Add Ecosystem survey; expand Ideas with unique-angle shortlist
Ecosystem.md synthesises ~2 hours of prior-art research across Hackaday, GitHub, Hackster, Tindie, Etsy, and Home Assistant community. Covers: - Direct cousins: Liam Jackson's CI tachometer dashboard, McLear's AstraDash (Astra GTE -> Home Assistant), Evan's kegerator, the wider steampunk-voltmeter + ESPHome pattern. - Adjacent projects: Ecasti's PrometheusClient on ESP32 (the digital cousin), r00li/CarCluster, the YouTube/Twitch counter and crypto ticker patterns (all digital, no needle variants). - Hardware building blocks: SwitecX25 library, nsocwx reference build, TheRengineer driver PCB, motorcycle tachometers as a V1 shortcut, vintage voltmeter cases from Etsy. - Middleware options: ESPHome for a fast firmware path, Grafana dashboard 25052, claude-code-monitoring-guide. - Uniqueness matrix showing where claude-gauge genuinely contributes (LLM telemetry first, thinking-ratio gauge, model-indicator annunciator, dual-architecture portability, replicable enclosure, character metrics, physical-observability framing). - Concrete "what to borrow" shortlist. Ideas.md rewrites the hardware-wild-ideas section into a unique-angle shortlist with fuller treatments for each: physical model-selector knob, swappable faces per mode, daily reset chime, tactile feedback, per-project LED strip, cluster-to-cluster sync, physical commit button, audio feedback (toggle), second cluster as historical companion. Home.md page index updated to link Ecosystem.
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# Ecosystem
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Survey of prior art relevant to claude-gauge, captured during initial
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research in April 2026. Establishes what exists, what to borrow, and
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where claude-gauge can uniquely contribute.
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## Direct cousins
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Projects that do essentially the same thing claude-gauge does: a
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software metric driving a physical analog needle cluster.
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### Liam Jackson — CI Test Tachometer Dashboard
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The closest cousin. Three universal motorcycle tachometers wired to
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an Arduino, displaying continuous-integration test failure counts in
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real time. OLED in the center for context numbers.
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* Hardware: sub-$10 motorcycle tachs, Arduino, 3D-printed housing
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* Signal: frequency-based PWM (1000 RPM = 16.66 Hz), "Slow PWM"
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library
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* Power: several hundred mA at high deflection
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* Source: Printables STL for the housing, code inline in the
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Hackaday writeup
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* Reference: [Putting Cheap Motorcycle Tachometers To Work](https://hackaday.com/2025/01/18/putting-cheap-motorcycle-tachometers-to-work/)
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### John McLear — AstraDash (Astra GTE -> Home Assistant)
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Repurposed Astra GTE car dashboard driven by ESP32 showing Home
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Assistant sensor data. Every 5 s, MQTT pushes a JSON payload
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(`{oilTemp, battery, coolantTemp, fuelLevel, rpm, speedo}`) that gets
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mapped arbitrarily to home metrics. EV charge becomes fuel level,
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task count becomes speedometer, solar output becomes RPM.
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* Hardware: Astra GTE cluster, ESP32 NodeMCU-32S, bit-banged SPI
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* Integration: MQTT via Home Assistant
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* Source: [DNThomas/AstraDash](https://github.com/DNThomas/AstraDash)
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* Article: [A Dashboard Outside The Car](https://hackaday.com/2024/01/11/a-dashboard-outside-the-car/)
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Lesson: the `/usage` JSON shape we designed for the firmware is the
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same abstraction McLear uses. Validates the architecture.
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### Evan — Kegerator Gauge Cluster
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Salvaged Chevy cluster driving analog meters that show beer temp and
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"fuel" (keg volume). Pressure sensors on a scale beneath the keg,
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plus a flow sensor on the tap line. LEDs for drama during pour
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events.
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* Pattern: automotive cluster as purpose-built hobby display
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* Reference: listed on Hackaday under the gauge-cluster tag
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### Steampunk voltmeter projects
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Widespread Home Assistant community pattern: repurpose vintage
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voltmeters as ambient displays via ESPHome. PWM driven through an RC
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low-pass filter to smooth the needle. Used for tank levels, battery
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state, network load, etc.
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* Pattern: ESPHome + vintage meter body = instant Home Assistant
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integration
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* Reference: Home Assistant community threads on MQTT DC voltmeters,
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analog gauge dashboards
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## Adjacent projects
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Same hardware pattern (ESP32 + display + metric), different data or
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display choice.
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### Ecasti — PrometheusClient
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Probably the most interesting adjacency. ESP32 pulls from Prometheus
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via HTTP and renders time-series graphs, gauge displays, and stat
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panels on integrated LCDs (M5Stack Tab5 / AtomS3 / CoreS3). Supports
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HTTPS and Grafana Cloud. Apache-2.0.
