Anyone working with electronics will, inevitably, end up with a large selection of various components — after all, you’ll buy a lot of them in bulk quantities that exceed what you actually need for the project at hand.Soon, you’ll have boxes and drawers full of components that you don’t even remember, which means you’ll order duplicates you don’t need.Akashdeep Singh’s solution to that problem is this mini inventory management system.
Inventory management is big business, but commercial inventory management systems are overkill for most hobbyists and even a lot of small businesses.All you really want to know is how many of each component you have on hand, right? That was the case for Singh and so he designed his device that keeps things simple.This device isn’t much larger than an old iPod.
And it is minimalist, too.There is just an LCD display and a knob.By interacting with that knob, Singh can select a component from the predefined list and view or adjust its quantity.
Because it is so compact, it is easy for Singh to keep over by his workbench, where it is accessible during projects.The build consists of an Arduino UNO Q, which handles Singh’s inventory management software (essentially just a lightweight database), along with a TFT screen and a Modulino Knob.There’s also a buzzer for feedback and the enclosure was 3D-printed.
It is all very straightforward and sensible, which is perfect for a utility device meant to make life just a little bit easier.Now, if a project calls for a specific component, Singh can check to see if he already has one before placing an order.
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