Apply HN: AJ's American Garage – The Ghost Door (Device) | Hacker News Reader

Apply HN: AJ's American Garage – The Ghost Door (Device)

1 pointajsgarage5 comments

Video Introduction, Timeline Estimate, and Transcript available here:

http://www.ajsamericangarage.com

I call it The Ghost Door. It is a device to open and close various types of hinged doors and latch them closed using undisclosed sensor systems. I have the drawings and design ready to begin prototyping, and by dedicating myself full-time to learning and implementing small scale tech like Arduino/Pi/Intel/etc materials, it’s about working to bring an idea to functional concept. It helps to have a programming background of sorts, and the skills to research the right guides to do small time electronics work like soldering and working through issues. I can totally build this thing in my garage if I had the time and money, at least to the point of working with some engineers to optimize it for mass production.

What’s great about the product from an investment and revenue standpoint is that it works in both “retro-fit” and “brand new” applications. It should be able to be mounted and used on interior doors for the mobility impaired or for convenience.

In conjunction with manufacturers, the design and technology can also be incorporated into industrial / commercial / medical door applications as a competitor to existing products. As of now, it’s not quite an ‘internet of things’ device — thinking of security here — but the potential to be such a device is built-in to the concept’s scope. The device has one primary goal: To open and close doors in a novel manner that will be a profitable product.

For those who may not click the link, I would like to note that I performed an ~8 minute presentation in my garage to get a more personal introduction to me as a potential founder. I've looked through quite a few entries thus far and pretty sure it's a unique approach, at least it's a custom video for this opportunity. It's not terrible if you don't mind thought out, rehearsed pitches!

How does it work? Why would someone want it?

Thanks for asking, I'll go to it:

As for its operation: it's an attachment that fits to an existing door and uses motors to open it in a new way. The device is designed to have multiple input mechanisms, such as auditory (hand claps), light, or vibration (taps), and run on basic AA battery technology. In an industrial setting it could be keyed to RFID or other mechanisms to work as the mechanical assist to open/close a door with larger power and design optimization.

As for who would want it, there is a 'basic' version intended for senior citizens and pet owners, up to a 'connected' variant which can have all sorts of activation programming conditions. Essentially if one wants a door to open by itself, as though a ghost was doing it for them, this is the mechanism for that convenience.

This might be a cool gimmick to have at high end luxury hotels eg.) the Conrad, Ritz, four seasons that when your room key RFID is tapped instead of having to manually open your door it opens for you.

I personally see it as a Luxury Gimmick but im sure there are other more essential markets for it

Make sure you get some kind of Patent as the patent is where the value will be

Thank you very much for the note; yes the patent process is step one. I built a timeline graphic that's in the linked site.

I was also thinking like industrial or medical applications, so that doors would be hands free. As a home device, I'd like to make a really simple version - think The Clapper for lights [1] - that could help elderly or mobility impaired people in their own homes. I've had a great introduction with a Patent Attorney who will assist crafting a broad, useful patent application, which is exiting in its own right!

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clapper

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