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Studying the HTTP query loop and caching patterns saves real
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daemon-design time. The digital cousin of claude-gauge; swap the
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displays for steppers and you're at claude-gauge.
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Source: [ecasti-gmail-com/PrometheusClient](https://github.com/ecasti-gmail-com/PrometheusClient)
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Article: [Prometheus Dashboards on ESP32](https://www.hackster.io/ecasti/prometheus-dasboards-on-esp32-d590db)
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### r00li — CarCluster
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Drives real automotive instrument clusters from a PC via ESP32.
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Primary use case: driving simulators (Assetto, Forza). Bit-bangs SPI
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to the target cluster.
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Source: [r00li/CarCluster](https://github.com/r00li/CarCluster)
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### YouTube / Twitch subscriber counters
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Pattern well-represented but exclusively digital: MAX7219 matrices,
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OLEDs, 7-segment. No physical-needle variants found. Example:
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[joeybab3/Live-Subscriber-Counter](https://github.com/joeybab3/Live-Subscriber-Counter).
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### Bitcoin / crypto tickers
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Similarly digital-only. OLED + API fetch every N seconds. A GitHub
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project [sandman72/ESP32_BitcoinMeter](https://github.com/sandman72/ESP32_BitcoinMeter)
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hints at a meter variant but isn't widely built.
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### Classic-car instrument restorations (Triumph GT6, Alfa Giuletta)
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Replace mechanical gauges with LCD. Different problem shape; not
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applicable.
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## Hardware building blocks
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### SwitecX25 driver library
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The canonical Arduino library for X25, X27.168, VID28, VID29,
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BKA30D-R5 steppers. Direct GPIO, no external driver IC strictly
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required (though ULN2003A recommended for cleaner current).
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Source: [clearwater/SwitecX25](https://github.com/clearwater/SwitecX25)
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### Reference Arduino X27 build
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Full working Arduino code and wiring for X27 stepper + OLED overlay.
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Source: [nsocwx/Digital-Speedometer](https://github.com/nsocwx/Digital-Speedometer)
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### TheRengineer Analog Gauge Stepper Motor PCB
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Pre-made driver board for X27.168 / VID28 with JST connectors.
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Skips the breadboard stage.
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Source: [Tindie listing](https://www.tindie.com/products/TheRengineer/analog-gauge-stepper-motor-pcb-only/)
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### Universal motorcycle tachometers
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$5-10 on overseas retailers. 12 V nominal but respond to 5 V logic.
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Frequency-driven (1000 RPM = 16.66 Hz). Larger and more visually
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readable at desk distance than X27.168. Good V1 prototype path.
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### Vintage analog voltmeters
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Etsy listings for Bakelite-body industrial voltmeters, steampunk
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aesthetic ready. Typical $10-30. Drill for wiring, repurpose the
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movement, done.
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## Middleware and framework options
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### ESPHome
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Home-Assistant-native framework for driving PWM-controlled analog
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meters. If the claude-gauge daemon exposes a Home Assistant sensor,
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ESPHome handles the firmware layer automatically.
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Trade-off: less firmware control, faster path to a moving needle.
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Worth prototyping on.
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### Grafana Labs dashboard 25052
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Pre-built Claude Code metrics dashboard. Free deep-stats surface for
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architecture A. Import against Prometheus; done.
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### Anthropic `claude-code-monitoring-guide`
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Official reference Docker Compose stack: OTEL collector + Prometheus
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+ Grafana. Borrow wholesale for architecture A.
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Source: [anthropics/claude-code-monitoring-guide](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-monitoring-guide)
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## Aesthetic references
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* **Retro-futuristic automobile control panel** (Hackaday.io project 10579): 1960s dashboard with modern guts.
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* **Daniel Lazo's Retro Digital Dashboards** (Behance): art direction for cluster visuals.
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* **Dieselpunk cellphone** (Make Magazine): aesthetic coherence lesson.
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* **Bakelite industrial voltmeters** (Etsy): housing reuse options.
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## Curated lists checked
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* [obazoud/awesome-dashboard](https://github.com/obazoud/awesome-dashboard) — software dashboards
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* [pfalcon/awesome-smarthome](https://github.com/pfalcon/awesome-smarthome) — smart home ecosystem
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* [GitHub ambient-display topic](https://github.com/topics/ambient-display) — mostly e-ink
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Physical-gauge variants are under-represented in curated lists,
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which itself is a signal.
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## Where claude-gauge uniquely contributes
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| Axis | State of the world | claude-gauge angle |
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|---|---|---|
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| Data source | HA, CI, kegerator, car sim, crypto | LLM telemetry (first) |
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| Gauge metric | RPM, temp, fuel, voltage, follower count | Thinking-to-output ratio (novel) |
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| Cluster semantics | Repurposed car cluster w/ mental legend | Purpose-built for token flow (new) |
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| Model indicator | n/a | Discrete annunciator for active model (new) |
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| Data path portability | Locked to one source | Dual-architecture (OTEL or ccusage) |
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| Enclosure | One-off bespoke | Open, printable, replicable |
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| Character metrics | n/a | Em-dash violator counter, phrase extractor |
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| Physical observability framing | Implicit | Explicit "make AI work tangible" |
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## What to borrow
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1. **Motorcycle tachometers** as the V1 prototype hardware. Ship a
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working needle in a weekend before committing to X27.168.
