Smart Big Red Button? Need help for interactive climbing wall for my kids!

Hardware
1

I’m in the middle of building an indoor climbing wall for my kids as a Christmas gift, and I recently had a fun idea: adding LEDs (controlled via WLED) around the wall and some “Big Red Buttons” at the top—something like this:
image or image

The idea is that when my kids reach the top and press the button, the LEDs would flash, and a fun sound or congratulatory message would play through nearby speakers (may patch into an LLM for different fun announcements). I think it could make the experience a bit more exciting and fun for them and their friends.

The challenge: I’m struggling to find suitable big buttons that can integrate with Home Assistant via Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Matter, or Thread. So far, I’ve found a couple of options:

  1. This Reddit post where someone hacked an Aqara button (link here).
  2. The Fibaro button, which looks perfect but is pricey, especially as I’d need a few of them (link).
  3. Building my own using a button and a mini ESP32 board.
    • I’ve found a simliar looking button with an enclosure that appears large enough to house the mini ESP device, but not sure if I could fit the breadboard and battery inside as well…

I already have some extra Aqara buttons lying around and found some cheap red buttons on AliExpress, but I’m not super confident in my ability to modify the Aqara buttons or build a custom ESP32-based solution. Ideally, I’d really prefer something a bit more budget-friendly than the Fibaro button and somewhat easy to implement, although I’m not totally opposed to something custom if necessary.

So, I’m reaching out to the community for recommendations or creative ideas. Does anyone know of:

  • A smart button (ideally large and kid-friendly) that fits the bill?
  • Alternative devices I could consider to accomplish the same goal?
  • Any detailed guides I could review to try to see how to go about creating it myself?I

Appreciate any suggestions, recommendations, or help to make this project come together!

2

Hi

https://thinkl33t.co.uk/zigbee-button/

If you don’t like to do it you by yourself by soldering etc you still can take a red button (like the ones in the second picture (https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07TBKJL6N/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07TBKJL6N&pd_rd_w=N6P5I&content-id=amzn1.sym.10c44ba0-99a9-46d2-be7c-ad851b65838d&pf_rd_p=10c44ba0-99a9-46d2-be7c-ad851b65838d&pf_rd_r=SYZB6Y3X4RD266WBVHWT&pd_rd_wg=3b5da&pd_rd_r=285b5fbd-63ca-41a8-b952-9346518ac6ab&s=kitchen&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw).
Tear it down.
Place the aquara button inside and place a plastic cilynder with more or less the same diameter of the button over the aquara moving part.
A plastic bottle cap might do the work, diameter should be ok for the aqara button.
This should make the top red part moving down to transmit the mecanichal movement of top part of the button and press the aqara button.
This is just an idea, don’t know if it will work, just doubting how to handle the return spring.

Thirdreality makes colorful buttons but these are not really what you want, I believe.

good luck!

3

Thank you! That’s actually a really good idea and may be the simplest option. Definitely a few options on amazon that may work. I appreciate it!

To be honest, the first option doesn’t seem to bad either. I recently purchased a solder iron for a LED project so maybe I’ll give it a go. Now to find some test buttons!

1 Like
4

Here is another option for one to tie a zigbee button/reed sensor into:

If you don’t want to solder you can use an Aqara leak sensor to just wrap the wires around the contacts sticking out from the bottom for both easy maintenance and what not should you need to replace the core.

5

As we are talking sports here, you can’t use just any button. Why? In the heat of a competition, it will get hit hard. Period. And don’t try to ask them being gentle with it, spoiling their game…

Go industrial standard, that can have some abuse.

Like this one, there is enough place inside to put some ESP or a mini Zigbee switch in it.

afbeelding
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