Final Project Idea – The Weather Stick

For my project I’m creating a device that tells you the weather forecast. Using sound, and possibly visuals, I plan to create a wireless device which will get the latest weather report. Based on the report, it will translate this into sounds.  For example, if it is sunny out it will play sounds of the beach, or if it is cold it would play the sounds of wind blowing. My idea and interface is based on the rainsticks that come from Chile or Peru. These sticks are normally made from cactus filled with pebbles. When flipped over, the pebbles bouncing to the bottom generate what sounds like rain. Instead of cactus I will be using bamboo, which is easier to find and work with then cactus, and embed it with speakers to create sounds of different types of weather. An accelerometer inside the stick will detect the motion and play the tracks when the stick is flipped over. I may also add a visual element using fiber optic cables that change colors/brightness in correspondence with the weather/temperature. The general goal of my project is to create something that tells you the weather in a more interesting and visceral way.