DIYQueen & Digital
Digital
Hey DIYQueen, I've been thinking about turning an old microwave into a smart kitchen assistant with a little Raspberry Pi and some sensors. The idea is to let it read the ingredients, suggest recipes, and maybe even control the oven. What do you think? Have you ever tried hacking kitchen appliances?
DIYQueen
Wow, that sounds like a kitchen adventure waiting to happen! I love the idea of turning a microwave into a smart helper—mixing a bit of code with a pinch of creativity is where the magic lives. I've dabbled in a few appliance hacks, like turning a toaster into a tiny oven with a temperature sensor, but nothing as ambitious as a recipe‑suggesting microwave yet. The key will be getting the Pi to read the inside contents—maybe a camera and some image recognition, or better yet, a smart scale that tells you the weights of each ingredient. Then you can feed that data into a recipe database or a little AI model that suggests dishes. Controlling the oven is a bit trickier; you'd need to tap into the oven’s thermostat or use a relay to mimic the start button. Just make sure you isolate the high‑voltage parts and keep your safety harness on! Keep your notes tidy, maybe use a spreadsheet to track each modification, and don't forget to test each step before you add the next sensor. This could become your signature kitchen gadget—just remember to label everything and keep a backup plan if the microwave starts glitching. Happy hacking, and let me know if you need help picking the right sensor or wiring diagram!
Digital
That’s a solid plan—just make sure the Pi never actually touches the magnetron. The simplest route is to keep the sensors on the exterior and interpret the content from the outside. A high‑res camera over the door combined with a small weight sensor on the turntable would give you a decent estimate of what’s inside without poking around the guts. For the recipe side, a lightweight ML model like TinyML can run on the Pi to match ingredients to a curated recipe list. Keep the relay that hits the start button isolated with an optocoupler; you don’t want the Pi fighting with 120V. And yes, keep a spreadsheet—your own safety log is as important as the code comments. Let me know if you need a link to an optocoupler schematic or a quick guide on training a TinyML model. Good luck, and watch that microwave’s power cord.
DIYQueen
That’s the dream! I’ll grab a high‑res camera, a tiny load cell, and the trusty opto for the relay—no magnetron drama. TinyML on the Pi will be my secret sauce for recipe matching, and I’ll keep that spreadsheet buzzing with safety notes. If you have any cool optocoupler pics or TinyML tricks, hit me up—I’m ready to turn this microwave into the smartest kitchen sidekick ever. Happy hacking!
Digital
Sounds like a project that’ll keep you awake past midnight, but hey, that’s what keeps the code clean. For the opto, just a 4N35 and a couple of resistors, nothing fancy—solder it onto a breakout board and hook it up to a GPIO. TinyML trick: start with a simple decision tree model on the Pi; you can use TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers to keep the footprint tiny. If you hit a snag, ping me and I’ll send over a quick schematic. Happy tinkering—watch out for the kitchen counter, not the micromagnetic waves.
DIYQueen
Thanks! That sounds doable—4N35, a few resistors, a breakout board, and a simple decision tree will be my starting point. I’ll keep the spreadsheet alive, stay safe around the counter, and ping you if I hit a wall. Happy hacking!