Building plans explained and some Rock n´Roll!

Building plans explained. Measurements and some tech stuff.

First floor:

1 Entrance. 1 x 4m, 4m2.

2 Dining area. 5,3 x 8m, 42,4m2.

3 Living room. 5,3 x 8m, 42,4m2.

4 Guestroom 1. 4 x 4m, 16m2.

5 Guestroom 2. 4 x 4m, 16m2.

6 Bathroom 1. 2 x 2,77m, 5,54m2.

7 Kitchen. 3,5 x 3,5m, 12,25m2.

8 Scullery. 3,5 x 3,14m, 10,99m2

9 Tech room. 2,5 x 2,5m, 6,25m2.

10 Studio, control room. 2,22 x 2,5m, 5,55m2.

11 Studio, storage. 4,5 x 1,4m, 6,3m2.

12 Studio: recording area. 4 x 4,5m, 18m2.

13 Garage/workshop etc. 14 x 12m, 168m2. Se nedan.

14 Large patio, East. 15,4 x 5m, 77m2.

15 Large patio, South. 4 x 11,5m, 46m2.

16 Small patio, West. 12,4 x 4, 49,6m2.

17 Fireplace

Second floor:

1 Walk in closet. 3 x 4m, 12m2.

2 Master bedroom. 7 x 4,6m. 32,2m2.

3 Master bathroom 1. 3 x 4m, 12m2.

4 Office. 7,2 x 4m, 28,8m2.

5 Bedroom 1. 4 x 6,03m, 24,12m2.

6 Smal living room. 4 x 4m, 16m2.

7 Bedroom 2. 4 x 6,03m, 24,12m2.

8 Bathroom. 2,53 x 4m, 10,12m2

9 Second floor patio, east. 12 x 3m, 36m2.

10 Second floor patio, west. 12 x 3m, 36m2.

11 Fireplace

Garage/Workshop etc.

1 Garage/Workshop. 9,4 x 12m, 112,8m2 (varav Gym 10m2).

2 Gym. 2 x 5m, 10m2. Se ovan.

3 Media/Relax. 4,6 x 5,4m, 24,48m2.

4 Bar. 4 x 2m, 8m2.

5 Shower and dressing room. 2,13 x 1,37m + 4 x 1,87m, 10,4m2.

6 Sauna. 2,5 x 2m, 5m2.

7 Entrance, East.

8 Scullery

Ok, so by now you should have a relatively good idea of the floor plan.

Gear and gadgets, first revision and the general idea.

Now were getting a little more in depth, this is the preliminary spec for each room. Computers, soundsystems, televisions, control panels etc. Both equipment i deem necessary and some ”spaced out” stuff. I will also write spec sheets for all included items, computer components, control panels etc. Does the surround pre-amp really need fully balanced XLR connections? Why? Why Cat6e/7 FTP? Why not UTP? All questions will be answered and I’m sure new gadgets and specs will be added. As always a work in progress and I’m posting as often as I can. Your thoughts and ideas are always welcome.

First floor:

1 Entrance: Control panel. 2pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Entry phone with Webcam.

2 Dining area: Control panel. 8pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Big LCD/Plasma screen (50”-65”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen. Tablet. Dining table which is also a touchscreen computer! (World’s largest iPad?) 3-4pcs Webcams.

3 Living room. Control panel. 7.2 Surround Pre-Amp and power amps. 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Gaming console. Custom built speakers of my own design (?). Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (65”-?”?). Tablet. Projector, HD and 3D. Living room/Coffee table which is also a touchscreen computer! (World’s second largest iPad?) Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. Projector in the ceiling and the projection screen as well. 3-4pcs Webcams. Big LCD/Plasma screen (50”-65”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen.

4 Guestroom 1. Control panel. 5.1 ”In-Wall” Surround system. 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Gaming console. Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (55”-65”?). Tablet. Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. Computer. Laptop. 1-2pcs Webcams. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen.

5 Guestroom 2. Control panel. 5.1 ”In-Wall” Surround system. 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Gaming console. Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (55”-65”?). Tablet. Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. Computer. Laptop. 1-2pcs Webcams. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen.

