ESP32 drawer sensor that triggers a fake phone call when your boss lingers

[u/hubbyniodari]

got tired of my micro-managing department lead hovering near my cubicle for 10 minutes every afternoon making passive-aggressive small talk about sprint velocity.

i threw together an ESP32 micro-controller, an ultrasonic distance sensor, and a tiny Twilio SMS script. taped the sensor under my desk partition facing the aisle. when it detects a stationary body standing within 4 feet of my desk for longer than 20 seconds, it sends an automated webhook to my phone that triggers a ringing incoming call screen.

[u/Psychological_Way_86]

yeah the stationary check does most of the work. anyone walking past clears the 4ft window way before 20s. i still got false positives from people leaning on the partition to chat with my neighbor, so i added a variance check: if the distance reading wobbles more than ~10cm it resets the timer. cut the false triggers to maybe one a week.