Hello everyone! I’ve been reading the board for months and just joined, I am so excited to be posting now!
Well, as per the subject, I am working on a dream goggle device, its actually at this stage identical to the DreamWeaver that came out oh so many years ago… I believe Djem still has the schematics on his site. Well, using almost the same schematic my device runs at the moment on a usb port and lpt port, instead of lpt and game port. This allows me to use it on my laptop and therefore actually wear it to sleep. I have not tested it yet, as I run windows 2k and as those of you farmiliar with it know, its software isn’t y2k friendly… SO I am amidst reprogramming the whole deal. When I am done the software will do what the old one did, but will also let you view a chart so you get a timeline visual of your REM sleep, as well act as a dream journal that crossreference to your chart so you can see the corelation between whats going on in your dreams and what your eyes are doing at the time…
Everything is going smooth so far, but I want your feedback! Would you guys be interested in me posting a how to build on my site? would you rather I started just selling a new package at around $100 for a completed system and software? would anyone like to see any specific features?
i’ll most likely post to my lucid dreaming site the updates on my progress, my site is still under construction as i just started it up a few days ago. I need to clean it up a bit, then I’ll add a post here with my site’s address. Then I’ll try to take tons of pics so everyone can follow along…
So you are working on an alternative NovaDreamer but a lot cheaper? Good idea macmansit! First suggestion: keep a price with less than 3 digits . Second suggestion: test test test as much as you can! Final suggestion related to second suggestion: why not use some members of this board to test it for free mrgreen: .
Actually, so far the program plays beep.wav at the time the cues go off, a default beep. All you’d need to do is replace beep.wav with any wav you want, so long as you rename it beep.wav!
I’m going to make sure my first prototype and version of software is fully operational, then I’ll ask people interested to email me and i’ll choose a couple to test the product at what it costs for the parts.
Incase you find yourself asking how i have time to do this, I own a small corporation here in California USA where I do graphic design, programming, and computer repair. Its kind of slow right now, so I am making this my priority project. I am able to make these somewhat cheap thanks to my corporate status . I only wish I could make my living off doing this type of research… I’m going to have fun logging the differences in REM patterns on nights after sex, nights after drinking, nights after taking melatonin, and nights taking vitamin B and Folic acid… I’ll have my own wannabe lucidity Institute… LOL
hi macmansit
I am spending some of my precious free time on a similar project as well.
My own design uses COM port only, it’s also powered from that, so no
external PS needed. I’ve got some test SW ready, works fine under
any flavour of Windows, but I just cannot find time to finish the damned
thing
I am considering putting the stuff on some webpage for anyone interested
to continue work on that.
I also posted here a link to a dream goggle project with PIC16F84 some time ago.
Try here.
One more tip: there’s a file called LDMON122 on KeelyNet BBS.
You may find some additional info for your project in there.
jtk - nice pics - your googles look pretty neat - its nice to see a finished product - how do they work for you?
Mine don’t need the batteries because the USB is feeding it 5v…
Actually at the moment the goggles cord ends with a parellel and game port plug at the end of it, then I have a usb game port adapter going to it and the printer plug just goes into the lpt - atleast until i can get this thing switched to usb entirely…
Well, that Kvasar PIC project isn’t mine I just found the link
the other day.
I tried to build that as well, but it is not possible to buy that sensor here
in my country, so I did some modifications to the design. Currently
I am in the process of rewriting PIC code to suit my mod, but I am
terribly short of time these days.
In my own project I decided to use COM because of problems with
direct-accessing gameport and LPT under Win NT/2k/XP. Another
advantage of COM is that it has both inputs and outputs so there’s
no need to use two different ports then.
Alright ladies and gentlemen, the initial first night’s results are in - sensor working beautifully, LED’s are fully programmable and able to be dimmed, and last but not least the software is interfacing with the device and keeping accurate log files…
Further testing is needed before I can fully complete the software and make everything publicly available… but I do have tons of photos I’ll be posting very soon - I’m on my way out to se if I can find something to keep the wires coming out of the goggles to be exposed so people won’t need to worry about frying, and I’ve already got an idea… I’m on my way to the hardware store now…
"…would you rather I started just selling a new package at around $100 for a completed system and software? "
we would rather have it for 20$:)
Its great that some people do the research on this topic and im happy to see theres some progress going on.Finally some competitveness to ND and its uneasy price:)
Wish you all the best with it:)
ps.I prolly wont become your customer very soon as my wages in this stupid country rarely go over 250 a month,but if you ever need a dream maniac to test it id be more than happy to do it.
Been into lds for over 2 yrs now,thats my huge passion andstarting from next month ill be having plenty time for sleeping:)
anyways…one more time congratullations and good luck:)
If you could provide some more information on your projects, I’m very interested in your designs, using the USB/COM port and all. I’m an engineering student who’s taking a sensors course, and building a lucid dream induction device is going to be my final project. My goals are to have no batteries and to use only one port on the computer, as well as make my device as simple and inexpensive as possible. I’ll be programming in Visual Basic 6.0, Idunno what you guys are using, but yeah. Let’s see some circuits, some photos, whatever you want to share, I’m looking for ideas, info, whatever you’ve got to spread around. Thanks much! Dream on, bros. =)
I’ve never wanted a NovaDreamer since I saw the price!
