About this project
Some examples
Suppose you have a blog, you can make your WPLight blink when you have some comments to approve.
Another scenario: if you have an eCommerce, you can make it blink when you have new orders.
If you have a magazine with many authors, you can make it blink when there are new articles waiting for approval.
If you want your site always up to date you can make it blink when there are updates to install.
And so on... There are a lot of possibilities for this nice Internet of Things device.
For WordPress sites and more!
Yes, the WP at the beginning of WPLight means WordPress.
Since most of web developers use WordPress CMS to build sites, we created a plugin to connect the lamp to WordPress and make it blink on many predefined rules (keep reading to see the rules), so you don't need to write a line of code.
But the WPLight could talk with every CMS and every server, because it comes with an API for developers.
Open source API for developers
The WPLight will have an open API software and with our documentation every developer will be able to talk with its WPLight.
You will be able to create your own script to turn on the WPLight on a different CMS, such as Drupal or Joomla or you will be able to talk to the light with a different language.
You could make it blink for new incoming emails, or if a site is down, or whatever you want!
The prototype
The nice italian designed light in the photos is an original shape created by Andrea Barra, it's 15 cm tall and has a square base of 5x5 cms.
We made the prototype using DIY electronics, laser cut plexiglass and a 3D printed case, soldering, gluing, testing... We developed the software inside the lamp and the WordPress plugin on the server. This first WPLight works!
But it cost too much, 3D printing case is very expensive.
Now we need your help to make it a product, we need money to switch to plastic injection molding to lower the price of the case, and move electronics to a compact Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to make assembly process faster.
Configuring WPLight
The WPLight is easy to configure, you can use your smartphone or a computer with wi-fi connection: just connect the power and you will see the WPLight in the list of available wi-fi networks.
Already available rules to make the WPLight blink
- Pending comments
- Pending posts
- Draft posts
- WordPress and plugins updates
- Any WordPress updates
- Pending orders (WooCommerce plugin and WP Commerce plugin)
- Blink on new shares (Top Stories plugin)
- New contact forms (Contact Form DB)
Suggest your own rule
More details!
Scalability: You can connect many WPLight to the same WordPress site, so you can have two lights, one that blinks on a rule and another one that blinks on another rule.
Blinking Speed: The blink speed changes on an incremental basis, for example: with many comments it blinks faster
Open for developers: If you're a developer you can create your own trigger in WordPress and, with our documentation, also outside WordPress.
Software updates: The WordPress plugin will be free and updated throught standard WordPress plugin site, so new triggers will be made available for all users.
Project timeline
- 3D printed prototype, DONE!
- Crowdfunding, STARTED! until 20/01/2017
- Closure of the injection mold project, end of January
- Electronic boards order, end of January
- Beginning printing plastic injection mold, end of February
- First arrivals of plastic lamps and electronic boards, March
- Installing and testing software, April
- Tuning WordPress software, April
- Closure of injection mold production, April
- Plastic lamps arrivals, May
- Assembly electronics and plastic lamps, June
- Shipping, July
Risks and challenges
The prototype is fully working, we are asking quotes to better understand prices and timing for plastic injection molding and for the PCB. We hope to assembly the WPLights faster.
We're also asking quotes to handle shipping.
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.