When someone tweets us needing help we want to know about it. So why not have those tweets automatically light up the office with a giant Pattern logo, Batman-style?

To make it happen, we programmed our web server to look for specific Twitter hashtags like #patternhelp. Then, we set up a microcontroller on the network using a wireless connection to look for specific calls from the server. When it receives the right trigger, the microcontroller turns on the LED light. Twitter turns on the light!

Aside from being a pretty awesome way to hear from a client, this prototype could be used for different types of interaction using the same technology. We could tie almost anything into triggers – motors, actuators, sirens – and provide solutions for everything from watering your plants to playing video or even reading and sending GPS data.