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Superficially, automating curtains looks like a straightforward task - afterall, cord operated curtains are common enough. In practice, however, DIY efforts seem doomed to failure. The engineering skills required to build an ergonomic, reliable controller capable of generating the torque required to open and close curtains gracefully is beyond the average DIY'er.
Basic curtain control can, however, be achieved using off the shelf products such as the Swish Auto Gliss range of products. Although the manufacturer doesn't seem to have his own web site, a search on Google for "Swish Auto Gliss" will turn a number of suppliers.
Recently revamped, the Swish range is now considerably more expensive than previously. Two types of controller are available for Swish curtains - a dusk-dawn type (K400) and a timer type (K600).
The dusk-dawn type is more readily automated, since it can be controlled via dry switch contacts (e.g. a relay via Comfort, or homebrew electronics), whereas the timer type can only be externally controlled using an optional infra-red module.
In the UK, where sunset times change significantly from season to season, the timer option isn't terribly convenient in any case, typically requiring adjustment once every six weeks or so.
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