6 Bathroom 1. Control panel. 2pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Internet connected scale. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. Tablet.

7 Kitchen. Control panel. 4 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Built in computer. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. Internet connected fridge/freezer. Tablet. 1-2pcs Webcams.

8 Scullery. Control panel. 2 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams.

9 Tech room. Control panel. Tablet. 2 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. This is the place where all equipment that can be remote controlled shall be installed, power amps, surround Pre-Amps/Receivers, gaming consoles (?), HTPC:s, computers etc. Hubs, switches, routers. The ”Tech Nerds” dream room!   J

10 Studio, Control room. Control panel. 2pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. “Hi-End” Workstation/Computer. ”Hi-End” Workstation/Laptop. Digital mixing console. 5.1 or 7.2 professional monitorsystem. Professional computer sound interface 32 + Ch. Tablet. 1-2pcs Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen. Professional PA system with network controlled power amps and wireless systems, digital management and distribution. Everything, mixer, effects, guitar preamps etc. shall, if possible, be controlled and/or monitored via LAN. For instance: record from another location, over the internet and so on. Maybe a “cloud” solution? 2-3 pcs Webcams.

11 Studio, storage. Control panel. Tablet. Cables, mobile PA, microphones and other tech stuff is stored here.

12 Studio, recording area. Control panel, 4 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. 2-3pcs Webcams. 1-2pcs Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. Other: See “Studio, control room” above.

13 Garage/Workshop mm. See below..

14 Big patio, East. Control panel. 12 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. 3-4pcs Webcams. If possible: Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen

15 Big patio, South. Control panel. 8 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. 1-2pcs Webcams. If possible: Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

16 Small patio, West. Control panel. 8 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. 1-2pcs Webcams. If possible: Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

Second floor:

1 Walk In closet. Control panel. 2 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers.

2 Master bedroom. Control panel. 5.1 Surround receiver and custom built speakers of my own design (?). 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Gaming console. Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (55”-65”?). Tablet. Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. “Hi-End” Workstation/Laptop. 1-2pcs Webcams.

3 Master bathroom. Control panel. 4 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. Internet connected scale. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

4 Office. Control panel. 8pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. 2pcs “Hi-End” Workstation/Computer. 2pcs ”Hi-End” Workstation/Laptop. A3 Color printer (Laser? Wi-Fi?), A4 laser printer. A3 Scanner. Plotter? 4-5pcs Webcams. 2-4pcs Big LCD/Plasma screen (50”-65”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screens.

5 Bed room 1. Control panel. 6 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. Laptop. Plasma/LCD screen (50”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams.

6 Small living room. Control panel. 5.1 Surround med fristående högtalare. 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Spelkonsol. Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (55”-65”?). Tablet. Living room/Coffee table which is also a touchscreen computer! (World’s second largest iPad?) Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. 2-3st Webcams.

7 Bedroom 2. Control panel. 6 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. Laptop. Plasma/LCD screen (50”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams.

8 Bathroom. Control panel. 2 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. Internet connected scale. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

9 Second floor patio, east. Control panel. 8 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. 1-2pcs Webcams. If possible: Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

10 Second floor patio, West. Control panel. 8 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. 1-2pcs Webcams. If possible: Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen.

Garage/Workshop etc.

1 Garage/Workshop. Control panel. 12 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Tablet. 6-8pcs Webcams. 2-3pcs Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/secondary computer screen. “Hi-End” Workstation/Computer. ”Hi-End” Workstation/Laptop. Computer. Laptop.

2 Gym. Control panel. Internet connected scale. Other: see above.

3 Media/Relax. Control panel. 7.2 ”In-Wall” Surround system. 3D. HTPC. Blu-Ray. Gaming console. Big LCD/Plasma HD, 3D screen (65”-?”?). Tablet. Projector, HD and 3D. Living room/Coffee table which is also a touchscreen computer! (World’s second largest iPad?) Everything that can be hidden shall be hidden: Surround receiver, HTPC etc. in the “tech room” if possible. 2-3pcs Webcams.

4 Bar. Control panel. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams.

Other: See ”Media/Relax” above.

