You’ve probably seen a few DIY designs, some of them here even, that have piqued your interest and made you wish you had the skills and the tools to make them happen. Most of these, after all, require a 3D printer at the very least, and some soldering skills if not electronics expertise. Barring that, you probably wished someone could take those designs (legally) and make them for others who can’t do it on their own.
That’s the case with this particular device that has its roots in an open source hardware project that would definitely test the skills of modders and makers. The end result is a tall white knob with a screen on top, giving you control of your computer with a design that feels almost like a prop from a sci-fi show.
Designer: Makerfabs
Rotary controls aren’t new and you’d often find them as part of an assembly that has other controls like sliders and buttons. They allow for more precise manipulation of properties that not only have a range but also distinct “stops” or values, like audio volume, brush sizes, or screen brightness. At the same time, dials and knobs also make it easier to scroll through long pages or scrub through video timelines without tiring your fingers on a mouse wheel.
There has recently been a new category of devices that offer these dials as a standalone device. The Microsoft Surface Dial, primarily intended for the Surface Studio, is probably the most popular example, and there have been other unofficial adaptations or DIY designs patterned after this. This MaTouch SmartKnob Assembled takes that design further by adding a circular display on top, removing the guesswork of what mode it’s in or what it’s controlling.
The SmartKnob is rather tall for a knob, almost like a small can, and it’s divided into two parts. The weighted bottom has ports for charging and connecting the device as well as a button for certain actions, while the upper half is the part that you turn to change values like brightness, volume, or even your location on a web page. The display provides both information and aesthetic value, giving the device a more futuristic appearance.
The SmartKnob Assembled is actually based on another DIY project but offers an already assembled yet raw product. The body, for example, is 3D printed and unfinished, so it’s not exactly very pleasing to look at. It at least gives you the freedom to customize the outer shell without having to worry about connecting all the components inside, though you might still need some programming know-how to actually make it a useful device.
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