It will be cool to see how this thing evolves, maybe it could go full resale!
It sounds to be even better than te NovaDreamer, at a cheaper price
(I sound like a commercial…).
Now I just have to get a computer for my room and try to get my parents to understand what it is…
Yeah, I’ve been working hard to complete the project… Its based off schematics from Djem’s site… If you search the forum i think you can find a link. I’m still having a hard time getting the sensor to read eye movement better… I have already made three different prototypes. I have a model in swim goggles, which measured sensed movement decently, but let me tell you, waking up with a rings around my eyes and having sore eye sockets all day was not the way to go, then I made a model in safety goggles… Needless to say not the easiest things to sleep in, but better, however since the sensor then layed farther from the eyelid, there was almost null readings…
My latest version, which is everything put on a mask shaped peice of 10mil vinyl provides the flexibility to contour to the face, but unfortunately we are still having problems getting the sensor to pick up more detail, we will resolder the unit toda and pray to the lucidity gods and hopefully be able to move forward. I know I had said I was going to post pictures of the progress, and I am still working on it, but I am more interested obviously in making a working device then uploading pics of non working ones.
On a brighter note the software part of the project is near completion, leds are blinking on command, software reads and logs activity from the sensor to a ‘dreamlog’ file and its easy to open up the file and see when activity occured, the rest of the devolopment of the software at this point is waiting on the device itself to be ‘perfected’.
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SIDE NOTE TO ALL… Audible.com which i guess is a partner with amazon has a audio book called controlling your dreams, its on sale for $7, so i bought it right away and burnt it to cd, i figure, every little bit helps, and its narrated by the man himself, Stephen La Berge, so I coulsn’t pass it up… I just wanted to let everyone know so you could check it out - 1 hour of laberge’s techniques and personal experiences for $7 seemed like a steal for me… I think there is even a free 15 minute clip you can listen to on the site…
My new saying:
Live long and lucid… (while doing Vulcan hand thingy)
cool. I presume you’re using the optek sensor then, the OPB706A? I’m ordering parts tonight and I think that looks like a good sensor to suit this purpose. You said it read decently when in the goggles… how well does “decent” mean? I think with my design I’m planning to use the parallel port only, if I can. What programming language are you using? You mentioned that you’re trying to use the USB port exclusively… any luck with that?
Yeah - optek sensor, I’m getting them from digikey. I am programming in VB, as you are. I thought of going parallel only, but it would envolve much more work. I figured I’d just keep it the way it is until i have a working 100% prototype. I have a gameport to USB converter I am using, so I am half USB at the moment, but to go native 100% USB, I’d have to make a custom micro controller, and if I knew how to do that, I’d make a unit that would be self contained like the Nova Dreamer…
-yeap, I’m about to order my stuff from there in a few minutes… finally have some free time, ech. VB, huh, rock on. I haven’t started my program yet, but I want to have it do some of the things you’ve mentioned (i.e. keep a log/chart of eye movement, and allow some journaling as well) so that’s good to know others have done what I’m seeking to do. If you maybe want to share some code, I might be able to help you with your hardware…:
-I spent a while talking to faculty members at school today, and I think instead of using the game port, I’m going to stick a A-D converter into the circuit and run it all through the parallel. Once the parts get here and I have the opportunity to get hacking at it, we’ll see what I can come up with.
-yeah, USB is nice, but that’s the problem with trying to program for it… and the reason I decided to avoid it altogether. As for the novadreamer though, eh, why bother with a battery controlled device when you can have something like this, which will plug into the computer and play sound cues, keep sleep statistics, and let you journal your dreams right alongside the data from that night. With features like that, who needs that $250 rubbish, bah.
Also another idea I had; use electrodes to make a primitive EEG to track not only your REM cycle sleep, but also the stages of your NREM sleep as well, to see exactly what KIND of sleep you’re getting as the night progresses. Not sure if that’s a practical or safe idea yet (just an idea at this stage) but I plan to research possibilities in that direction and possibly incorporate that into my device. As well as a set of headphones. I listen to music every night as I fall asleep.
Let’s keep this dialogue up, I think we might be able to help one another.
I would love a program that’s cheap (ok 100 to me isn’t really cheap, but getting there) that would track my dreams. I like DJ’s but it would be good to get some connections going! Keep working on it, tell us what you come up with
I also support jbescup’s idea of using one port only, I think is good
to keep the number of wires as small as possible. On the other side
I don’t mind having a bit more complicated interface on this account.
But that’s just my personal opinion.
I am also stuck at the phase of sensor placement, it’s the real pain in the a**
jbescup, I have sent you some info via PM, maybe you will
find it useful. Regarding EEG, there’s a project called OpenEEG, but I guess it’s
too expensive to build it just for “fun”.
interesting site about the EEG stuff. I’ll have to peruse it more extensively later this week. Sounds like risky business though, from what I did read. Much more hazardous than I had thought, so maybe that idea is out… hmm. I’ll read more. Thanks for the info via PM, I think I may look into the possibility of using the serial port, after seeing what you did with it.
. Second suggestion: test test test as much as you can! Final suggestion related to second suggestion: why not use some members of this board to test it for free 
mrgreen: 
.
How much do you think it will cost, I’d buy one when I get some cash.
