BOBBY THE LAMP

Meet Bobby the Lamp!

Learn more about Bobby the Lamp on the Projects page.

Bobby the lamp is an interactive modern art display that demonstrates the unity of the internet. Bobby is a LED panel that can be manipulated by anyone on the entire globe. All that is required is an internet connection and the link below. The panel can be changed to any color and a variety of color effects at any time, from any location, by any person. While the world may feel huge, the goal of this project is to demonstrate how the network of computers that we call the internet can help make this vast place feel a bit more interconnected. Bobby is 600 individual LEDs, a central control box that handles all of the incoming requests, as well as a two-foot by four-foot frame, and a 1.5-millimeter polycarbonate diffuser that creates the glowing effect from the panel. The process by which an incoming request to the panel is handled is very interesting and most likely simpler than what you may anticipate. To begin, the first step is accessing the Bobby the Lamp mobile site, this can be found at the link below. The next step is to choose the control Bobby the Lamp option from the list. You are then redirected to the control dashboard. On this dashboard, you will be greeted with a plethora of options, ranging from standard colors to more complex lighting effects. Once you select an effect there is a two-second cool down before you can choose another to avoid humans spamming the controls. Next, your request is sent from your mobile device via an API post to a server that redirects your request. This post is then redirected to Amazon Alexa who then sends the requested effect to Bobby the Lamp. This method is the most secure way of letting others manipulate the device within my home network without risking network security.