What is your project about?Silent Fan Timer is an innovative quiet notification timer that combines M5Dial's intuitive rotary interface with Unit Fan's rotation mechanism. Instead of using traditional audio alerts or electronic vibrations, it creates gentle physical movement through fan rotation to notify users when time is up - perfect for libraries, study rooms, or any quiet environment where sound-based alerts would be disruptive.
Why did you decide to make it?The inspiration came from personal experience working in quiet environments where traditional timer alerts were either too disruptive or easily missed. Existing solutions like phone vibrations often go unnoticed when placed on soft surfaces, while audio alerts disturb others. I wanted to create a middle ground - a notification method that's noticeable enough to catch attention but gentle enough not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of quiet spaces.
How does it work?The system uses M5Dial's rotary encoder for intuitive time setting - simply rotate to set minutes and press to start. When the countdown reaches zero, the Unit Fan activates and creates a gentle rocking motion through the custom 3D-printed housing. The housing is designed to amplify the fan's rotation into noticeable but subtle movement that can be felt on any surface.
Technical details:
- M5Dial handles the user interface and countdown logic
- Unit Fan provides the physical notification mechanism
- Custom 3D-printed enclosure optimizes the motion transfer
- Code development accelerated using Claude Code for efficient programming
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