Doomscroll without walking into poles with this handy device

A popular internet pastime is posting videos of people so focused on their phones while walking that they stroll right into light poles or other obstacles. That is funny for everyone else, but humiliating for the subject. If you want to avoid that kind of humiliation, you’ll want to build Dylan Benzekry’s DOOMSCROLLER 3000 to protect yourself from such mishaps.

The DOOMSCROLLER 3000 is a device that attaches to your smartphone and helps to prevent you from walking into poles. Its sensors detect obstacles like poles, walls, and even other people. If it sees an obstacle, it will alert you with blinking lights and an alarm sound. The blinking lights will provide you with an indication of the direction of the obstacle, so you can navigate around it without ever having to look up from TikTok. 

The hardware you’ll need to put together a DOOMSCROLLER 3000 is affordable and easily attainable. It includes an Arduino Nano R4 board, ultrasonic sensor modules, LEDs, a buzzer module, and a 9V battery. Once wired together (a breadboard keeps the whole package sleek and professional), you can glue those components onto a case that fits your phone.

With your shiny new DOOMSCROLLER 3000, you’ll be able to mosey around city streets without any fear of rogue telephone poles or online ridicule.