Do You Need A Fingerbot in 2023?

[@EdwinPWeston]

Mine arrived yesterday and so far, I love it. I use it to switch an old HDMI push button splitter that goes from my TiVo to my TV or URayCoder streamer. I would always forget to switch it before going to bed, and the next morning I would have to run back upstairs to put it back in stream mode. Zigbee was the selling point for me and had no problem connecting to Home Assistant.

[@Combat_Carl]

I’d like to use these to turn on my dancing football dolls that sit atop a shelf. So far I’ve automated the 49er foghorn, disco lights, LED strip lights and music after a touchdown. This will take it up another level.

[@webflue]

Great idea about using it to buzz yourself in

[@graemeboal]

I've received and set mine up but do miss the ability to change the limit settings which I could do using the bluetooth versions of these. Hopefully that extra functionality will be added, maybe using a custom quirk?, soon. thanks for the vid though!

[@DieciBoutiqueRestaurant]

Hello. Please can you tell us how many hubs do you need with a group of fingerbots. For example: 1 hub per Fingerbot or 1 hub can control several Fingerbots. If so how nay Fingerbots can be controlled on 1 hub. Thanks

[@MarkWattTech]

One hub can control many fingerbots. Depending on the hub you have will determine the total you can connect.

[@ins00mnia]

can it stay pressed for 30s and after that to unpress? 🤔

[@rrassoc]

Zigbee is a game-changer.

[@quantisedspace7047]

Just looking at fingerbot for home automation, as I can't change the wiring in the house. Am I right on thinking that these can only push one way, that if you want to control a rocker light switch, you need /two/ of these, one to push one end in, the other the other ? Before I'd seen this video, I just assumed they had some sort of three axis stepper motor, so it could push one of several switches in either of two directions. Having to have six for a three gang SPST is absurd. Who on earth thinks like that ?

[@netblue]

the problem with Tuya devices is that while they connect to a generic Zigbee (I have the Sonoff reflashed for HA) ,no need for Tuya the hardware is junk.I had 2 fingerbots and they both died within months ,one siezed motor the other one just stopped connecting (even to the Tuya bridge) . The switchbot one works great 5 months in ,yes it did need a BT proxy to reach the HA box.

[@Dimmers]

curious, I received my unit yesterday and i am unable to tell the battery level with other features missing, are you using ZHA or MQTT?

[@netblue]

@Dimitri Cassimatis I am/was using ZHA ,don't recall if it was showing the battery level. I ditched the last one about 6 months ago.

[@netblue]

You can also use the Tuya Cloud Integration , for some reason the local one never detected any devices for me.

[@Badg0r]

I've tested several ones and experienced the same. Some of them broke, others didn't show all entities. I've bought the switchbot one yesterday.

[@MAMDAVEM]

I've owned one since they first came out but I have yet to find a use case for it. My preference has been to hack the device so a zigbee relay can be used to switch a device on and off.

[@zaryl2k]

Normally how long does these things last? I am interested to get a few to auto switch some lights & fans for my very aging parents. Useful when i am away from home due to work and i can monitor them via cctv.

[@AMinWithBao]

How would you configure it to do say 3 buttons presses in 1 second intervals? I see that the Tuya App does not have this functionality in-built. Probably custom from Home Assistant?

[@matthewalliston1534]

I have a coffee maker I have as s future project but never get around hacking to automate. This will make this useful in short time. This is what Dunkin gets for remodeling the 3 closest drive thru windows at the same time.

[@tripac2007]

Please please please please make an updated video on how to integrate eufy 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😭😭

[@lpolityk]

Mail from adaprox: Secondly, we regret to inform you that we have decided to cancel the light ring design of the Fingerbot Sense, which was a difficult decision. Still, we realized that the light ring was not essential for the functionality of the device and it added extra cost and complexity to the production. We decided to focus on the core features of the Fingerbot Sense, such as the sense control, which is still intact and works flawlessly. I am one of backpackers and still waiting for mine.

[@formatBCE]

Nice, waiting for Z2M support.

[@antoniodecrisci2369]

has some great features like ZigBee, wave and button, but looks a little clunky compared to the SwtichBot Bot mechanism.

[@MarkWattTech]

I think the switchbot is slightly stronger due to its flat chunky design. But the Fingerbot has more functionality. Particularly with being able to set how far down you want the finger to press.

[@chrismills5470]

Mine arrived today connected to HA straight away via ZHA but it only works when in pairing mode then once out amount pairing won't respond to any commands anyone else had this/know how to fix?

