much time their partner can spare for this coffee break.