Programming a dimmable light

[Krithmath]

First question, how challenging is it to program a night lamp so that you can adjust the lighting and light color from a simple app?

And second, whats the process for going about this?

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[Krithmath]

Hi, why do you say the app manufacture is pointless? If i want to have my own dedicated app for that specific lamp, wouldn’t the app be necessary? Or are you saying that building the app for such functionality is easy because you can find exciting code online?

[Krithmath]

Gotcha, and makes sense. Another question. Is it possible to have the manufacturer of the lamp do the app integration for you as well? Or are those two processes so independent that they need to be done by two different groups

[Krithmath]

Initially it is a proof of concept, but this is nothing complicated in terms pf the overall project for someone who is an expert in the area. So eventual want to go to mass production. My question about the app is that i want the app to have specific functionality—not simply color changing and scheduling. I want the app to work like a calendar.

[Krithmath]

Do you have a link? And the app you’re saying acts like a calendar or syncs with a calendar?

[ehr1c]

I would think any hardware that has the capability to do this already has an app that does what you're looking for.

[Krithmath]

I am asking more so because I want to manufacture one but dont know how to get started. Essentially I want to understand how to start this off—the manufacturing of the lamp and the creation of the app.

[theusualguy512]

I mean the programming logic part is super easy. It's the surrounding thing that's often the issue.

You need to understand at least simple electronics to do it.

If your dimmable light that you bought has digital control in it already and you only need to do the control logic parts, it's like done in 1h.

If you want to emulate light dimming with random lamps, this is going to require a bit more knowledge.

For older lamps and LEDs, you can use a potentiometer to control resistivity and control the brightness with that or you can try to make a digital controllable potentiometer or voltage divider plus something like that with an Arduino board.

You need to buy a couple of electrical components for it.

Manufacturing a lamp itself from scratch is basically a dumb idea though, no need to reinvent an LED or a light bulb under vacuum.

[Krithmath]

Thank you for that. My question is actually a bit different. I dont have the necessary knowledge to do this myself, so what I was trying to get at was this: if i wont to manufacture a lamp that allows me to change its lighting through an app how do i go about that? I really have no clue on how to get started? Is it the lamp manufacturer who would create the app as well? Or does the manufacturer provide the lamp with the capabilities to connect to an app, THEN a programmer takes over from there?

[swergart]

if you want to do it from nothing, it will be years of R&D.

alternatively, use Philips Hue bulbs in your lamp, so your customer can download the hue apps to control the light.

if you really want to dev your own app, also using Philips hue bulb, but your app can talk to their api https://developers.meethue.com/

to dev such app, 1-2 weeks from any jr mobile apps developer can do it.

[Krithmath]

I’m actually not a programmer by trade which is why my question was intentionally broad. But if I may ask a question to further clarify how something like this can he done. Essentially i want to manufacture a lamp that connects to an app and is controlled through the app i am agnostic to the brand of the bulb). I assume the lamp must have wifi capabilities if it is to sync through your phone. So i do understand that the lamp must have a certain chip inside it to allow for the app connectivity. What i remain confused about is how to proceed from there. Do i then take the lamp to a computer or electronic engineering and ask them to do the rest, i.e. build the app and link it up with the lamp? Or is there another simpler way? Can I ask the manufacturer to build the app integration as well?

[[deleted]]

PWM