What if the pots had no detents and the color could also be sent from the computer to this device? Bi-directional color.
You might like this DIY, illuminated, force-feedback Bluetooth „Smart knob“:
That thing is sweet. If I recall correctly, the issue is that the motor type he used is no longer being produced (?) so a redesign is necessary. I really love the idea of having infinite possible UX choices in a single knob -- for example, the Mustang Mach-E could really benefit from having this kind of control knob for its various use cases
Input devices are a fascinating topic. Having something like the Smart Knob might be a lot harder for Ford as the knob on the screen of the Mustang Mach-E has a secret - it's not poking through the screen at all. It's glued to it and operates via interaction with the touchscreen.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-ford-mustang-mach-e-ele...
This idea is similar to how some MIDI controllers work where the state is indicated by an array of lights around the knob, and the knob is an encoder which rotates endlessly. A popular and cheap example https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0B3M
This makes it possible, for instance, to map knobs to adjustment controls in Lightroom and have the knob "change" instantly as you move between photos that have different adjustments applied.