TimeChi was meant to be a physical desktop focus controller: turn a dial or press a control to start a timed work session, block distracting websites and notifications, and show a visible “do not interrupt” status. Its 2020 Indiegogo campaign raised about AU$270,480 (reported elsewhere as approximately €215,876), but the promised production devices were never delivered. The company entered liquidation in 2022.
The practical replacement is not an official TimeChi revival. It is Focus Dial, an independent open-source project inspired by the same idea. You can build that design with an ESP32, display, encoder, LED ring and printed enclosure—or use an M5Stack Dial for a substantially easier modern implementation.
What TimeChi promised
TimeChi was designed as more than a kitchen timer. Its value proposition was coordinating three things from one desk device:
- Personal focus: timeboxing and Pomodoro-style work sessions.
- Digital control: companion software intended to block websites and notifications.
- Physical availability: a traffic-light-style indicator showing whether the user was available or in a focus period.
The intended audience included programmers, engineers, students and office workers. The hardware was only half the product; its software integrations were essential to the concept. UNSW Founders’ description and contemporary coverage describe that combined hardware-and-software approach.
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Why TimeChi never shipped
A short timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2020 | TimeChi launched an Indiegogo campaign. |
| January 2021 | Contemporary coverage listed this as the expected delivery period, subject to crowdfunding risk. (Pascal Forget) |
| 2020–2022 | The project reported development, redesign, sourcing and manufacturing delays during the pandemic. |
| July 12, 2022 | Founder Sean Greenhalgh announced that the company had entered liquidation. (archived campaign update) |
| After liquidation | Available reporting says backers did not receive the promised production devices. (Hackster) |
The founder attributed the failure to hardware redesigns, unavailable components, repeated build-test-redesign cycles, pandemic-era price increases, manufacturing and tooling costs, software development, travel and border restrictions, and dwindling funds after platform, payment, advertising and marketing expenses. The defensible description is therefore a crowdfunded hardware project that failed to complete production and entered liquidation, not an allegation of fraud.
The campaign totals are the same campaign expressed in different currencies and reported using different exchange rates: Hackster cites approximately €215,876, while the founder’s update gives AU$270,480.
The manufacturing lesson
Crowdfunding demonstrates demand; it does not prove repeatable manufacturing at the promised price. A prototype can work while production remains impractical. Component substitutions may force board, enclosure, firmware and certification changes, and a viable budget must also cover inventory, quality control, packaging, shipping, support and returns.
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Focus Dial: an independent rebuild
Focus Dial recreates the central interaction model—physical control of a focus session—but it is not recovered TimeChi hardware or an official successor. It uses an ESP32 controller, rotary encoder, OLED display, NeoPixel ring and a 3D-printed enclosure. Home Assistant acts as the orchestration layer.
Depending on your configuration, turning the dial can start a focus scene, dim lights, start music, turn off a television, invoke router or firewall blocking, or change phone notification behavior. The exact result depends on your Home Assistant host, router, phone and automations. The project coverage also describes an iPhone Do Not Disturb workaround rather than a clean official integration. (Hackaday)
Keep the system in layers
- Local device: timer, dial input, display and LED state.
- Home Assistant: scenes, webhooks and automations.
- Router or firewall: network-level blocking.
- Phone: Do Not Disturb or notification controls.
This separation makes failures easier to diagnose. The timer and visible state should remain useful even if Wi-Fi or Home Assistant is unavailable.
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Parts for the documented Focus Dial
Electronics and mechanical components
- Adafruit QT Py ESP32 Pico
- 16-pixel 5050 NeoPixel ring
- 128×64 SSD1306 OLED module
- Low-profile 56 mm rotary encoder
- 12 mm tactile push button
- Hookup wire and heat-shrink tubing
- 50 mm beaker cover or similar diffuser component
- M2 self-tapping screws, roller bearings, washers and rubber feet
- Black tint film, matte clear coating, silicone mold-making rubber and titanium-dioxide pigment
The complete project list is on Hackaday.io. It includes affiliate links, so treat it as a parts reference rather than an independent buying recommendation.
Tools and fabrication
- FDM 3D printer
- Resin printer or equivalent resin-printing setup
- Soldering iron or station and helping hands
- Precision screwdriver set, wire stripper and flush cutters
- Sanding supplies, tweezers, pliers, flux and solder
The electronics are approachable because the design uses modules rather than a custom PCB. The enclosure is the demanding part. FDM printing can produce functional pieces; resin printing gives a smoother cosmetic finish. The LED diffuser is particularly specialized because the project uses molded silicone rather than a simple transparent print.
