Touchscreen instead of simple monitor behind MagicMirror?

binderth

I want to build my own MagicMirror, but came across the actual bidirectional problem if I just use a Monitor. I’d like to use the MagicMirror with my home automation frontend, so I can push some buttons on the mirror also.

So I thought, there are three ways to solve this:

use a Touchscreen instead of a monitor
use gesture control (don’t know how to do this…)
use voice activation (don’t know how to do this, either)

So, the best thing would be to use all three of them (if I can learn how to do 2 and 3). And for this, I’d like to use an touchscreen in MagicMirror. I see, there are some of you using some kind of touch-film or something, but didn’t find a tutorial on which hardware would be best.

Thanks for your help!
Thomas.

broberg

Using a ready-made touchscreen won’t work behind the glass (you don’t really wanna use foil for this).

either you go for a capacitive touch foil mounted on the inside of the glass or an IR-frame mounted on the outside around the glass.

The IR frame is the cheapest way to for touch functionality, the touch foil slightly more expensive, especially if you go for a bigger sized screen (30"+).

the voice control is probably the easiest and cheapest controller for a mirror to implement thanks to all the voice modules!

binderth

Hi broberg,

thanks for the quick reply. As I do understand, the voice controls can take control over “System Tasks” like turn on/off something. Is there a way to interact with something on application Level, which is shown in a browser?

My use case is to show the openHAB frontend (my home automation) and there I can use switches or dropdowns like “switch lights in bathroom on”. Also to insert items to the wunderlist shopping list. or to open the door, if there’s someone out there I can see on the webcam, …

thanks,
Thomas.

broberg

@binderth Pretty sure you can do almost anything, I think I’ve seen a openhab module on here, but don’t know how it works. (probably just getting information).

But since you can have a module send terminal commands in Linux you could probably do a lot with it.

The Magic Mirror 2 is so far primarily for displaying information, but since it’s basically a local website you can do pretty much anything on the mirror as you would on any other website.

binderth

Thanks,
I found some losely coupled openHAB modules like “MMM-floorplan” or “MMM-Rest”, the latter of course a simple GETter of openHAB items. But on that I could do some neat things already.
on second thought I think, with some scripting as you described it, I could at least put the most important commands to the MagicMirror via voice control.
In combination with some gesture module I think I can strip down my needs to meet the “Display”-functionality of MagicMirror! ;)

Thanks,
Thomas.

strawberry 3.141

@binderth there a several voice modules and a gesture module just use the forum search or browse through the showcase