Things getting dull at home? Wish you had a way, at the touch of a button, to liven things up and make it a party? Wish no more! You too can build the Emergency Party Button!

What you’re seeing is a programmed script that does the following:

1. Turn off hallway light
2. Close the blinds
3. Turn on the fog machine (Takes a while to warm up)
4. Turn off the kitchen light
5. Turn off the poker light
6. Turn off the living room lights
7. Start the mp3 (Haddaway – What is love)
8. Turn on the blacklights
9. Turn on the laser when the main beat of the song starts
10. Turn on the strobe light when the chorus starts

On a similar note, witness the enterprising MIT student who implemented the “Multi-function In Dorm Automation System” (MIDAS) — which features a convenient Instant Party Button.

At the touch of the Emergency Party Button, an ordinary pair of MIT students’ dorm room is transformed into a party, featuring blacklights, sound-activated strobe, fog machine, laser light shows, pumping dance music, trippy visualizations on an LCD display as well as an LCD projector, a spinning closet disco ball, glowing fluorescent lights, and more!

Of course, this stuff is all for fun, but you can get some ideas for simple sound-activated lighting effects that might liven up the stage at your next Rock Band party, too! I dipped my toes in the LED DJ lighting scene, and it totally took our fake plastic rocking to the next level.