Floppy disks turn out to be the greatest TV remote for kids

4 months ago

Modern TVs are not kid-friendly, requiring complex remotes and apps that distract from intended content.
A solution was designed for a 3-year-old to independently choose and control media using physical floppy disks.
Floppy disks were chosen for their tangible nature, authentic sounds, and the illusion of physical media storage.
The project involved modifying a floppy drive to detect disk insertion and reading data with an Arduino microcontroller.
Power challenges included managing high current draw during disk spin-up and ensuring stable battery operation.
The system uses two microcontrollers: an AVR-based Arduino for disk reading and an ESP-based one for WiFi communication.
Server-side handlers manage media playback based on disk insertion, ensuring idempotent actions and no auto-play.
The 3-year-old user quickly adapted to the system, enjoying control over media, though some disks were damaged in the process.

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