Custom timer display with remote control

I run tech for a live reading series called 20x2 Chicago, and the host was looking for a unique method of timing each participant during the performance. Each participant is given a two-minute time limit for their presentation, and we were looking for a flexible timer that would allow us to cue the speakers and alert them when their time has completed.

After a few attempts using the Arduino/ESP32 platform, I migrated over to the Raspberry Pi platform for more stability. The composite video output of a Pi server could be sent through a display splitter, where it could then be routed to multiple composite display monitors facing the speakers and/or the audience.

So far this has worked successfully for several years, and some enhancements to the original timer device have kept the process stable since it had been fully implemented.

Workflow

The timer is running as a Python program on the display of a Raspberry Pi. The timer itself is controlled by an ESP32 remote device that connects to a Wi-Fi hot spot that the Pi is running. There is an installation of OpenResty that is used for the API calls, and that interfaces to a Redis database that keeps the current status of the timer.

Code repository

The code is hosted on Codeberg, which does not appear to be a site that Hackster.io recognizes. The readme in the repository contains the details in how to set up and run the software. Repository is here.