Cool new project tutorial from Make.

Here’s the problem: You have a light switch on your wall that you want to control over the internet. But you don’t want to mess with the house wiring — scary! — or damage the switch. What do you do?

Answer: Use a mechanical, motor-driven “finger” to flick the switch for you. As a bonus, you can still flip the switch normally, and can easily remove it when you’re done — essential if you rent your home. As with many engineering problems, it’s a tradeoff — you have an “internet thing” externally attached to your light switch. But if you don’t want to mess with house current or open up the light switch to conceal the apparatus, this is the way to go. It’s fun to have a tiny robot dedicated to flipping a switch whenever you say!

Read more.

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