Automatic blinds - too expensive. Ever considered making your own?

[elsmandino]

I was just looking at automatic blinds and they seem ludicrously expensive, for what they are.

Has anyone looked at any DIY alternatives?

A small stepper motor, controlled by a Arduino could be an option.

 

[SpecialK]

Have you seen IKEA's ones? Still pricey...

 

[elsmandino]

That's just ridiculous.

I realise that new products come with an initial premium, until the technology matures, but this seems to be a case of mass exploitation.

 

[eveares]

Still pricey...

The ones that cost £115 and £129?, I would happily pay that per blind as long as it could integrate with SmartThings/Z-Wave. When I think pricey, I think high hundreds and low thousands per blind.

 

[SpecialK]

The ones that cost £115 and £129?, I would happily pay that per blind as long as it could integrate with SmartThings/Z-Wave. When I think pricey, I think high hundreds and low thousands per blind.

They are zigbee so probably would integrate with smart-things?

 

[Alec_t]

A small stepper motor, controlled by a Arduino could be an option.

If the blinds have to be moved vertically then, judging by opinions and experience in a similar thread on another forum, you'd need quite a beefy stepper motor unless you gave it a lot of reduction gearing.