How did you come up with the idea?
The BubbleCam was Andie’s idea. For Halloween 2000 she bought a high-volume bubble machine for trick-or-treaters. Mike rigged up a remote control so it would not empty itself in half an hour. Andie said, “It’s a shame people can’t turn on the bubble machine from the internet.” Mike entered tinker mode. The BubbleCam went live on January 29, 2001.
How does it work?
The short version: your button press reaches this WordPress site, which talks to a small controller in our backyard. The controller switches on the real machine and reports whether it succeeded. The longer, bee-infested version is on our history and how-it-works page.
Why didn’t I see bubbles?
The machine may be low on solution, another visitor may already have it running, the weather may be uncooperative, or technology may simply be observing one of its little moods. Wait at least 60 seconds and try again. If it still does not work, let us know.
Why are you doing this?
Because it is fun. This is a personal project, not a business or a strangely specialized municipal utility. We have heard from visitors around the world and still enjoy the small surprise of watching a web click become a real event in our yard.
Is a button click the same as an activation?
No. A button click is a recorded request. A successful machine activation means the backyard controller confirmed that it turned the machine on. We keep those numbers separate because they describe different things—and because Mike likes his statistics honest.
What is it like to live with the BubbleCam?
It used to require much more refilling and fiddling. The reservoir and controller have improved over the years, though the machine still needs solution, maintenance, weather protection, and human attention. It is part garden feature, part long-running experiment, and part reminder that we own more bubble supplies than most households.