Since we first launched our kickstarter, we've received several queries and emails about potential new sensors and applications for Huum. Some of these suggestions (like knowing whether your luggage has been opened in your hotel room) are already possible with existing options like the motion sensor. But there are several others that we've put on our wish list that we hope to add as we make progress against our kickstarter goal. We're happy to announce the first addition from that wish list: we are adding a contact sensor (think of it like an open/close sensor) to our list of possible sensor choices for Huum. So how does the contact sensor work? ...typically you will mount it on something that opens and closes, for example on a drawer, cupboard, or doorframe. Here's a photo of what a contact sensor looks like on a doorframe in our work area:

These sensors are great for detecting the status of anything that can be opened or closed. When the two contacts are aligned, it acts like an off switch, letting you know that the door is shut. When the door is opened, it changes the position of the switch letting you know the door is ajar. So you can stick it on just about anything you'd like to track the status of: a window, closet, or even a jewelry chest or medicine cabinet. To make sure that this would work with Huum, this week we first hooked the sensor up to an full size Arduino Uno (a microcontroller that's handy for prototyping). Next we developed a nifty little adapter board that will allow us to test the sensor with the USB arduino that plugs into Huum. Here's a shot of the prototype:

Now the geekier backers among you will know that a contact sensor acts like a fancy on/off button. And you can see from the above photo, we wired it in using terminals that make it easy to connect and disconnect the contact sensor with a screwdriver. What that means is that you can use the same terminals to attach other kinds of buttons and switches to your Huum adapter board. Maybe you want to hook up a big red button that sends a signal every time it gets pushed? Perhaps you'd like to hook it up to a water meter and track each gallon of water as it gets used? Or possibly you could connect it to a pressure sensing mat on your front porch and send a signal every time someone stands on it? Huum's new contact sensor adapter board makes it easy to do all these things and more. How would you like to use the contact sensor? Know anyone else who would find the new sensor useful? Please let us know in the comments.