Have you ever tried to sleep during the Finnish summer?
You know the problem.
The sun barely sets, the nights stay bright, and when you finally manage to fall asleep, your room starts filling with sunlight long before you're ready to wake up.
Then, when morning actually arrives, your blackout curtains are doing their job a little too well.
VerhoBot solves both problems.
VerhoBot is a compact curtain-moving robot designed to automatically close your curtains when you need darkness and open them again when it is time to wake up. The goal is simple: improve sleep quality while letting natural sunlight become part of your morning routine.
Built around the ESP32 platform, VerhoBot aims to be affordable, repairable, open-source, and easy to integrate into modern smart homes.
- Automatic curtain opening and closing
- Compact rail-mounted design
- Battery-powered operation
- ESP32-based controller
- Quiet operation
- USB-C charging
- Low-power sleep modes
- Open-source hardware and software
- Scheduled curtain control
- Sunrise and sunset automation
- Home Assistant integration
- Mobile configuration
- OTA firmware updates
- Battery monitoring
- Manual override controls
- Position calibration
- Smart alarm mode
Finland's summer is famous for its bright nights.
While blackout curtains help create a dark sleeping environment, they also block the morning sunlight that helps regulate the body's natural wake-up cycle.
VerhoBot combines the best of both worlds:
- Darkness when you need sleep
- Sunlight when it is time to wake up
No alarms. No bright phone screens. Just natural light at the right moment.
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ESP32 | Main controller |
| Geared DC Motor | Curtain movement |
| Motor Driver | Motor control |
| Li-Ion Battery | Portable power |
| USB-C Charger | Charging interface |
| Position Sensors | Open/close detection |
- Compact form factor
- Rail-mounted operation
- Existing curtain compatibility
- 3D-printable enclosure
- Modular internal architecture
- Basic motor control
- Position calibration
- Manual open/close control
- Scheduling system
- Battery monitoring
- Configuration interface
- Home Assistant integration
- OTA updates
- Smart automation features
Mechanical Design ███████░░░ 70%
Electronics Design ██████░░░░ 60%
Firmware Development ███░░░░░░░ 30%
Testing ░░░░░░░░░░ 0%
Active development is ongoing.
VerhoBot follows a few simple rules:
- Open-source first
- Repairable hardware
- Affordable components
- Low power consumption
- Easy to build
- Easy to modify
- No vendor lock-in
Contributions, ideas, testing feedback, and hardware improvements are welcome.
As the project evolves, documentation, CAD files, schematics, and firmware source code will be published in this repository.
Distributed under the MIT License.
See LICENSE for more information.