Hello everybody,

Since I came across the DIY Smartmirror project of Micheal Teuw and this forum about 1.5 years ago, I really wanted to build one myself. The project started on December 25, 2016 with the purchase of a Raspis and after almost one year it has been hanging on the wall since January 2, 2018. I’m curious if and how he proves himself in everyday life.

The main goal was to build as lean and frameless mirror as possible, which requires no control in everyday life.

The mirror has the following functions:
Indirect lighting with dimming function and color temperature selection from 6500K -2700K
Bluetooth speakers with exciters that stimulate the glass surface instead of a membrane
Radar motion detector that turns the display on and off
Smart Mirror modules:
Weather
date
Events
News Feed
fuel prices
Personal Greeting
Travel times public transport
Face recognition for user profile control

My main problems with the project were:
To find a provider for the spy mirror
To find the largest possible TV or display, which is very narrow and down-facing ports
To get a reasonably functioning facial recognition. The detection rate is mediocre
To find a motion detector that detects through metallized glass

Here are some steps in the process of getting started:

The project stood and fell with a German provider for the PILKINGTON MIRROPANE which was advertised in the forum and many tests as the best. I chose a thickness of 4mm and a size of 1.5m x 0.8m with rounded corners and edges.

After the bi-annual research for the mirror, the search for the right screen was hardly shorter. Although I would liked to have an even larger display but the AOC is ideal from its nature with max only 2 cm depth.

The separate power supply makes disassembly of the screen unnecessary. Only the foot must be unscrewed.

The frame was built with square wood from the hardware store in the size 3.8 cm. Thus, nothing in the mirror should have a depth greater than 3.8 cm. The beams were dowelled, pegged and glued.

For attachment to the wall without columns but with adjustment I have made hanging bars. Alternatively, there are now IKEA rails with adjustment options.

On the cheap Amazon Bluetoothlautsprecher the speakers were removed and replaced by exciters, which bring the mirror surface to vibrate instead of a membrane. The battery was replaced by a 5V power supply that also powers the Raspi.

For indirect lighting special 45 ° aluminum profiles were used, into which the LED strips were laid. The lighting can be dimmed and set the color temperature by radio.

As I later discovered, neither the PIR sensor nor the radar sensor detects through a mirror. But since the radar sensor does not need a Fresnel cover to detect at wide angle, I kept using it. So that anything can be detected, I had to drill a hole in the mirror.

Yes, that was just as exciting as it sounds.

Behind the hole came the sensor and before that a cover. Becuase the plastic covers did not look good enough, I used a metal one. Although this lowers the detection performance but looks classy. The sensor now works more as a touch sensor but the compromise on the optics was worth it.

I am satisfied with the final result.

OK, I found a sollution by my self. The Problem was realy the python dependency. It seems in the missing “requirements.txt” where the python future package listed so I installed it by my self with

sudo pip install future --upgrade

I hope paviro fix the missing file in his project, because I like it very much.

@schlachtkreuzer6

the conzept is called frence cleat. if they are well done, you can hang your mirror on the wall whitout any gap.

my rails are handcrafted and not so good.

My timber was too thick for the circular saw. If you use the ikea besta rails it is much easier and you get probably better results.

Hello everyone

the class ‘everyone’, which should activate a module for every person, dont work for me. the clock-module for example stay inactive, no matter wich person is detected. The config looks like this:

{
module: “clock”,
position: “top_left”,
classes: “everyone”
},

Work this class for anyboby?

@ MyMirror

Before finishing the project, i had to rearange some prarts a little bit of the mirror, because i needed some space for the hanging rails. So don’t wonder.

1. 220V AC Connection
2. 220V AC Mainswitch
3. 220V AC branching dose
4. 24V LED-power adapter
5. LED-Controller with radioreceiver
6. LED-stripes
7. monitor-power adapter mit HDMI-connection
8. monitor
9. 5V power adapter for Raspberry Pi und Bluetooth-Speaker
10. raspberry Pi
11. networkcable for Raspberry Pi
12. cameramodul for useridentification
13. radarsensor zur userdetection
14. voltage converter für Bluetooth-speaker from 5V to 3.3V
15. bluetoothreceiver/ -amplifier für exciter
16. button zur connect Bluetoothreceiver und smartphone
17. volumen Up Button for the Bluetoothreceiver
18. volumen Down Button for the Bluetoothreceiver
19. exciter (speaker)
20. memorycard for the raspi with a backupimage

@j.e.f.f

the default-class works fine but i whould like to show modules only if a person is in the room. thats why the class “everyone” exist. Do you use it? does it work?

