Gadgets

This toilet paper sheet counter puts excessive wipers on blast

Every home should have one of these.

by
Kevin Raposo
February 4, 2022

Image: YouTube

OK, I’ll admit. I use entirely way too much toilet paper. I don’t know about all of you, but I’m completely thorough in my wiping excursions. Can you blame me? It’s a job that has to get done, and there is little room for error.

But the truth is, my wife absolutely hates it. She’s known for unclogging the toilet after my blatant disregard of our TP rations. Now, if only there were something that would shame my excessive wiping habits. Well, readers, meet the NodeMCU WiFi Toilet Paper Sheet Counter.

This toilet paper tracker keeps tabs on how much toilet paper you use. As the YouTube video description says, “Keep track of use and abuse. Whose butt does the most damage to the planet and budget?!” Check it out in action here:

Creator Vije Miller developed the device, and he explains how he created the formula used to estimate the number of sheets counted. It’s a bit complex, but Gizmodo sums it up really well:

“The sheet counter is powered by an ESP8266 running NodeMCU. It relies on a pair of neodymium magnets and a hall sensor (a device that detects the presence and intensity of a magnetic field) to keep tabs on the rotation of a roll of toilet paper.”

As for tracking, an LCD screen displays usage statistics, but it goes a step further. The data is uploaded to ThinkSpeak, an IoT analytics platform service that allows you to visualize and analyze live data streams in the cloud. This means anyone can access and track how much TP is being used in Miller’s own household.

While this toilet paper counter isn’t a thing you can actually buy, it’s undoubtedly something most of us can appreciate. Not to mention our toilets and the environment.

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