WhiteBox

WhiteBox is a wearable and interactive project designed to raise awareness of interpersonal distance through visual and auditory feedback. Using a dual Raspberry Pi setup, ultrasonic sensors, a buzzer, and addressable LEDs, the system represents "proxemic bubbles" through light and sound depending on how close someone is to the wearer.

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Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Required Materials
• How it Works
• Installation
  • Client (Distance Sensor & Buzzer)
  • Server (LEDs)
• Hardware Setup
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Demo
• Credits
• License

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Overview

WhiteBox explores human interaction zone through a wearable clothe that changes color and emits sounds based on proximity. It's a reactive piece that visualizes social comfort zones in real-time.

The project consists of:

• A client Raspberry Pi with an ultrasonic sensor and buzzer
• A server Raspberry Pi with an Alitove addressable LED strip DC 5V (WS2811)

The client measures the distance and sends it to the server over UDP every 0.5 seconds. Simultaneously, it controls the buzzer frequency depending on proximity. The server then changes the LED colors according to the distance using a JSON configuration file.

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Features

• Real-time distance measurement using an ultrasonic sensor
• Visual feedback with a WS2811 addressables LED strip
• Audio feedback with a buzzer - beeps increase as distance decreases
• Wireless UDP communication between client and server
• Distance-to-color mapping via JSON configuration
• Educational and wearable design to promote personal space awareness

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Required Materials

• 2 x Raspberry Pi (client + server)
• 1 x Ultrasonic sensor (HC-SR04)
• 1 x Buzzer
• 1 x Alitove addressable LED strip 50pcs (WS2811, 5V)
• 2 x External battery
• Access to Wi-Fi network (for UDP communication)

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How it works

• Distance zones are defined from 200 cm to 0 cm, in 10 cm increments.
• Each distance range maps to a specific LED color, defined in colors.json file.
• The buzzer starts beeping from 25 cm, increasing in frequency as distance decreases - becoming a constant tone when someone is <10 cm away.
• The LED colors visually represent different proxemic bubbles (safe distance, social zone, personal zone, etc.).

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Installation

You'll need Python and Git installed on both Raspberry Pis.

Common Preparation

Run the following commands on both devices:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt upgrade -y
$ sudo apt install git python3-pip

Then clone the repository:

$ git clone https://github.com/KarolannMauger/WhiteBox
$ cd WhiteBox

Client (Distance Sensor & Buzzer)

1. Install and start pigpio:

   $ sudo apt install pigpio
   $ sudo systemctl enable pigpiod
   $ sudo sytemctl start pigpiod

2. Run the client:

   $ cd client
   $ python3 main.py

Server (LEDs)

1. Install the rpi_ws2811x library:

   $ pip3 install rpi_ws281x

2. Run the server:

   $ cd server
   $ sudo python3 main.py

Note: The rpi_ws281x library conflicts with pigpio.
To resolve this, LED string management is handled by a separate Raspberry Pi via a UDP connection.

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Hardware Setup

Client GPIO (Ultrasonic Sensor + Buzzer)

Component	GPIO Pin	Power
Ultrasonic Sensor	GPIO 14 (Trig), GPIO 15 (Echo)	5V, GND
Buzzer	GPIO 18	5V, GND

Server GPIO (Addressable LED Strip)

Component	GPIO Pin	Power
Alitove LED Strip	GPIO 12	5V, GND

Note: Make sure the LED strip supports 5V logic and is properly powered using a suitable external power supply if needed.

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Usage

Once both Raspberry Pis are powered on and scripts are running:

• Client:
  • Measures the distances every 0.5 seconds
  • Controls the buzzer sound based on distance
  • Sends the measured value via UDP to the server
• Server:
  • Receives the distance
  • Looks up the corresponding RGB color in colors.json
  • Updates the LED strip to reflect the distance zone

You can modify server/colors.json to change the color associated with each distance zone.

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Project Structure

Project Structure will be added soon.

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Demo

A video demonstration will be added soon.

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Credits

• Developpement: @KarolannMauger & @Marc-AntoineMercier
• Fashion Design : Anaëlle Tennier
• Inspired by humain proxemic theory and interactive wearable tech.

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License

This project is protected under a custom license that allows personal and educational use, but prohibits commercial reuse or redistribution of the code or concept without permission.

See the LICENSE file for full details.