Google's Arduino-Powered Little Signals Offer Stress-Free Notifications

Google’s Little Signals is a wellbeing experiment combining Arduinos with off-the-shelf hardware for a gentler approach to notifications.

Google has teamed up with Arduino to take the irritation and anxiety out of notifications with the Little Signals project. The “Digital Wellbeing Experiment” spans six DIY devices combining the versatility of the Arduino microcontrollers with off-the-shelf hardware to create softer tactile and audible alternatives to harsh alarms and buzzers.

Taking the Anxiety Out of Getting Notifications

As detailed in a post on the Arduino Blog, Google’s experiment leverages the Internet of Things (IoT) concept to combine sensors, microcontrollers, and servo motors to replace loud, anxiety-inducing notification sounds with gentler alternatives.

The experiment includes six devices named Air, Button, Movement, Rhythm, Shadow, and Tap—each representing the medium of notification designed with subtlety being the primary focus.

The Air device, for example, blows a puff of air on houseplants to gently grab your attention without creating a racket. Tap, as the name suggests, relays notifications with gentle knocks, with varying intensities according to the urgency of matter at hand. Other concept devices rely on gentle cues ranging from shadows and soft melodies to actuators generating eye-grabbing movement.

However, this isn’t the first time that Arduinos have been used with houseplants, as explained in our desktop gardening projects guide.

Gadgets Powered by the Arduino Wi-Fi Board

The DIY aspect of this experiment comes from devices built around the Arduino MKR1000 WiFi board in conjunction with off-the-shelf fans and servo motors. You can build one right now by downloading the Little Signals package from the official website.

The package contains the example code for the Air device, which is designed to notify you of weather changes. The simple example code can be further modified to integrate it with existing home automation setups, mobile devices, and otherwise molded into other IoT applications. The rest of the Little Signals devices are more complicated and will require servos, drivers, and more elaborate hardware.

The supplied documentation, however, doesn’t delve into those details and leaves it on the makers to figure out.

3D Printing Is Optional

Although Google has provided editable versions of the 3D models to allow makers to 3D print their own versions, the project package also includes a PDF document showcasing how to build one from common household materials. So it should be interesting to see how the maker community takes this experiment forward.