How to build the original-style design
- Collect the modules and mechanical parts. Confirm dimensions and connector orientation before printing.
- Fabricate the enclosure. Print or outsource the parts, then sand, finish and test-fit the encoder, display, button and diffuser.
- Assemble and wire the electronics. Mount the QT Py, OLED, encoder, button and NeoPixel ring according to the project’s current instructions.
- Flash the published firmware. Use the project’s current repository or tutorial for the exact wiring definition and flashing procedure; the available project summaries do not establish a safe universal command sequence.
- Connect the device to Home Assistant. Verify that the device can send its intended event before adding disruptive actions.
- Create a focus automation. Start with a timer, local indicator and one Home Assistant scene.
- Add network, lighting, media and phone actions one at a time. Test each action independently.
- Add cancellation and recovery. Provide a physical override and a clear paused, completed or interrupted state.
Do not expose a Home Assistant webhook casually to the public internet. Prefer local-network access or authenticated Home Assistant APIs, use long unguessable secrets, and avoid unauthenticated endpoints that control household devices.
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Where the project gets difficult
iPhone controls
The reported iOS implementation uses a Bluetooth audio-board workaround to make automation behave as required. Test the phone shortcut independently, verify Bluetooth permissions and pairing, and keep the dial’s local indicator useful even when the phone action fails. It is not a seamless official API integration.
Network blocking
Router-level blocking is powerful but blunt. It can affect every device on the network, miss alternate domains, interact badly with CDNs and apps, and be bypassed through VPNs, encrypted DNS or cellular data. Start with a small blocklist, test subdomains and reconnect behavior, and provide a visible override.
Enclosure quality
Printer calibration, layer visibility, sanding, diffuser quality, encoder alignment, bearing fit, button placement and cable management determine whether the result looks like a desk product or a prototype. The commodity-looking parts list does not include printer ownership, failed prints, resin supplies, finishing materials, shipping or your time.
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State recovery
Use a local session-state variable, define what happens after reboot, show paused or interrupted status, and include a manual cancel control. Persistence in device storage or Home Assistant helpers is a recommended engineering choice, not a documented guarantee of the original project.
Easier alternative: M5Stack Dial
The M5Stack Dial integrates much of the required hardware: an ESP32-S3, 1.28-inch 240×240 circular display, rotary encoder, touchscreen, RFID reader, RTC, buzzer, battery connector and charging circuitry. Dial v1.1 uses the Stamp-S3A module; check the revision documentation before choosing firmware.
M5Stack documents an ESPHome and Home Assistant path. The guide specifies ESPHome Device Builder 2026.4.0 or later for its documented setup:
- Install or open ESPHome Device Builder in Home Assistant.
- Create a new device and select the ESP32-S3 device type.
- Edit the YAML configuration.
- Save and compile.
- Download the firmware in factory format.
- Connect the Dial over USB-C.
- Flash it through ESPHome Web.
- Reset the device.
- Add the discovered device under Settings → Devices & Services in Home Assistant.
See M5Stack’s official Home Assistant guide for the current flow. This route removes most custom wiring and mechanical fabrication, but it is not the same industrial-design object: you trade the custom Focus Dial enclosure and large status ring for a supported development board.
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| Option | Build effort | Customization | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Dial from scratch | High | High | Makers who want the project, enclosure and tactile behavior |
| M5Stack Dial | Low to medium | Medium | Home Assistant users who want integrated hardware and less fabrication |
| Software-only setup | Low | Medium | Readers who need a timer and blocking but not a physical status signal |
Choose the original-style build if
- You enjoy soldering, printing and enclosure finishing.
- You want a highly customizable object and visible desk status.
- You are comfortable maintaining Home Assistant automations.
Choose an M5Stack Dial if
- You want to minimize wiring and mechanical work.
- You value an integrated display, encoder, RTC, buzzer, touch and Wi-Fi platform.
- You can accept a different appearance and interface.
Choose software only if
- You want the lowest-cost, fastest setup.
- You do not need a physical “do not disturb” signal.
- You prefer not to maintain hardware, Wi-Fi or a local automation server.
The practical verdict
TimeChi’s failure was a production failure, not proof that the physical-focus idea was useless. Focus Dial shows that the core concept can be rebuilt with accessible modules and Home Assistant, while the M5Stack Dial makes the hardware shortcut far more practical. Most makers should choose between those two based on whether they want a fabrication hobby or a dependable starting platform; everyone else can get the timer, blocking and scenes with software alone.
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