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2. **McLear's JSON-over-MQTT payload abstraction**. Confirms the
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firmware contract is right.
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3. **Ecasti's PrometheusClient** HTTP query loop and caching patterns.
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Lift directly for the daemon.
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4. **TheRengineer's driver PCB** to skip X27.168 breadboarding.
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5. **ESPHome firmware** as a shortcut path; fall back to hand-rolled
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Arduino only if needed.
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6. **Vintage Bakelite voltmeter case** from Etsy: one industrial box
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housing all four needles, drilled ports. Instant aesthetic win.
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7. **Grafana dashboard 25052** verbatim for architecture A's deep
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stats.
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6
Home.md
6
Home.md
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@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ the ambient summary.
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`ccusage` integration for B, Claude Code env vars
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* [Hardware](Hardware) — cluster layout, X27.168 steppers, ESP32
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wiring, firmware structure, enclosure
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* [Ecosystem](Ecosystem) — prior-art survey, what to borrow, where
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claude-gauge uniquely contributes
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* [Roadmap](Roadmap) — phases, shipped, deferred
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* [Ideas](Ideas) — exotic variants, metrics brainstorm, parked
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thoughts
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* [Ideas](Ideas) — exotic enclosure variants, unique-angle
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shortlist, metrics brainstorm
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## At a glance
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77
Ideas.md
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Ideas.md
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@ -149,22 +149,69 @@ lands on Grafana panels or a custom web page later.
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* Fitbit / health data: Claude usage vs heart rate (do you actually
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stress out when Claude is slow?)
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## Hardware wild ideas
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## Unique-angle shortlist
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* **Audio feedback**: a quiet relay-click when the tach crosses
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redline; a chime when a 5h block resets. Could be annoying;
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prototype with speaker off first.
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* **Tactile feedback**: a small vibration motor in the bezel that
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pulses when STALL lights (useful if the cluster is out of your
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peripheral vision).
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* **Per-project LEDs**: a strip beside the cluster where the lit
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LED indicates which project is currently active. Fun for homelab
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archaeology.
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* **Second cluster on the other monitor** showing a 24-hour sparkline
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rather than live gauges. Historical companion.
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* **Cluster-to-cluster sync**: if claude-gauge becomes popular enough
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to build for friends, a single OTEL collector could drive multiple
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clusters in multiple homes. Niche but fun.
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Directions other projects haven't taken. Each plays on the dual
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nature of a cluster: always-on display AND potential input surface.
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### Physical model-selector knob
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Rotary encoder mounted on the bezel that forces the model for the
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next prompt. Turn clockwise through Haiku, Sonnet, Opus; click to
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lock. The MODEL annunciator LED preview-lights while turning,
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solid-lights once the next prompt lands.
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Turns the cluster into an input device, not just a display. No
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prior art.
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### Swappable faces per mode
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Gauge faces are magnetic and swap in under a minute. "Scientific"
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mode has numbered scales; "Brand" mode has model logos; "Mood" mode
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is colour-coded emotional labels; "Seasonal" mode is themed. Same
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needles, different semantics. Conference demo catnip.
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### Daily reset chime
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Real brass bell or solenoid click when a 5h block resets. Pavlov
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for token management. Off by default; opt in per-user.
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### Tactile feedback
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Small vibration motor in the bezel that pulses when STALL lights.
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Covers the "is Claude alive" question when the cluster is out of
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peripheral view.
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### Per-project LED strip
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RGB strip beside the cluster; the lit section indicates which
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project is currently active. Turns the desk into an ambient
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work-location indicator for ADHD self-awareness.
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### Cluster-to-cluster sync over LAN
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If claude-gauge ships to friends, multiple clusters around the
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country sync to a shared OTEL collector showing aggregate usage.
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"Claude Code Live" art piece.
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### Physical commit button
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Satisfying mechanical clicky on the cluster bezel that triggers a
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pre-composed `git commit` in the current project. Cluster as input
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AND output. Dangerous, fun, on-brand. Requires daemon-side
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permission gating.
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### Audio feedback (optional)
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Quiet relay click when the tach crosses redline; chime when a 5h
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block resets. Off by default. Some users will love it, some will
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throw the cluster out a window. Make it a toggle.
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### Second cluster as historical companion
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A second, smaller cluster on the other monitor rendering a 24-hour
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sparkline rather than live gauges. Paired-instrument aesthetic.
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Overkill for one user, charming for an office.
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## Software wild ideas
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