What are you going to do with this cool touch handle?

Sometimes you come across a project yourself and immediately start figuring out ways you can use it in your life. This is what happened to us here in the edge When I drop someone Show SmartKnob, a proof-of-concept project by engineer Scott Besek, in a Slack chat. While it doesn’t seem like the kind of project most people can get out of and build themselves out of right now (more on that later), it’s easy to imagine a future where it’s available as a group, or where someone turns it into the actual product.

It is similar to the smart knob type small nest thermostat, but Bezeq programmed it to contain a lot of modes. Of course, it can act as a turntable, but you can also program its motor to provide haptic feedback and resistance, giving you the feeling of reaching an end point where the disk can no longer spin. Since this illusion is created through software rather than hardware, there is a lot you can do. It can act as a rotatable on and off switch, return to the center after being turned on and released, and even simulate ratchet steps.

When my colleagues and I heard about the handle, one edge The employee immediately suggested that it would be great to control the temperature of the shower; Another said they would use it as a great scroll wheel or to control the volume. Personally, I thought it would be a great way to know how much to eat Feeding my cat Distributed.

According to Bezeq GitHub page for smart handleThe device (which has an off-the-shelf design) can be manufactured “for less than US$200 in parts”. The page also includes the project code, as well as an absolute wealth of information on how to assemble the handle and the parts it uses. Bezeq He also said on Twitter He will make a video detailing the assembly and design process for his SmartKnob.

Unfortunately, we probably have to put our dreams of knob-controlled home automation on hold for now. In the project’s FAQ, Bezeq wrote that it “just implemented enough firmware for the demo shown in the video”, and that the knob can’t actually be used to control much of anything at the moment. It will also be difficult to obtain replacement parts – Bezeq wrote that “due to the popularity of this project, it appears that the recommended motors are unfortunately no longer available for purchase.”

Even with only the barebones firmware, though, I still wanted to build one and use it as the ultimate fidget game. Perhaps by the time the design is nailed and the parts are available, I will be able to build my skills to the point where I can tackle the advanced welding techniques needed to make the smart knob.

Bezeq admits that Handle is “not a mature plug-and-play project,” but says it will continue to work on it, and even has a roadmap of some sort on its GitHub page. I hope he can turn this into something really practical to make yourself – I want a future where I can build an army of knobs to control everything in my house. TV size needs to be adjusted? Knob. Do you want to turn off the camera and end a Zoom call with a single tap instead of push the button? Knob. Need to stop procrastinating writing an essay? I can’t think of how to solve this with a handle just yet, but I assure you I will figure it out.

What is the purpose of using a smart handle?