5 Shower/Dressing room. Control panel. 6 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams. Tablet. Other: see above.

6 Sauna. If possible: Control panel. 4 pcs 8” ceiling mounted installation speakers. Plasma/LCD screen (42”-?”?) as ”painting”/”photo frame”/computer screen. 1-2pcs Webcams.

7 Entrance, East. -

8 Scullery. See ”First floor” above.

All together there’s a lot of tech stuff/Gadgets in the house…

Just take a look at this lineup! If you think some of the numbers might be wrong it’s probably just the fact that some rooms ”share” equipment.

40-60pcs Web/Surveillance cams with motion and sound sensing. Motorized and remote controllable

8-12pcs LCD/Plasma screens larger than 50”.

20-25pcs LCD/Plasma screens smaller 50” (or will they be?)

31pcs, or so, control panels, 4-6” color touchscreens.

120pcs 8” ceiling mounted coaxial speakers .

2pcs 5.1 and one 7.2 surround sound systems with in-wall speakers.

1pcs 7.2 and 2pcs 5.1 surround sound systems with ”regular” speakers.

At least 4pcs ”Hi-End” Workstation computers.

At least 3pcs ”Hi-End” Workstation laptops.

At least 4pcs HTPC:s (Computers specially designed for home theater/entertainment)

At least 6pcs ”regular” computers.

At least 6pcs ”regular” laptops.

At least 20pcs tablets (iPad/Surf pad/touchscreen computer).

2-4pcs ”touchscreen computer tables”… J HD and 3D naturally!

It would be cool if all screens in the house were touchscreens and if each had a dedicated computer, like for instance Asus Eee-Top, attached. All screens should be able to work as secondary screens for any laptop, computer or tablet as well. Now we are taking crazy to a new level.

Some thoughts about Rock n´Roll:

If all 8” ceiling speakers will have 20W of power that would be 2,4kW, two thousand four hundred watts of power! Then we estimate hat each surround sound system has 150W /Ch. and 300W for each sub-woofer that sums up to an additional 5,1kW five thousand one hundred watts of power! The largest sound system in the house is the surround sound system in the living room with a total of 2,11kW, two thousand one hundred and ten watts of power! If you synced the house in ”party mode” and had the guts to go “full throttle” that would mean you where rocking it out with a grand total of a whopping 10.000watts! That’s like a rock n´roll venue with a couple of thousand people!!! And bear in mind that the “studio” PA and the portable PA is not taken into account in this equation! Speaking of rock n´roll, we definitely need a couple of internet connected BBQ:s as well don’t we? (? Are there any???). You know just to keep track of recipes, temperature etc. Maybe get some nice graphs of who liked what? Control the music without anything burning? Call 112 if someone catches fire? The sky (or your imagination) is the limit! Be back to post more specs soon!

Building/Floor plans

This is the building/floor plans Rev. 1. I am currently preparing the specs, measures and equippment proposals. They will be posted shortly.

Future Sponsor and Partner Relations

Sponsor and Partner Relations.

I am starting this project with nothing but my bare hands. The investment I am able to contribute with is my intellectual property. My ideas, visions, dreams and inventions.

I want everybody to have an equal chance to participate, small companies as well as big ones. Everybody should contribute with what they want, no more, no less. This should be an open platform for problem-solving, creativity and development.

For this whole idea/concept to work money is needed. Sponsors, producers and financiers.

I want to develop the concept of “Crowd Funding” to “Crowd Controlled Company Funding”; the name itself kind of says it all.   J The end consumers should interactively be given a chance to participate in product development with their own ideas etc. To help develop products that they actually want!

Gather a creative volunteer brain trust that is freely accessible for all sponsors and partners. A hub for creativity, design/art, development and general “brainstorming”. It’s not about competition! It’s about long term cooperation, a common idea platform which should be able to ensure future compatibility.

The possibilities are endless, one could, for instance, cooperate with schools to gather even more brain trust and even some sort of education. Products developed within the project will have a manufacturing and distribution network set up.

