I wasn’t saying it’s impossible. My point was that recognizing a particular sound is significantly more computationally demanding than detecting a volume threshold. It’s just a statement about the inherent difficulty of certain computational tasks compared to others, nothing to do with my ability.
Devices like iPhones, Alexa, and Google Home have processors and software stacks designed for speech recognition, whereas most flashlight drivers use tiny low-power microcontrollers and don’t have a ton of space to spare. Those are very different hardware constraints. Not to mention how much implementing this would drive up the cost…
Disclaimer: Just an interface design thought experiment, not selling anything.
We all love features, but memorizing dozens of click combinations (like Anduril) can be a hassle. What if UI complexity were solved through hardware instead?
Imagine a concept light with a rotary selector ring and a tiny screen. You just twist
the mechanical ring to switch modes (Flashlight, Measuring, or UV), and the screen only shows relevant data for that mode.
Curious where you guys draw the line on this kind of setup:
The Cost of Complexity: If a light offers a genuinely useful secondary tool, would you accept a physical dial + small screen interface? Or must an EDC light stay a single-purpose tool?
Feature Creep: For a measuring mode, is a basic distance readout enough? Do extra features like calculating area or height make it a useful multi-tool, or just unnecessary bloatware?
Screens on Lights: Does an informational screen appeal to you, or do you worry too much about durability compared to traditional rubber switches?
Would love to hear your thoughts on the balance between utility and over-engineering!
The premise of your question is wrong.
Just because you can do two dozen or more functions with anduril 2 doesn’t mean you need to understand more than three or four click sequences to make the flashlight function for 99% of what you’re going to do.
Click to come back on wherever you left it.
Press and hold to make the flashlight come on in the lowest mode. Double click for turbo. Once on, press and hold to ramp up or down. Let go and repeat for opposite direction of ramp. Three clicks for battery check if you want. And who doesn’t want.
The flashlight can be made waterproof.
I do not want a flashlight with a screen.
I don’t need dials.
The flashlights that I carry (EDC) are already as compact as they can be for the amount of runtime and brightness and throw or flood that I am willing to deal with on a daily basis. Adding a laser of any sort for any function is going to mean something has to give size wise or function wise on the existing platform.
From past polls my memory is that near 50% of the people here are not willing to EDC anything larger than a 14500 or AA sized light.
Anybody that needs to measure room size distances on a regular basis probably has a tool belt or a tool bag.
We all carry a tool that can measure a room, I phone has measure app, I’m sure android has something similar too. and every phone now has a flashlight. so when someone needs to measure once in a blue moon, and same with use of a flashlight, they already have the tool.
I agree with @Oli . I have close to 30 lights with the Anduril OS. On most of them, after initial customization ( a one time process) I haven’t needed to do anything more complex than what one would need to do with something like a Sofirn or Convoy light to use them daily. Some people see the diagram and think it is too difficult to use. But that describes everything that one “COULD” do if they wanted to. Actually using the lights for day to day use, couldn’t get much simpler. The typical user can do everything that they will ever need to do, without doing anything to the configuration the light comes with, just by learning a very few basic button presses.
The complexity of the diagram is due to the miracle of designing an OS with a single button for input, that can accomplish all of the things this OS is capable of.
We completely agree that an EDC flashlight shouldn’t become a burden. That’s been one of our core design principles from the start. We won’t increase the size compared to a typical light in the same category, and the controls are being designed so users can rely on muscle memory, keeping the experience as intuitive and familiar as possible.
Smartphone apps are great and very convenient, but they’re still a compromise compared to dedicated tools. Our aim is to provide professional-grade measuring accuracy and a flashlight that’s far more capable than the one on a phone. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much point in making a dedicated product like this.