Background
The manga, and later the anime adaptation Death Note, was one of my all-time favorites. There were so many strategies, wit, and clever tricks in it that really impressed me when I was little. Among all the amazing plot points, one design that I still remember to this day is the drawer with the hidden compartment scene, in which the main protagonist, Light Yagami, concealed his dangerous Death Note.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—in the original manga, there’s already a very detailed depiction of how to make such a drawer. The mechanism was elegant and efficient: anyone who didn’t know how to open the drawer properly would complete the circuit hidden beneath it, which would ignite the flammable material placed around the notebook and set it on fire.
Obviously, I don’t want to put my stuff, desk, or dorm room at risk of being burned down. Most of the things I want to hide have sentimental value, not because they’re illegal. More importantly, I don’t want Neil to think he’s teaching or imparting knowledge that could be used by an arsonist in the future. So, I decided to alter the mechanism a little bit.
Proposed Adjustments I'm thinking of getting rid of the burning feature with chemicals and would like to make two modifications.
1. Locking MechanismI'm considering designing a latch—purely mechanical—driven by an electronic motor that can be remotely controlled. This would lock the bottom of the drawer and prevent those unaware of the secret compartment from lifting it.
2. Warning SystemUnlike the protagonist/villain in the anime, I don't have any incriminating evidence to destroy if it were discovered. Therefore, I could eliminate the burning mechanism and focus solely on an alarm system. A microchip-controlled device equiped with motion sensor could be developed using the knowledge and techniques from the electronic product design class.
*Intuitively, many would argue that an "alert" system could be entirely achieved by simply installing a camera in the room. While this may be true, I believe many share the experience of spotting something off about a friend and choosing not to bring it up, to avoid awkwardness. This is similar. By implementing a subtle, less noticeable approach, I spare both the culprit and myself from that discomfort.
Knowledge and Skills needed for this project
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Designing Hidden Layer for the drawer
Fusion · Parametric Design
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Supporting parts and electronic cases
Fusion / Prusa Slicer · 3D Printing
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Building the drawer
CNC Milling Machine · Making Something Big
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Motion Sensor Building
Arduino · Input / Electronic Design
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Sending Alert to me
Output / Networking Functions · TBD