I would like to suggest the following solution:

We start a common company with the help of sponsors, partners and financiers. All ideas developed within this project are to be seen as common intellectual property by the principal of “Creative Commons License” (http://creativecommons.org/). Specialty projects may off cause occur as well as pure hardware development or handcrafted items. Such items/products will have to be handled individually. I would think that there will generally be to types of assignments: idea/development/concept and manufacturing/design/prototype. These two types may then be either common assignment, where more than one sponsor or partner is behind it. Or individual when just one sponsor/partner or individual is behind it. It will be possible to use creative commons license in most cases, if not specifically specified otherwise. Those cases will be handled separately. If an individual etc. develops a product with our help, our sponsors, partners and financiers should have the option to manufacture and distribute that product.

Exactly how this structure is to work remains to be seen. It all depends very much on the interests of sponsors, partners and financiers. This whole venture will have to be financed somehow, employees need pay, the house needs financing etc. I have started emailing production companies, electronics manufacturers etc.

What would a sponsor, partner or capital investor gain from this?

Let’s start with capital investors, that’s an easy one: money! Anyone who is brave enough to invest should be paid for that. Sponsors and partners get media time that is much better than commercials, when actual customers get to have a saying in development! They also get access to a highly dynamic, independent, creative, problem-solving, brainstorming, manufacturing brain trust. It would also be a good way to show environmental awareness. Since ECO/Green/Environmentally friendly thinking and high tech are the main two things this whole concept is about.

What’s my role in all of this?

This project, this whole concept, is my brainchild. I will hopefully be around to see it grow up. To see my dream and vision come true. To live in a creative chaos and spend time with people as tech interested and environmentally aware as I am. (Geeks!   J)

I am also very much looking forward to exiting (or boring?) assignments, challenges and naturally a chance to “Live In the Future Today”!

Sponsor request and/or cooperation offer!

Previously emailed:

JVC

Bang & Olufsen

20110622

Today I have emailed the following company’s:

Panasonic

LG

Pioneer

Asus

Intel

Microsoft

Apple

HTC

Samsung

Sony Ericsson

Nokia

Ikea, Sweden

Mio Möbler, Sweden

It amazes me how few company’s have good contact info on their websites!

Don’t they want feedback? Ideas etc.?

Dreams and Visions.

This is about living with technology and what I dream to accomplish.

First and foremost, for those of you who follow this blog: I’m working on blueprints, specifications etc. Both fun and inspiring but time-consuming. It’s not easy getting all ideas on print without it just seeming like chaos. Today I will write about the possibility’s a smart house can have. I will also deal with some of the questions that arise. When does technology become stress instead of comfort? Please give me your input, thoughts and ideas on the matter. I would also like to point out that this is just a mere scratch on the surface. Something of an eye-opener for those of you not so used to technology. More important though: the smartest solutions are the ones you never notice. They do what they are supposed to without any fuss. That is to me truly smart!

These are some possible scenarios, some simple and doable today; some may need a little future tweaking. You will get the picture.

Imagine the following: You arrive home after work in your car. The house senses that you are coming (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc.), and asks if you want to turn of the alarm if no other family member is present. If, for instance, your wife is already at home, the house informs you of this and opens the garage. If you are the first to arrive home you turn of the alarm using your smartphone, car PC or the cars media center. The house then puts on music to your liking, streaming it from the home server, internet radio, radio, spotify etc. If it’s dark out the house turns on lamps that you have preselected. You could even have the house put on coffee. Your home computer automatically turns on and synchronizes with your smartphone, and schedule changes? New photos? Everything in the house can be controlled by your smartphone, tablets, Apple and/or PC: s and color touchscreen control panels in every room. You can also access the house via internet etc. You could even control the house using your smart TV! This example is fairly easy to accomplish today!

