Manual
Tap the top
The touch pad on top adds a star with each tap. Hold it for two seconds to clear back to zero.
Setup: none. Plug in and tap.
Desk status light · Wi-Fi · USB-C
Five stars means don't come in.
Busy Meter sits on your desk and shows the room how busy you are, from zero stars when you're free to five when you're not to be disturbed. It follows your calendar or Teams status on its own, and when your camera goes live, it flashes red and blue.
$49Desk Edition · ships before the holidays
Readable from the doorwayNo account neededOpen API
Status 3/5 · In a meeting
Drag to rotate · pick a status below
3D preview needs WebGL. The status buttons still describe each level.
The heat scale
Everyone in the house can read it.
Six levels plus one alarm. The stars line up with the presence states your work apps already track, so Busy Meter can switch levels without you touching it.
How it knows
Four ways to set the stars.
Start with a tap on the top of the meter. Connect a calendar or Teams later if you want it to switch on its own. Setup runs from a page the meter serves on your Wi-Fi, so there's no app to download.
Calendar
Google or Outlook
Busy Meter checks your calendar every minute and lights three stars for any event marked busy. It clears when the meeting ends.
Setup: paste your calendar's private iCal link.
Presence
Teams and Slack
Follows your live status: in a call, in a meeting, presenting, do not disturb. A small desktop helper adds the red and blue flash when your webcam turns on.
Setup: sign in once from the meter's setup page.
Tinkerers
Home Assistant
The firmware is WLED-compatible, so it shows up in Home Assistant and takes a plain JSON request from any script, shortcut or automation.
Setup: add it as a WLED device.
Built for the doorway
The light faces the people walking in.
A status light only works if the person at the door can see it. The Doorway Edition lights both faces at once and comes with three ways to mount it.
Desk wedge
Weighted base tilted back 8° so the stars read from a chair across the room.
Monitor clip
Sits on top of any monitor 12 to 32 mm thick. The rear stars face the door while you face the screen.
Wall plate
Hang it outside an office door with two screws or removable strips. Run power from a USB-C cable up to 3 m long.
Editions
Pick how you want it.
Every finished meter is printed, wired and tested in our shop. Makers can build their own from the kit or the files.
Desk
$49
- Single-sided, 5 stars
- Desk wedge stand
- 1.5 m USB-C cable
- All four status sources
Doorway
$65
- Double-sided, stars on both faces
- Desk wedge, monitor clip and wall plate
- 3 m USB-C cable
- All four status sources
DIY Kit
$25
- Printed housing and diffusers
- Pre-flashed controller, LEDs, touch pad
- About 30 minutes with a soldering iron
- Printed wiring card
Print Files
$7
- STL and 3MF for housing and all mounts
- Firmware and flashing guide
- Parts list with links
- Personal use license
Specifications
What's inside.
Standard parts, open firmware, nothing proprietary. If a part ever fails, you can replace it yourself.
- Size
- 240 × 70 × 52 mm on the desk wedge
- Weight
- About 140 g with stand
- Light
- WS2812B RGB LEDs: 5 on the Desk Edition, 10 on the Doorway Edition (5 per face)
- Controller
- ESP32-C3 with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE 5
- Control
- Capacitive touch pad on top; web setup page; WLED JSON API
- Power
- USB-C, 5 V. Brightness is capped in firmware to stay under 300 mA, so any phone charger or laptop port works.
- Materials
- Matte PLA housing, frosted PETG star diffusers
- Colors
- Night (black/amber), Sunset (pink/amber), Swamp (green/amber)
In the box
- Busy Meter
- Desk wedge stand
- USB-C cable (1.5 m Desk, 3 m Doorway)
- Monitor clip and wall plate (Doorway)
- Quick-start card with setup QR code
Power adapter not included. Any USB charger rated 5 V / 1 A or more works.
Questions
Before you order.
Something not covered here? Ask in the shop messages and we'll add it.
Do I need an app or an account?
No. The meter creates its own Wi-Fi setup page the first time you plug it in. Join it from your phone, pick your home network, and choose which status sources to turn on. Manual tap mode works with no setup at all.
Does it work with Zoom or Google Meet?
Yes, through your calendar. Any meeting on your Google or Outlook calendar lights three stars. For instant changes, tap the top or trigger it from a keyboard shortcut using the JSON API.
Will it work on 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
The ESP32-C3 uses 2.4 GHz only. Most home routers broadcast both bands under one name, so this usually just works. If yours separates them, connect the meter to the 2.4 GHz network.
Can I change the colors?
Yes. Each level's color and brightness can be changed on the setup page. Streamers often set it to light up when they go live.
Is it bright enough for a sunny room?
The default brightness reads clearly across an office in daylight. You can raise it on the setup page; the firmware still keeps total power within what a USB port can supply.
Is this tied to a video game?
No. Busy Meter is an original design. The star scale is ours, and the product isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any game publisher.