Technology

‘Tired of waking up at 3 am’, man creates AI ‘roommate’ to control ceiling fan while sleeping

A software engineer in Bengaluru has gone viral after creating an AI-powered “roommate” that controls his ceiling fan while he sleeps.

Pankaj, who goes by the username @the2ndfloorguy on X, shared that he built the system after getting tired of waking up in the middle of the night feeling either too hot or too cold.

According to Pankaj, he would often wake up around 3 am sweating or shivering because the fan speed was not right. To solve this problem, he designed a smart system that monitors his sleeping position and adjusts the fan automatically.

The AI works by tracking his body posture under the blanket using a camera. If his arms or legs are outside the blanket, the system assumes he is feeling hot and turns the fan on. If his arms are bent or tucked in, suggesting he is cold, the fan switches off.

He shared a photo of his bedroom setup online, showing camera overlays marking body joints and a display reading “FAN_ON ratio=2.32,” which indicates how the pose detection system works.

The project quickly gained attention on social media, with many users praising the idea as simple, creative and practical.

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