Another scenario: You’re away for the weekend with your wife/spouse. Your teenage son/daughter is home alone. Could be a worrying situation. Just log on to the house with you smartphone, over the internet etc. and check the surveillance cams. Is he/she having a party? If you have a smaller child who is watching TV in his/her room for a while when its bedtime. Just dim the lights over a period of time then shut of the TV from the house remote. If you have a babysitter: is he/she behaving? Naturally this raises questions! Is it really okay to spy on people? I don’t think so. Others might find it an excellent idea. I think surveillance can be good. Sometimes even really good or even lifesaving. What if, for instance, you are having a break in? The house alerts the authority and the calls you to let you know. Both you and the authority can get the exact location of the burglar and see exactly what is going on.

If you are watching a movie and someone rings the door, you can get the picture from the high resolution, full color CCTV entry phone. Talk to the person and let him/her in (unless it’s a salesmanJ) without ever leaving the couch.

If you’re driving with your children, maybe it’s quite a distance? Let the enjoy internet, movies, games in the backseat. With separate touchscreens and wireless headphones. Meanwhile you can enjoy music.

The house can sense if somebody else is present when you get home, if not it can light up the house, if necessary, and, for instance, play music of your choice. If your wife is also at home the house knows this and plays music that you both like, turn on the lights you both agreed on etc.

Two way communication with audio and video is accessible everywhere; the house control panels, smartphone (naturallyJ), tablets etc. Even in the car and motorcycle. Page anyone anywhere with audio and video. Honey, stop working on the car, dinner is ready. Or have long conversations.

The house can ventilate when nobody’s home. Windows can be closed automatically if it starts to rain. Curtains can be pulled if the sun is really bright and it’s getting warm. If you can come up with it it’s most likely doable. This is a good example of smart, comfortable technology. It’s also a good example of green thinking since the house controls all aspects of indoor climate and reacts on it. Unless you tell it otherwise.

All computers, smartphones, tablets etc. gets updated, backed up etc. automatically. Basically all the maintenance is automatically handled in the background. Hopefully you won’t even notice it happening. Computers that are turned off wakes up for backups when nobody’s home or using them. No more windows need to restart in order for the update, wait a minute cause the PlayStation needs to update etc. I bet you would appreciate this one right? J

I actually don’t know how smart an internet connected fridge is, or can be. But it would be nice if it could keep track of and remind you of purchases etc. For example if someone “accidently” ate some of the ingredients for tonight’s dinner.

It could be really helpful to get an easy understandable presentation of all aspects of the houses energy consumption. Even down to any single electrical outlet. On your smartphone, one of the control panels, your computer etc. Another example of using technology for environmentally friendly thinking. Print it out monthly and see exactly what all those electrical bills are paying for.

Except for smartphones, computers and internet, the house can also be controlled by full color, touchscreen control panels in every room. No more where’s the remote? Which remote? You can control everything from anywhere; page a family member in another room or another state. Access and change or add to shopping lists or schedules. Who is doing what and where? And off cause play music and movies.

If you’re on a diet: you can sync the fridge, your Wi-Fi bathroom scale, the workout program on your gaming console and the step counter on your smartphone. There is no escape!   J

Follow your progress on weekly diagrams, share on the internet or create a workout group with your friends on facebook. Log on from your smartphone from the restaurant and find out if you deserve dessert? J

A relatively simple but oh so nice feature: Put the hose in “sleep mode” when it’s time to go to bed. With just the press of one button. All the lights turn of as well as electrical outlets and so on. No more I forgot to turn off the lights in the garage etc. No appliances, TV’s etc. in standby mode, if it’s not necessary. Backups and maintenance handled automatically in zones where it does not disturb. In the same way you can have the house wake up automatically or manually. Make coffee, some easy morning music, check your email etc. You get my point.

This is another good example of comfortable and environmentally friendly use of technology.

Is you feel like sauna when u get home from work, log on and turn it on before you leave work or on your way home. Internet, smartphone, by now I’m sure you know.

Where did I put my mobile phone or my tablet? Let the house show you. Could also be good for finding keys, if you actually had to use them. J

If you are using hands free while talking on the phone, you could have the sound coming from the stereos speakers. You could even have it following you around the house if you want it to. Naturally this regards video calls etc. as well.

This one is obvious: naturally the house can play music in all zones in sync. Background music at a party for instance.

