Lex Davis, a 26-year-old Greenville, South Carolina resident, stumbled upon a captivating image of a smart mirror on Instagram about a year ago. Inspired by this find, he set a personal goal to build one for himself.
After conducting thorough research online, Lex acquired a Raspberry Pi processor and all the necessary components to operate the display.
Lex embarked on an exciting journey to craft the smart mirror from scratch, receiving invaluable guidance from Reddit community members dedicated to similar projects.
He expressed his passion for technology, saying, “I’ve been interested in this field since a young age.
I knew from around the age of 10 or 11 that I wanted to become a software developer or web developer when I grew up, and that dream never wavered.
When I came across the concept on Instagram about a year ago, I thought, ‘I want one,’ but I didn’t want to buy it; I wanted to create my own.”
Lex began his research journey online by utilizing a one-way mirror and a Raspberry Pi processor, eventually discovering the supportive subreddit community of fellow processor enthusiasts.
He shared, “A few of them had already created similar mirrors, so whenever I encountered challenges during my project, I reached out to the community, and they generously offered tips to help me overcome those obstacles.”
Driven by curiosity and a penchant for challenges, Lex was determined to see his project through. He remarked, “I can be a bit of a nerd sometimes, and I enjoy tackling complex puzzles and challenges.
Once I started my research, I couldn’t resist the urge to build it.
The subreddit community was instrumental; it’s filled with helpful developers and like-minded individuals who willingly guided me in the right direction.”
Lex, who works as a software developer by profession, managed to complete the device in less than seven hours.
The magic mirror, also called an intelligent mirror, can display various pieces of information such as the time, weather, reminders, calendars, news, and real-time updates from social media feeds.
According to Lex, this innovation eliminates the need to check his phone for updates constantly.
Describing the process, he explained, “It’s called an intelligent mirror because it conveniently displays information like the time, reminders, to-do lists, sports scores, music updates, news headlines, and more.
The processor needs to be connected to Wi-Fi to fetch all this information from the internet and keep it up to date. It’s highly customizable.”
Lex reflected on the construction process: “Once I gathered all the materials, the entire process took around 6-7 hours, including framing and deciding which modules I wanted to include.”
Lex emphasized that building a smart mirror is an achievable project for anyone, even those without extensive software knowledge.
He stated, “Absolutely anyone can do it. While it requires some programming knowledge, you can figure it out with determination. The learning curve might be steeper for beginners, but it’s definitely doable!”
Lex proudly showcased images of his smart mirror on Twitter, captioning them with, “In 2019, I set goals and worked hard to achieve them.
This was one of my goals, and needless to say, I’m incredibly proud of the year I’ve had.”
His post quickly went viral, amassing over 73.7K likes and 24.6K retweets, with numerous users applauding him for accomplishing his goal.
One user commented, “Wow, this is truly remarkable.”
Another added, “Incredible! Your dedication paid off.”
A third user chimed in, “I’m impressed! Well done!”
Lex admitted to the unexpected viral response, “I didn’t anticipate it blowing up like it did. For me, it was a celebration of a successful year, culminating in completing my final goal.
But seeing the responses, reactions, and all the love has been a fantastic experience.”
Looking ahead, Lex aspires to enhance his smart mirror with additional features, including voice activation and vanity lights, highlighting the limitless possibilities for customization. He concluded, “I plan to expand its functionality, possibly incorporating voice activation.
A close friend’s wife even requested one with vanity lights, so I’m excited to continue modifying it and exploring all the potential additions.”
