Talk Box: The Conversation Clock
A custom desktop gadget built to prove who actually dominates the mic in meetings.
This was a custom hardware commission for a friend who wanted a "back-of-the-napkin" idea brought to life. The pitch: think of a chess timer, but instead of counting down, it counts up to track exactly how much time different people or groups consume during a meeting.
It was the perfect excuse to spin up the 3D printer and design a bespoke project enclosure from scratch. The print job went "mostly" well, the soldering had a few... educational moments, but the end result is a fun piece of desk tech.
The Tech Stack
Micro-controller: An Adafruit ProtoFeather, chosen because it handles lipo battery hookups and charging right out of the box without extra clutter.
Display: A 0.96" OLED display to spit out the time data.
Input: Two satisfyingly clicky arcade buttons for switching between speakers. A couple of other small buttons for controls (pause, start, reset, etc)
The Schematic & Assembly
From a wiring perspective, the project is beautifully straightforward. Each arcade button pulls a GPIO pin to ground when pressed, and the OLED communicates over a standard I2C bus.
*Wiring diagram and project photos coming soon.*
Overall, a fun build that I'm sure will upset most people in the meeting :)