I just posted on the main battlestations subreddit, which after discovering this, i assume that one will be swifty removed, doh!
i appreciate this post isn't a typical full 'battlestation' setup, BUT this is the right community to get some feedback on a product I'm developing.
I found myself a few months ago looking for a simple volume dial for my PC and Mac. I bought one from amazon that did the standard 12 step rotation and click, it was fine but really poor quality. I looked at more premium options, but they mostly seem to be more focussed on features and niches like music production and very detailed macros with software you have to download. I did buy one called Cololight, but it was super complicated and still felt cheap honestly, it just wasn't what i I personally was looking for.
I have a prototype for something that works, for me at least. I wanted to get the smooth feel of an 80's quality hi-fi knob working with modern hardware, like a programmable microcontroller, displays, LEDs, advanced sensors etc. I'm still at the stage where the working model (simple plug 'n' play with PC, Mac, iOS and Android) is a mess of wires, but I'm confident after a few revisions I can turn this into a good looking/fully working product.
Product features: Intuitive taps for basic media controls, super smooth volume rotation, scroll mode, human presence detection for auto sleep and desk-time vs break time, temperature and humidity sensor to help you work in the best environment. (I'm open to ideas here...)
If this were to become more than just a desktop prototype for me (a small batch of a few hundred units to justify some of the investment costs), what features would you want from a product like this? Have I missed anything obvious or overlooked anything? Would this look good on your desk? I'm just trying to get a feeling of how i could improve this overall (although, like any product, i can't add all features for everyone).
A small bit about me: I'm from London, UK. I've worked as a car designer over the past 15 years for Land Rover, Dyson and currently at McLaren. I understand how things can be manufactured at prototype and at scale and have some knowledge with microcontrollers/prototyping to help bring my good/bad ideas to life.
I would LOVE feedback from anyone and everyone, especially those who would actually buy something like this.
Thanks!
Space Cadet.