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What is claude-knob?

pham-tuan-binh/claude-knob — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

17CAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

In one sentence

A physical USB rotary knob that lets you control the Claude Code terminal with turns and taps instead of a keyboard.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      USB rotary knob
      Controls Claude Code
    Tech stack
      C
      Arduino
      PlatformIO
      ESP32
    Use cases
      Hands free scrolling
      Push to talk voice
    Audience
      Developers

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Scroll and confirm Claude Code prompts by turning and tapping a physical knob.

USE CASE 2

Interrupt a running Claude Code session with a double tap instead of Ctrl+C on the keyboard.

USE CASE 3

Trigger push-to-talk voice mode by holding the knob down.

What is it built with?

CArduinoPlatformIOESP32

How does it compare?

pham-tuan-binh/claude-knob0xblackash/cve-2026-46333atomiczsec/noradrenaline
Stars171717
LanguageCCC
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatehard
Complexity3/54/54/5
Audiencedeveloperresearcherops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires the CrowPanel ESP32 rotary display board and flashing firmware via PlatformIO.

So what is it?

Claude Knob is a physical hardware accessory for Claude Code, a rotary knob you plug into your computer via USB that lets you control the Claude Code terminal interface with physical gestures instead of a keyboard. Rotating the knob clockwise sends a down-arrow keypress (to scroll or pick the next option), rotating counterclockwise sends up-arrow, a single tap sends Enter to confirm, a double tap sends Ctrl+C to interrupt, and holding for more than 300ms triggers a push-to-talk voice mode by holding Space. The hardware is a small round display board (the CrowPanel 1.28-inch HMI ESP32 Rotary Display) with a built-in rotary encoder, touch button, a circular color screen, and five RGB LEDs around the rim. When you use the knob, a small animated orange Claude mascot on the screen reacts to your gestures, bobbing at idle, walking when you turn, jumping on a tap, and bouncing while you hold. The LEDs chase like a comet in whichever direction you spin. The firmware is written in C using the Arduino framework and built with PlatformIO, a build tool for embedded devices. Setup involves cloning the repo, installing PlatformIO, and flashing the firmware to the board over USB. No soldering is required, the board ships fully assembled. An optional 3D-printable stand is included to hold the knob on your desk. The full README is longer than what was provided.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through flashing the Claude Knob firmware onto a CrowPanel ESP32 board with PlatformIO.
Prompt 2
Explain what each knob gesture does when controlling Claude Code.
Prompt 3
Help me set up the 3D-printable stand and assemble the Claude Knob hardware.
Prompt 4
Show me how the firmware maps rotary encoder input to keyboard events like arrow keys and Enter.

Frequently asked questions

What is claude-knob?

A physical USB rotary knob that lets you control the Claude Code terminal with turns and taps instead of a keyboard.

What language is claude-knob written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C, Arduino, PlatformIO.

How hard is claude-knob to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is claude-knob for?

Mainly developer.

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