HoMedics Drift Magnetic Moving Sand Art Table - Sandscape Kinetic Sand Art, Smart App Control, Decorative Sand Table

Product Information

While I have yet to run out of fresh patterns for the Drift to make, there isn’t an infinite amount. I currently count 51 designs available. I think that number is perfectly fine. It would be nice if more were made available in the app in the future, and the company says additional will come, but even if that never happens I think people will be satisfied by the amount of variation currently available. I had no problem running the device day after day. I’m not sure it will break down eventually over extended use, but for now, that little ball keeps plowing through the sand. It’s quite enough to run all day long. Unless the room is dead silent, I can’t hear it creating a pattern. When the room is completely quiet, my daughter likened the little bit of sound it does make to that of light rain. It’s completely personal whether this noise level is acceptable at night in a bedroom. The HoMedics Drift Kinetic Sand Table is designed to make using a sand table easy. Unlike a manual sand table, the Drift’s sandscapes are fully controlled with an app on your smartphone. The Drift app contains patterns and playlists to play on your table, with customizations for speed, brightness, and LED colours. Using it, you can stop between patterns, shuffle between your favourites, and set up scheduling so that the Drift is on only when it can make an impact on your state of mind. Within the first day of use, I had tapped play on close to a dozen designs. It's addicting to watch the little sphere roll around and make intricate patterns come to life. HoMedics positions the device as one for wellness. Watching it is supposed to promote mindfulness and a calming feeling. I can see how Drift could do that for some people. For me, it was much less about a calming presence and more about a neat piece of decoration. It's modern and simple enough to blend in, but with its light, it can be as attention-grabbing as you want it to be. Cut a circle in the 1/2" sheet with a diameter that is 1" less than the diameter of the glass (in my case it would be 30"). Make sure that you account for the size of the router bit that is being used for an accurate cut.

Overall, I am really enjoying watching that little metal ball make art in the sand. Also, setting it up was very simple and took less than 10 minutes after removing from the box. For the generating and feeding the designs to the Sand Table to draw them, I started out by making my own "movement plans" by hand. I used some movement plans that were generated by Tom Dilatush in his GitHub project JSysiphus. The Sand Table uses (theta, rho) coordinates for movement, so I converted .thr files to .txt and placed all of the files in the "pending" folder of the repository, so that python can easily read them. The "read_files.py" program then converts the coordinates to simple number of steps and speed commands for the stepper motors to perform. The app makes it easy to change the lights, set color changing effects or play a new pattern. There are many patterns to choose from, and I'm hoping they continue to release more. Overall - the HoMedics drift Meditation Sand Table is fun to use, definitely a conversation starter and help take away your stress while you watching the image unfold.

“day 5 with drift and i already feel so relaxed.” — Jess R.

For the linear slide mechanism, I found the parts separately on OpenBuilds, but I would suggest using the V-Slot linear actuator kit, since it has all of the parts necessary as well as assembly instructions.

HoMedics, of course, takes this concept up a notch (or a hundred notches). It transforms what used to be a kid’s toy into a luxury product using high-end materials and app control. The Drift isn’t the first kinetic sand table on the market, but it’s widely available as of its 2022 launch and requires no technical knowledge to set up. (The demand for kinetic sand tables has actually been so high—and so unmet—in recent years that many enthusiasts have shared their DIY tutorials online. However, with woodworking, wiring, and coding components, they’re far from one-day projects.) How to control the HoMedics Drift sand table invite calm in: our kinetic sand table is a statement piece makes your living space look as amazing as it makes you feel. Allow drift kinetic art to increase relaxation, ignite creativity, boost your mood, and enhance focus whenever it suits you Setting up the HoMedics Kinetic Sandscape Table was, as I mentioned, really easy. It’s less than a five minute setup from opening the box. You just need to set your product on a flat surface, pour in the included bag(s) of sand, and rake the sand so that it’s approximately even before your first use. Make sure you only use the included sand; the Drift isn’t designed to handle other textures, and pouring something that’s too rough or too small could damage it. Once even, you place the Drift’s metal ball on the sand and replace the glass top. Update 2: For reasons I don't understand the device stopped communicating with my Pixel 6a even after using the phone to set it up. I had to switch to an old LG V30. It works about 7 out of 10 tries with the LG. Enough to change the settings and patterns. Once it's up and running it doesn't really need tweaking. But if you decide to change the lights and patterns it will need the app. I honestly don't understand why this is such a riddle for Homedics. Every other Bluetooth device I've ever owned works more consistently that the Drift. It's worth the hassle, though. The device is gorgeous. Within the first day of use, I had tapped play on close to a dozen designs. It’s addicting to watch the little sphere roll around and make intricate patterns come to life. HoMedics positions the device as one for wellness. Watching it is supposed to promote mindfulness and a calming feeling. I can see how Drift could do that for some people. For me, it was much less about a calming presence and more about a neat piece of decoration. It’s modern and simple enough to blend in, but with its light, it can be as attention-grabbing as you want it to be.

Should You Buy the HoMedics Drift?

Clone the Sand-Table GitHub repository: git clone https://github.com/RGroza/Sand-Table.git To me, this speaks to how organic the Drift’s operation is. Fern loves watching the rain, and families walking down the sidewalk, and the way the grass blows in the wind—and she loves watching the Drift. Digital toys and TV shows have never held her attention, but with the Drift, she can’t look away. Its peaceful, repetitive patterns feel like watching the tide come into shore: even busy professionals and lazy cats, neither of whom could express if or why they like the Drift, are drawn to it.

In terms of size, I chose the 16 inch and am glad. It fits nicely on a rectangular coffee table. For me the 21 inch would be way way too big. However, I could see turning the 21 inch into it's own end table. But unless you have a specific spot that can fit the larger one, I would recommend the 16 inch. Side note - HoMedics customer service was great and jumped right in to help with the pairing; I’d just prefer better instructions than the ones provided.Homedics is proud to partner with Bring Change to Mind to bring awareness to mental health. Bring Change to Mind is an incredible organization rooted in ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. To show our support in advocating for mental illness, we are donating a portion from every drift sold to Bring Change to Mind. I've looked around a bit with no success, but I was wondering if I could import pictures into the app and have it render it into a drawable item. Doesn't seem like that functionality exists yet. Hoping for something like it in the future. All four variations of this table operate the same way. This review features the cream-coloured 16″ Drift, which fits comfortably on a small side table and is built solidly enough not to tip over when bumped. HoMedics Sand Table without sand and glass cover What are the benefits of a sand table?