3 ms·

Maybe I'm underestimating, but the code seems trivial. There's lots of examples of PID control for Arduino that one could use as a staring point: https://learn.

by nkurz 11y ago

Maybe I'm underestimating, but the code seems trivial. There's lots of examples of PID control for Arduino that one could use as a staring point: https://learn.adafruit.com/sous-vide-powered-by-arduino-the-sous-viduino/time-proportional-output https://learn.adafruit.com/sous-vide-powered-by-arduino-the-... Someone who knows what they are doing could probably write rice cooking logic that works pretty well in a couple days, and a beginner (like me) could almost certainly get something working in a couple weeks. There'd always be room for refinement after that, but I can't see that the code would be a limiting factor. But likely you've hit on the real reason there isn't much competition on the low end: making an inexpensive fuzzy logic rice cooker is easy, but if it started selling well you'd probably be sued out of business for patent infringement. I now feel silly for overlooking this obvious explanation.

mywittyname 11y ago
If you dissect any low-end appliance, you'll notice that they are almost always have very simple mechanics that work by mechanical physics in lieu of computing where possible. Sensors and electronics are expensive in the context of an appliance that needs to be produced for less than $3. You can make a coffee maker that can deliver water at a precise and adjustable temperature, but it's going to be a lot more complicated (thus expensive) than a cheap one that relies on a tube, a one-way valve, and the behavior of boiling water.