FAQ & safety

Can it damage the blind?

The mechanism sits sealed between the glass panes and cannot be repaired without replacing the window unit — so BlindBot is designed to slip, never to force: an O-ring clutch tuned just above running torque, firmware current limits with an even lower homing current, soft end stops clamped inside the calibrated hard stops, and a push-fit head you can remove with one hand. If a head ever stalls at a stop, it unpowered-clutches instead of cranking.

Can I still turn the knob by hand?

Yes — two ways. Turn the knob with the head attached: the clutch slips silently and you re-home with a 1–3 s button hold. Or pull the head straight down off the knob (and the tail out of the saddle) and take the knob over completely.

Does it call the cloud?

No. After the first commissioning, control runs locally over Matter (Thread or Wi-Fi) on your home network. The device has no telemetry, the site has no trackers or cookies, and no account is required anywhere to operate the blind.

What powers it?

Everything runs from a normal 5 V USB-C charger (1 A or more) — no mains wiring, no wall adapter electronics beyond a certified charger. A battery-per-head variant is sketched in the design docs but unproven.

Will it fit my blind?

Honest answer: you must measure first. The design was made from reference photos, so every dimension is an estimate. The measurement checklist (ten minutes with a caliper: knob diameter, flute count, distances to hinge and hook, frame standoff) tells you which constants to change; the CAD is parametric and the CI refuses meshes that aren't manifold. The pack also includes a motor-offset fallback geometry for tight hinge cases.

What about the safety of children and pets?

Small printed parts and the O-rings can be a choking hazard — install the head up high, keep spare parts away from small kids. The blind's lift cords are kept clear of the head by design; the cup is closed so cords can't catch. Cables route away from hinges and locks.

Matter support per app

Apple Home and Home Assistant are expected to work well with tilt; Google Home maps tilt to its Rotation trait but its tilt UI is reported as partial by Matter testers; SmartThings is unconfirmed. Multi-admin is supported: commission once, then add more apps.

Is this a product?

Not yet — it's an open-hardware project. The status page of truth is the repository README: dimensions estimated, firmware CI-compiled but never run on hardware, hardware bring-up pending. Contributions, especially from people with other inter-pane blind brands, are welcome under CERN-OHL-S-2.0.