[@photelegy]

Can this also pull on a cord and register a manual pull? I have a infrared-heater on my wall with a cord hanging down. I would like the fingerbot to pull it but also register if it is pulled by hand.

[@insoninenine8749]

Why not just turn it in the desired position (presumably on/pulled) and use a regular smart-socket like the one from Aqara that you can turn on/off via app and has a button on top which you can press when you want to turn it on/off manually?

[@tappxor]

Wait, if it works over 4g network and you can use it anywhere it's amazing for remote pc control. No need for Wake on LAN, which can be quite unsafe !

[@Galiant2010]

This is why I want one. I recently got a Legion Go handheld PC and want to be able to connect to my home desktop for Steam Link gaming. But I don't want to have to leave my PC on 24/7 while I'm away from home. Having this would be nice for just turning my PC on when I'm ready to play and then turn it back off when I'm not using it.

[@Lutz1985]

My usecase: turn down home ventilation to minimum when not at home

[@Dessme]

Is it not better to buy a remore switch? i have one and am using it to turn my home light on or off.

[@insoninenine8749]

If you are able to control the light directly, then yes. But if you don't have smart-bulbs (or other smart-appliance) you need something like this.

[@jri212]

I use it to power my PC, so I can remotely access it anywhere.

[@ronm6585]

Thank you Mark.

[@g.s.3389]

finally a zigbee version !!!!

[@MarkWattTech]

I think this sort of product should have always been Zigbee :D

[@justatiger6268]

Can it be modified to press a capacitive button?

[@nightsky549]

I am wondering the same thing. Have you found something that can achieve that yet?

[@justatiger6268]

@@nightsky549 Nope. I'm waiting for someone to tell me so that I can buy it. I remember seeing someone stick some aluminum foil to it and that supposedly made it activate capacitive buttons. But I would like to see more evidence.

[@michaelthompson657]

What thermostat have you got?

[@MarkWattTech]

I’m currently testing one from Meross. It has HomeKit support and is fully local. Working well so far :)

[@michaelthompson657]

@@MarkWattTech cool! Just wondering which one you currently use?

[@phatpsphacker]

cool thx

[@MNpale]

I just got my dumb Bluetooth Switchbot working a few months ago in Home Assistant. What a hassle--Bluetooth is trash. The range is only really 10 feet, so my HA was relocated to the Switchbot's location. I'll be switching to this Zigbee Fingerbot for sure.

[@MarkWattTech]

Zigbee is so much better. If you are attatched to your Switchbot bot though, I would reccomend checking out bluetooth proxies. In a nutshell they will allow you to extend your bluetooth range using a simple esp device. It will pass bluetooth over WiFi (or ethernet) so you can use a proxy instead of moving your HA setup.

[@nughett0]

@@MarkWattTech So as I understand the video it is possible to set up, down and sustain time via zigbee bridge, then reset it, add it to HA and these settings will not go away. This is important as I need to push the button for 3 seconds.

[@erykfear2689]

The price is just stupid

[@AUNZAnon]

Pointless when you can buy cheaper smart plugs that provide remote control and also monitor power usage.

[@MarkWattTech]

Smart plugs are 1000X better, but this is specifically for niche things where using a smart plug isn’t available or if you don’t want to create your own diy device.

[@Doddyth09]

Nope still useful, as of now, sadly there are still exists devices that not holding the ON state. So whenever the smart plug is on, the device is in OFF state again and you need to press it again manually

[@Phettsack]

Thats a toy for people that don't know on which end a solder iron gets hot.

[@MarkWattTech]

😂😂 a fair observation

[@netblue]

Or people that value a professional designed device that works in 1 minute or less and looks good and doesnˋt void your home insurance vs. a bunch of wires coming out of your coffee maker to an ESP board stuck in some random box that took an hour to get going. 😅

[@iainhay2823]

@@MarkWattTech I disagree how else can you automate an aquastop switch which is powered solely by water? Soldering will not help you there. It’s the only case I can think of mind you and why I only have one fingerbot😂

[@martinsVcm]

I have a gas water heater that always turns off after an outage. Waking up in a cold morning and having to get out to turn it back on was a pita. The power on button was integrated into the digital display and electronics. Not easy to isolate or automate in a clean way. Is the only reason I got this.

[@Soren_Skarsgard]

@@MarkWattTech Can you pair it with like a bt selfie button remote control, so you don't have to use your phone??