@schlachtkreuzer6

“…how is the sound with the exciters?”

Let me put it this way, the exciter sound better than the sound from the phone.
But you should not promise too much. The bass is quite good but high frequencies, as for the voices go under.
I can only speculate if stronger exciters in conjunction with a stronger amp would help here. The main reason for
the use of the exciter was the ease of installation and the small depth. If the mirror was not as flat as possible
I should have used real speakers with their own acoustic cabinet.

@bucci

You really should not have shown me the link. Now I am dissatisfied with my solution. But your are rigth, small tweeters at the non visible top of the frame in connection with the exciters would produce a better sound. Well maybe the next mirror …

@EduardZ

The display lies flush between the middle and upper cedar wood and is held only by angles screwed behind it, as can be seen in the picture below.

It is important that the foil is only removed in the area on the mirror, where later also the display should be visible. It is not bad either if a little too much foil was removed, it happened to me too. Then you just stick something on the glass or even better directly on the annoying place on the display, such as on the silver strip on my display.

hello Bean,

for me it was the easyest way to used serveral power supplies. One for the LCD-Monitor (19V), one for the Raspi (5V) and one for the LED-lightning (24V). see here

they were all smaller than the frame (3,8cm). It is a littel bit ugly, but the alternative are serveral different voltageconverter and one very big power supply, witch is definititly taller than 3,8cm.

@JamieH1986

Thanks a lot. I don’t know how the mirror is right now, because the mirror hangs in the bathroom of my brother. Maybe i don’t understand your questions. In the answer to Relic i have linked the glue i used. (soudal fix all high track). The glue is not direct on glas of the mirror. The glas is covered with a black window foil. So it is impossible to see bubbles in the mirror. Before i used the glue i made several gluetests with some smalle peaces of wood, foil and mirrorglas. The glue don’t melt the foil and the connect between wood, foil and glas is very strong.

@schlachtkreuzer6

there are no visible distortions on the mirrorglas with my exciters. I think if you want a really good audiosound, buy separate ceiling speakers.

…and yes, you should post yout project. We are all excited.

@MyMirror

damm shit. Without the monitor foot I will probably not be able to complain the monitor.

@MyMirror

“…Can you show us, how do you dismantled the foot…”
Sorry but i have no pictures from the dismantling the foot. But is realy easy. All you have to do is remove the back of the palstik from the monitor, which is held with plastic noses. It is best to use a slightly wider spatula or car interior tool. Then you can already see the three screws with which the foot on the monitor screwed. In the end, only the monitor foot has to be screwed on to get the cable out of it.

“…What about the temperature…”
I do not know if the monitor temperature will be a problem in the future. If so, ventilation holes could still be drilled in the upper part of the frame.

“…apply black foil on the back side…”
No, the black film is there to reflect incident light just as the black monitor does. If I did not do that, I would have a darker reflection in the area of the monitor than in the areas without a monitor.

@schlachtkreuzer6

“…how is the sound with the exciters?”

Let me put it this way, the exciter sound better than the sound from the phone.
But you should not promise too much. The bass is quite good but high frequencies, as for the voices go under.
I can only speculate if stronger exciters in conjunction with a stronger amp would help here. The main reason for
the use of the exciter was the ease of installation and the small depth. If the mirror was not as flat as possible
I should have used real speakers with their own acoustic cabinet.

@ MyMirror

Before finishing the project, i had to rearange some prarts a little bit of the mirror, because i needed some space for the hanging rails. So don’t wonder.

1. 220V AC Connection
2. 220V AC Mainswitch
3. 220V AC branching dose
4. 24V LED-power adapter
5. LED-Controller with radioreceiver
6. LED-stripes
7. monitor-power adapter mit HDMI-connection
8. monitor
9. 5V power adapter for Raspberry Pi und Bluetooth-Speaker
10. raspberry Pi
11. networkcable for Raspberry Pi
12. cameramodul for useridentification
13. radarsensor zur userdetection
14. voltage converter für Bluetooth-speaker from 5V to 3.3V
15. bluetoothreceiver/ -amplifier für exciter
16. button zur connect Bluetoothreceiver und smartphone
17. volumen Up Button for the Bluetoothreceiver
18. volumen Down Button for the Bluetoothreceiver
19. exciter (speaker)
20. memorycard for the raspi with a backupimage

@Relic

The wood frame ist glued with the strongest intallation glue i could find. in my case it was soudal fix all high track.

The consistency of this glue is very tough, so i had to spread it with a spatula on the frame. Before this i had roughen the foil on the glas with sandpaperfor more gluegrip.

After one day with a lot of weight on the frame the glue was harden.