Hacker News Reader

Comment by dirkderkdurk | Hacker News Reader

I'm working on my own version that's going to be all buttons and sliders, but I'm hesitant to mention this anywhere because I'm only working on this sporadically as a learning exercise, and the first video already got me more attention than I thought I'd get.

Since then I've changed to a Pi Pico, and using PIO (programmable pins) makes the touch-delay problems I had magically go away. PIO really is awesome.

I've also replaced the DC motor with a tiny stepper motor, and now everything works peachy. Just waiting for some screens and stuff from AliExpress.

Anyhoo, shooting myself in the foot: https://youtu.be/GjmFbgqFeMQ

View on HN

That physically moving progress slider that can also be operated is absolutely bonkers. It took me a few moments to completely let it sink in.

Those physical concepts at 0:38 look very good.

Agree it's an awesome build.

FYI there is prior art for this sort of control - google 'motorised fader'. Used for audio tech mixing desks.

It used to be like that, back in the days. It was... normal. If you get a chance, play with some old school hifi at a thrift shop. Many have at least a powered volume knob, for control via the remote.

To this day, sound and light control in the entertainment industry and recording studios have 100s of motorized sliders.

Modern consumer devices are the worst.

> old school hifi at a thrift shop

I don't think I've ever seen a physical seeking slider. Fast forward, rewind, sure. Maybe even variable fast forward and rewind, but nothing like this, not even on modern analog devices. The main reason would be that it is hard to make seeking accurate and to make the mechanism as well wearing as a button. What I have seen are remote controllable physical volume dials where pressing the remote will actually move the dial, and something like that might be acceptably robust in a consumer product.

> entertainment industry and recording studios have 100s of motorized sliders

Definitely a thing in professional settings, but haven't seen this on consumer level devices.

It's a motorized slide pot, they're usually used as faders in mixing consoles.

You guys say this like it's an obvious and ubiquitous piece of technology, but then whenever I see someone ask why can't we have smart light switches that work like physical ones (two states) and work both directions (i.e. toggleable remotely), suddenly all I see on the Internet is that it's a weird and stupid idea and why would anyone want that.

It dawns on me that a two-state motorized light switch is a strictly simpler device than a motorized analog slider.

Well, it is obvious, and it used to be ubiquitous. It's also complicated, which makes it expensive and easy to break.

You are right, the seek slider was never common. My initial comment was more general.

I too wish for a motorized light switch. One day I want to make one (I feel that I am slowly reaching the required skills and tools to build it). Of course, the house insurance might not like it.

edit: To be clear, the motorized volume knob was common on consumer devices. It is merely a potentiometer with a motor attached. As far as I knoe it had no sense of position, just turn it until it reaches a hard stop, and the motor is too weak and simply stall. Motorized sliders were and are still common on mixing tables, for sound and light control, and those seem to have positional accuracy. It is quite fun to watch a mixing table move by itself during a performance. I have never seen them used for seek control.

> why can't we have smart light switches that work like physical ones (two states) and work both directions (i.e. toggleable remotely)

Separate command from power!

Like this? (command + relay(s), inside switch box)

https://kb.shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/shelly-1-mini-gen3#Sh...

https://kb.shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/shelly-plus-2pm#Shell...

or this? (command only, inside switch box, either use a separate smart relay or send on/off commands straight to an always-powered smart bulb)

https://kb.shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/shelly-i4-gen3#Shelly...

or this? (4 command + 4 relays, for breaker box)

https://kb.shelly.cloud/knowledge-base/shelly-pro-4pm-v2#She...

Inputs can be set up as button (so, open/close circuit are an input event) or switch (so, open/close circuit are an input state)

Of course it won't physically change the switch position, but the switch works both ways because you can turn it into a toggle, whatever the current position is.

> Of course it won't physically change the switch position, ...

But that is what we are asking for. That the switch physically moves to follow the state of the system.

I want the switches on either side of a hallway to move in sync.

Exactly. If we can have (or at least used to be able to) physical sliders that work as both inputs and outputs, then why no wall switches? I want my wall switches be in sync with the state of smart devices - like, if I turn off a smart light remotely via an app, I want the corresponding wall switch to physically flip.

Yep, but it’s not in old analog hifis. A good reason is that tapes and CDs can’t instantly seek. By the time we got mp3 players, it was all about miniaturization, and eventually flat devices and screens. Slide pots for seeking never happened

I haven't watched the video (intend to, because it looks really cool) but my first thought is to repurpose a motorized fader from a mixing desk.

They're great, old technology but good fun. Only problem is the pricing: https://www.digikey.co.uk/en/products/detail/bourns-inc/PSM0... that's over twenty of your US dollars for one of them.

Professional mixing desks have hundreds of them, and can memorize the positions of the set to save a lot of sound engineer time.

Looks great, thanks for sharing.

That capacitive touch slider is really cool.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com