Automated Blinds

thingiverse

I designed a device to automate the opening and closing of my bedroom blinds, which were previously inconvenient to manage manually. I built this automation using a NodeMCU esp8266, configured as a webserver/API, and disguised it as a Phillips Hue device so that Alexa can access it directly. A 5V 28byj-48 motor powers the device, controlled by an A4988 driver with a 7.5V input. The motor is paired with a gear reduction of 18/56, resulting in a ratio of approximately 1:3.11 and taking around three minutes to fully close. The device's design was necessary due to the heavy blinds, which required more torque than the 5V motor could provide. To accommodate this, I created a gear system with a larger gear that meshes with the existing pulley on the blinds. This means the automation will only work with blinds of the same type. To make room for the large gear set, I designed spacers to move the blinds down and away from the window.