I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s
Hardware
bowling alley scoring system
SHOW HN2026
Legend
I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s
I replaced a $120k bowling center system with $1,600 in ESP32s
news.ycombinator.com#esp32#bowling scoring#open source hardware#pinsetter retrofit#espnow
How HN took it
84 positive, 63 neutral or asking, 1 mixed, 12 critical, out of 160 comments about the project. Thread score +0.51.
Idea: 29 for, 3 againstDocs: 13 for, 0 againstPricing: 4 for, 4 againstDesign: 3 for, 2 againstExecution: 1 for, 3 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Inspiring retrofit of expensive proprietary systems
From 2 comments
I nominate this post as an archetypal example of content that belongs on the Hacker News site. Thank you for sharing; I'm so glad for you that it worked out.
mcherm on HNI love seeing software engineering applied to physical systems. Replacing expensive proprietary infrastructure with simple, repairable components feels like the kind of…
Bisuta on HN
Good for community third spaces
From 2 comments
Is there a URL I can send people? I would like to show this to an OG in the pro circuit who has been looking to buy an alley and modernize it but is being dissuaded by the exact…
monster_truck on HNI love stories like this. You’re doing more for your community than you even know!
gonzogato on HN
Objections
Reliability and downtime concerns
From 1 comment
Short repairs are always nice, but I'm curious about the frequency. You're your own repairman, but that won't be true for all owners. So it's not if the repair takes 5 minutes,…
hinkley on HN
Safety concerns around pinsetters
From 1 comment
I am compelled to ask: Can this equipment take someone’s arm off? Do you have insurance for that? Does you insurance know you wrote this yourself?
lowbloodsugar on HN
Requests
Technical write-up or blog with details
From 3 comments
Hi, What you accomplished here sounds interesting, both from an entrepreneurial point of view and also from the engineering side. A good, nice, detailed technical write-up of…
Cheiree on HNI came for a blog with pictures and details on the development and found none :( Edit: I had yo search for this on my own…
Copenjin on HNProfessional techie and amateur bowler here. I am bowling on old-ish lanes, and the stats we have beyond the score is... well, ball speed only. And it barely works on half of the…
alentred on HN
Photos or videos of prototype
From 1 comment
Amazing post. I'm a enthusiastic bowler myself and in tech so this scratches both of those itches. These are the types of posts that keep me coming back to HN. Best of luck and…
jmpavlec on HN
Questions
Which sensors are used for pin detection
From 1 comment
I’m curious what sensors you’re using? My first thought was a camera up above the pins pointing down that can detect them. There are probably more reliable methods. If it were…
codazoda on HN
Is the system needed versus paper scoring
From 1 comment
Serious and maybe stupid question, also note I don't live in the US. Is this really needed? If you put a scoring pad and a couple pencils in each lane would your customers say…
dn3500 on HN
Alternatives named
ScoreMore software
From 1 comment
Lol, nice! It depends on what you mean by "owning a bowling center," but it looks like there are at least two of us into this :D I bought a really old fully mechanical (and…
vikbez on HN
Brunswick A2 systems
From 1 comment
That is awesome. I worked at a bowling alley as a mechanic in high school (Brunswick A2) and got a sense of how stupid expensive the replacement equipment was. At one point…
starky on HN