Probably like all great inventions, the concept of daytripper popped up out of nowhere one day, and the more I thought about it, the more I was hooked.

The idea was to design a motion-detector that is able to hide one’s activity on a computer. There would be a transmitter (TX) and a receiver (RX), the user would put TX in the path of an incoming threat, and plug RX in their computer.

Once motion is detected by TX, it should talk to RX wirelessly, which would then act as a USB keyboard and press Win + M to minimise all the windows, leaving users dignity intact. The product should also be as small and easy to use as possible, with a long battery life.

I soon realised that it is going to be a project with great potential:

• This idea is interesting, novel, and unique. I don’t think anyone has done it before, but it’s certainly worth doing.
• The project is rather challenging, involving low-power systems, wireless communication, RF systems, batteries and charging, miniature design, and manufacturability considerations. All in all lots of stuff to keep track, should be a good learning exercise.
• The finished product would be very practical with obvious commercial potential. Every office slacker and teenager doing unspeakable things in their bedrooms would certainly want one. Thinking back, maybe this idea didn’t come out of thin air after all.

As for the name, The song by the Fab Four was stuck in my head, and it seemed like a perfect fit too, so Daytripper it is.