Bee a pain in the neck and ask all your friends to fill out a web questionnaire before they come to dinner the next time. Who likes/dislikes what food? Who is allergic and to what? Music preferences? Then let them judge your cooking, music selection and so on. Soon you will have an extensive database, know what dishes your friends liked and if they liked the music. Maybe you should have catering instead of cooking yourself? Maybe hire a DJ? J

Maybe you will be the party king/queen of the neighborhood?

The Future, Today. A project: Smart House Spec. Sheet 1.0

The Future, Today. A project: Smart House Spec. Sheet 1.0: "Spec. Sheet Smart House 1.0 Note: This spec sheet is, and will always be, a work in progress. New specifications will be added and old ones..."

The Future, Today. A project: Spec Sheet Car 1.0

The Future, Today. A project: Spec Sheet Car 1.0: "Spec Sheet car 1.0 As always my specs are an ongoing process and are more of guidelines. I may add or remove specs along the way. This spec..."

Spec Sheet car 1.0

As always my specs are an ongoing process and are more of guidelines. I may add or remove specs along the way.

This specification will be divided into three parts. Part one will be about “pimping” an existing car. Part two about a car I want to build and part three will be specs concerning both cars, mainly media and entertainment.

Part one, modifying an existing car.

The obvious question I can imagine you wondering about is why? Well it’s like this; building/manufacturing a new car is very energy consuming thus polluting more than if you keep driving your existing car for thousands of miles. So an existing car is a good way to start from an environmental perspective. Then theres the issue of size. A small car is often fuel efficient and produces less pollution. A bigger car is often safer. The size of the car is a matter of taste and practical choice. I’m a big guy, I plan on driving rather much, I want to be able to move things, drive my children etc. I want a reasonably big sedan. A high roller in N.Y.C., who lives in the city and only has a mile to get to work, may not need a gigantic SUV. A family with children living in the countryside may have use for one. I’m sure you get the point. What we do instead of argue is taking a look at what can be improved. Higher power, better fuel efficiency etc. Settling for a rather common car is often a better choice since it’s easier to get the right parts at a reasonable price.

1 Tuning.

Chip tuning; heighten the power, commonly 10-20%, and lowering fuel consumption, with up to about 5%. I want to go for a model with external control so that I can set up a couple of mappings for different occasions and fine tune them. For instance: economy, distance, R and “show off”. If possible I want to be able to control it from an onboard car PC.

2 Suspension.

Change suspension and mount strut bracing. If possible also controlled with the onboard car PC. To achieve better comfort as well as control while driving harder.

3 Brakes.

Change the entire brake line. 6 piston calipers and ventilated/slotted MMC (which I, by the way, will write more about later on in a separate blog) rotors all around. Better comfort, safety and better for tougher driving.

4 Bearings.

Ceramic main bearings, anti-friction treated. Like taking the bearings and give them a Teflon bath. Better durability, higher power etc. When the engine is taken apart it’s a good time to change gaskets and check tolerances.

5 Top/Head.

Porting, to heighten efficiency. Make sure the engine is breathing correctly. A good time to check pistons as well. Make sure the valves and valve springs are ok as well as the valve seats. Check the cam shaft. Better response.

6 Turbo/Exhaust.

Control and/or change of the turbo, intake manifold, exhaust manifold and exhaust pipe. Air mass meter should be checked as well. Higher power and better fuel efficiency. Better response.

7 Regular checkup.

Wheel bearings, AC etc.

8 Wheels.

Cool tires and rims. Just because it looks so good. Might also improve fuel efficiency as well as comfort and safety.

Building my own car.

This car is meant to be fun, and cool. A cool and fun car which is awesome to drive!

1 Engine.

Engine and drivetrain from a motorcycle. A big V-Twin from approx. 117cui (about 1,9Litres) would do nicely. 100+ HP, there are v-twins available with up to 3.0Litres and 300HP. Anyway this should supply sufficient power and reasonably low fuel consumption.

2 Brakes.

Six piston calipers and ventilated/slotted MMC (Metal Matrix Compound, which I will deal with separately) rotors. Now where talking serious breaking power. Remember with great power you must have great breaks!

