Why have app / voice controlled flashlights not really emerged yet?

Fair enough :+1:
I wouldn’t want and exclusively app controlled flashlight with no switch to control it either - and I doubt anyone would which is why I don’t think anyone would consider making such an item.

Open the pod bay door Hal .

“Hey Google, activate strobe mode!”

blink

Did you like the free strobe preview? Order your premium strobe package now for an unlimited access to strobe and even SOS signals.

I would be happy to be able to telnet into the light to be able to change the settings.

As for being tracked, I do agree. Our IP address is being recorded somewhere right now.

As for alexa or whatever its called, Bezos can keep it.

Commercial post-consumer dystopia aside, serial-over-bluetooth to control Andúril or simial FOSS light FW could probably be doable but there are caveats such as BT module parasitic drain (we don’t like parasitic drain around here), BT module size and the need for an RF window in the usually all metal, waterproof light body.

It could probably be done but myself I’m sceptical of the actual benefit. It won’t make the light brighter or more efficient but add a layer of complexity that could take away from the lights’ reliability.

You say you can’t see any minus points. Exactly what headlight were you using that you needed to go to full power under a kitchen sink. Obviously a pretty wimpy one that didn’t cost a whole lot and is not made of metal and is not waterproof. If it is made of metal and it’s waterproof, it’s not Bluetooth compatible. So there are plenty of negatives trying to make it Bluetooth compatible. Also you need to be within range of your constantly on listening device such as your Alexa or your Google speaker. Because you wouldn’t want to touch your phone with your greasy hands any more than you’d want to touch your flashlight. So there’s all kinds of problems here with very limited use.

That is funny, I was just planing building a voice controlled light for recent O/L challenge and ordered parts but unfortunately didn't get all components on time to include in by project.
Since I wave 2 different channels. Controlling both leds is tricky and requires strange combination of clicks, so I figures out voice control can solve this issue.
After some research I choose the Voice Recognition Module V3 by Elechouse. I got it some time ago but had no time yet to play with it.
Some downsides I already aware of are:
1. It needs 5v so requires some DCDC converter from Li cell
2. It is not compatible with attiny so a bigger MCU is needed.

I will update as soon as I figure out how to use it

Nice project YuvalS, I’d be interested to see how that turns out for you! :+1:

i personally do not want to futz with my phone to get light

by the time i can get it out, and get it in the right mode, i could have also found my flashlight and switched it on

also the phone itself has a (bad) flashlight

it;s the same reason i wear a watch - it is just better actually checking the time than looking at the phone

wle

At no point was that the suggestion wle. :slight_smile: the idea was the light would function as a normal light but be able to be adjusted on an app too, if the user wanted to.

It’s not the idea behind this thread but I just wanted to say that I very much share this sentiment, that devices that seek to replace multiple dedicated devices feel like collections of compromise. Phone sucks at telling the time at a glance, sucks at being a light, usually sucks at playing music and it’s why I wear a nice watch, carry a torch and there’s a Rockboxed Sansa player in my bag. Plus if one runs out of charge I can still use the rest. When your phone dies and it’s all you have, sucks to be you.

On an app controlled by what? Again you have to be within range of your constantly on listening device for an app to work by voice. Are you going to tell us what headlight you were using?

foursevens had this at least 5 years ago

app controlled lights

i would have got one, before anduril etc, but the lights themselves were very expensive, and used cells i did not agree with

it may have been the ‘preon’ model

bluetooth control is not that expensive or hard, yet it seems to have failed market tests

you may want to research what foursevens did, to see if it could be improved

wle

on another note, actual voice control by just the light[no phone involved] is probably beyond any processor that you would want on a flashlight

ie too many resources, too expensive, too much battery, too many peripherals needed [making light too big, battery life short, ]

it would practically have to run android to have decent voice

just food for thought
i could be wrong
but it takes a lot of fast processing to do voice

wle

Do you really want a device listening 24/7 what’s around? lol

NO

There actually are dedicated voice recognition chips if you’re fine with finite set of commands and don’t require the ‘natural conversational control’ of Al(l hearing)exas and similar.

A while back I’ve actually drunk-impulse-bought a voice controlled multimeter for the meme. It’s a shitty meter and it cost like 20€ but the voice recognition actually works as advertised. But, and this would apply to a torch as well, I wouldn’t ever want to be seen voice-controlling a meter (or a torch) at an actual job site or in public in general.

so how could that be part of a flashlight design?

would you just say “execute A” and A does light function 1?

how much current at what voltage do those use?

guessing they need 5V

wle

can we get the OP started on his design somehow?