Bluetooth Knife Sharpening Helper

Oshadha Gunasekara

Context

To a chef, a knife is extremely important. As a result, most chefs sharpen their knives frequently to avoid the dulling of their knives. To do so, many chefs utilize whetstones, a block of material with a rough sandpaper-like surface. By using various degrees of grit (similar to sandpaper), a well-trained sharpener can make even the dullest of blades into incredibly sharp and functional tools. A very common technique in achieving the perfect blade on the blade is to slide the knife while holding it at a 15 degree angle. Often times, this is trained through many months of practicing, however the Bluetooth Knife Sharpening Helper aims to assist chefs in achieving that perfect angle by providing constant feedback on the angle of the knife.

Mechanism

The helper utilizes a microcontroller with Bluetooth support (Adafruit Bluefruit Feather) as well as a 9-DOF IMU (BNO055) in order to process the orientation of the knife and send that information through Bluetooth to a mobile application.  Further, the electronics are powered by a small-profile LiPO battery and are encased in a water-resistant enclosure. Magnets are placed in the enclosure to allow for strong attachment to any working blade. The small profile of the enclosure further allows for use in many different blades.

Conclusion

According to Becky Stern and others who have created the same device, the helper functions well, though is still affected by some small error from the IMU.  However, the angle measured by the device is still very close to the actual angle. The device fits into the human world as another tool to help chefs and blade sharpeners further their craft. The cooking channel “Alex French Guy Cooking” created the same device and used it to better his knife sharpening skills. In the end, he was able to see improvement in his abilities.

For further information, visit the instructables page here.