3 Wheels.

18” rims, preferably of my own design and making, with 245/35 (metric) low profile tires. This should give great performance, comfort and safety.

4 Suspension.

Now where getting to the good stuff! I’ve been doing some thinking regarding suspension and steering geometry including mechanical under steering compensation etc. When researching the subject it seems this is going to be a world’s first! What I want to achieve is off course comfort and stability but also that the suspension acts mechanically different at higher speeds and harder driving without computers etc. My idea would result in a whole new way of thinking regarding suspension and steering geometry. I’m currently working on the blueprints and with a little luck I will be able to accomplish a full scale test during this summer. The main idea is a derivate from dual A levers and sway-bars on all wheels. Horizontally mounted shocks. Some of the idea is borrowed from drive-by-wire. I will keep you posted in separate documents.

5 Frame and chassis.

Tube frame made of duralumin or chromolly, chassis made of fiberglass. I cannot reveal too much about the design at this stage. I can reveal that the first build will be a model T Ford type. Size will be about the same as a Toyota Yaris or Prius. It will be a two seater.

6 Measurements (preliminary).

Wheelbase about 2,5meters. Length about/under 3,5meters. Width about/under 1,8meters. Height below 1,5 meters. Weight hopefully about 500 kilos but definitely under 750kg.

Common specs.

Audio and video. 2DIN media center with high resolution touchscreen, navigation and VGA connection. Rearview camera. Car PC. Portable 2,5” hard drive for both media center and PC, for streaming media etc. Audio front: 2 x 2pcs 6,5” woofers/midranges and 2 x 2 tweeters. 2 x 200W minimum. Audio rear (modified car/sedan): 2 x 2pcs 6,5” woofers/midranges and 2 x 2 tweeters. 2 x 200W minimum. Separate audio/video zones, 7” high resolution touchscreens and wireless headphones for passengers. Audio rear (car to be built): Dual 8” woofers, dual 4” midranges and dual 1” tweeters. 2 x 200W minimum. Subwoofer dual 10”, 2 x 500W minimum. Separate processor for crossover, Eq, phase and delay etc. Maybe the whole system should have active crossovers and separate power amps? All tweeters in a special Omni sphere mounting of my own design. Audio should be of competition grade

(Hi-Fi) and be able to play as LOUD as wanted! Both the media center and the onboard car PC should be accessible from the rear seat. Things I still think about: Internet? Car alarm integration? Web cams?

Smart House Spec. Sheet 1.0

Spec. Sheet Smart House 1.0

Note: This spec sheet is, and will always be, a work in progress. New specifications will be added and old ones may be removed.

I will be using the term smart house, this is a whole concept and includes, in whole or in part, terms like intelligent houses, passive houses, ECO houses etc. In short the concept is based on that the house should be as environmentally friendly as possible, as energy efficient as possible and prepared for the future in a clever way. This includes network accessibility, zone controls for audio and video etc. as well as possibilities for central storage and media streaming. It should also be possible to control power management, indoor climat etc.

Smart houses are generally associated with compact living, though this is not wrong in any way, my belief is that a house can be big and still be smart. Personally I like spacious houses and therefor I will not include compact living in this project.  I might borrow some ideas though; one good idea should not necessarily exclude another.

Some of the technology and/or techniques I want to make use of exists already some do not, to my knowledge, or are relatively rare. This spec is therefore more of a guideline or a whish list. Not just a list of demands.

This specification also includes my personal thoughts on each subject specified.

1 Area.

As stated earlier compact living is not my cup of tea. I think that 150 square meters (about 1650 square ft.) is a minimum for an active family consisting of two adults and two children. I personally would prefer a lot more though. I have a lot of interests and can make use of a lot of space. Work areas, workshop, carpentry, office, music room etc. Since this house is not only intended for me and my children, but for events, guests, demos etc. there must be sufficient space for guests staying overnight, cooking capabilities for larger parties and so on. About 10 rooms, kitchen and garage/workshop would suffice for starters. An area of between 350 and 550 square meters (between 3900 and 6100 square ft.) should be enough.

