Magic time! Let it Spin!

Yes, we directly use off-the-shelf breakout boards to put it on our PCB. It might sounds silly, but luckily we only have 2 breakout boards, which is acceptable. In the future we might come up with a true "PCB" for this project. But for now, I think it's quite small enough.

You will need:

28BYJ-48 stepper motor (Adafruit link). This is the smallest stepper motor we can find with enough torque for our applications.
Studio XIAO ESP32S3 (Seeed link). You can also use other ESP chips, just make sure it supports WiFi communication. The size of the chip and thus our designed PCB may vary. However, you can use ESP32C3 from Seeed Studio, which is cheaper and the pin layouts are identical to ESP32S3.
eBoot Mini MP1584EN (Amazon link). This is possibly the smallest chip we can find to convert 9V DC to 5V DC (to power the ESP32S3).
TB6612 chip (We directly used the breakout board of this chip from Adafruit). This is used to drive one unipolar/bipolar stepper motor.
9V Rechargeable Lithium Batteires (amazon link). These batteries can directly be recharged using usb-c cable.

You can find PCB files on our GitHub repository

IComfort

A remote rotary knob control gadget

Contributors:

Yuecheng Peng - hardware & software development, 3D-print enclosure design

Krant Lee - 3D-print enclosure design and iteration, sketching, poster design

Kate Chen - 3D-print enclosure design, poster design, product video

Description

Scenario: During cold winter mornings, many struggle to leave their warm beds due to darkness (closed blinds) and coldness (air conditioning). This inconvenience disrupts comfort and wastes precious time, prompting us to develop a user-friendly, reliable product prototype to remotely control and even set timers for blinds and AC from anywhere. Therefore, we can use apps like HomeKit to set a comfortable environment which perfectly match our daily life - after work, before waking up, before going to bed, etc.

Purpose: iComfort is crafted to enhance home comfort and convenience, specifically targeting the challenge of maintaining an ideal atmosphere during cold winter mornings. It empowers users to remotely control their blinds and air conditioning, transforming a cold, dark room into a warm, inviting space effortlessly.

Users: Designed for a wide audience range, iComfort caters to both tech-savvy individuals and those new to smart home technologies. Its user-friendly interface is accessible to anyone seeking to improve their home environment, from young professionals to elderly homeowners.

Design: The product features a sleek, minimalistic design, ensuring it blends seamlessly into various home decors. iComfort's discrete and modern aesthetic complements its functional purpose, making it a subtle yet powerful addition to any home.

Functionality:

Remote Heating: Control your heating system remotely for comfort and energy efficiency
Timed Automation: Set up timers to automatically open blinds at designated times.
Secure Locking: Never worry about forgetting to lock your doors- remotely lock them with ease.