2 Construction, foundation.

Concrete plate of latest standard with a sand coffin, which acts as a thermos and thus decreases the houses response to thermal differences. Floor heating system shall be integrated in the foundation and have the ability to be controlled separately for each room.

3 Construction, walls.

Celblocks with a thin plaster exterior. 500millimeters in outer and load bearing walls as well as where sound isolation is of higher importance. Inner walls built from 100millimeters thick celblocks.

These walls have excellent isolation index, thermal as well as sound. The also store heat which they give away during the night. This results in a more even indoor climate when, for instance, days are warm and nights are cold.

4 Construction, floor structure.

Floor structure between first and second floor should be cellblock except for the “floating” room which should probably have a floor structure made of timber.

5 Construction, roof.

 Self-supporting roof truss out of plywood. 500millimeters of isolation. Steel binder.  Roof exterior out of self-supporting solar panels which should supply heated water as well as electricity.

6 Heating/HVAC and energy.

A lot of my concept is about long-term cooperation, not competition. For instance: manufacturers of heating systems should not compete. I believe they should complement one another. I’m not sure this is even possible with today’s systems but it could look something like this: a geothermal  or earth heating system could be the main system, supported by a pellets burner when it gets really cold. Solar panels could produce warm water and electricity when it’s sunny during summer. Last but not least, the indoor air should be changed at least 2 times per day to achieve a nice, healthy indoor climate and it would be shames just letting all the energy in already heated air go to waste. Therefor we should also have a HVAC system which brings cool when hot and warmth when cold. Household appliances that must be on, e.g. cooler, fridge and server etc., should be placed in a way that admits having use for the heat produced. A centrally placed shaft connected to the HVAC could handle this. All rooms, as far as possible, should be able to control their climate independently and by automation. For instance lowering the temperature in a room seldom used. All electrical outlets should be relay controlled and thus having the ability to cut the power completely and avoid gadgets in standby mode. All lighting sources should be built in LED to lower power consumption. You should always have the ability to get easily understandable info about the houses and its individual components power consumption

7 Network/Communication.

All rooms in the house should have a minimum of two times two network connections. All network connections of Cat6, Cat7 or HD-BaseT standard. Wireless network access points of draft n standard. All rooms should have access to audio and video recording. Centrally placed master switch with PoE. Smaller secondary switches where needed. Central router/firewall with Gb LAN. See also point 10.

8 Control.

Preferably remote control of house as well as audio and video features should be managed with Android bases devices since Android is an open platform. Preferably you should be able to access the house, webcams, remote control functions etc. with Android smartphones/tablets, Windows PC:s, Windows Mobile devices and Apple devices. Alarm and surveillance should be integrated in the home control as much as possible.

9 Audio and video.

At least four zones of surround sound: master bedroom, living room, garage/workshop and the kids “media room”. These four zones should also have in wall stereo speakers. All other rooms/zones should have in wall stereo speakers with the possibility to upgrade at a later point. All sound should be able to play as one in “house mode”. HDMI 1.4 (3D) matrix switch for distribution of audio and video to/from selected zones. All screens, projectors and sources of full HD and 3D capable standard.

10 Computers.

Computers should, if possible, be placed centrally and controlled over the network. Workstations, laptops and tablets for every task from CAD to internet browsing and home control. See also separate computer spec.

11 Car/Motorcycle.

This is one where I’m not sure. I have a couple of ideas but I’m not done yet… How could the car and/or the motorcycle be integrated in this concept? Automatic sync. Of media? Automatic control of who’s coming and going? Automatic alarm on/off? Please submit your ideas!

12 Surveillance.

The whole house should be camera monitored. Cameras with motion and sound detectors and night vision. All cameras should be accessible through remote control as well as internet etc. Cameras should be integrated with the security system. All cameras should have PoE. All cameras should record to a separate mirrored NAS HDD.

13 Floors.

Which is the smartest, most comfortable and environmentally friendly floor? Wood or laminate etc.???

Please note that English is not my mother tongue, I hope I didn’t make any major errors and that you understood my idea.

Next up is specs for car, motorcycle and computers as well as an overview of my concepts possibilities.