[#human-in-the-control-loop]
= Human in the Control Loop

This solution shows a simple control-panel pattern where a human operator sees live status on a dashboard and decides when to run an action.

A hidden background action keeps the displayed status up to date, while the dashboard only shows the operator control you want them to use.

image::solutions/human-in-the-control-loop/preview.png[]

== How it works

* **Pump ON - 5m** is the only visible action on the dashboard. The operator starts the pump when they choose.
* **Update Water Level** is a xref:action_execution/triggers.adoc[hidden] action that runs on startup and on a schedule. It prints dummy output (`Water level 47%`) that OliveTin keeps in the action logs.
* A xref:dashboards/5-output-views.adoc[most recent execution] dashboard component shows the latest output from **Update Water Level**, so the operator always sees the current reading without clicking a refresh button.

When the pump action finishes, it xref:action_execution/triggers.adoc[triggers] **Update Water Level** so the displayed value can be refreshed after manual control.

== Configuration

[source,yaml]
.`config.yaml`
----
include::example$solutions/human-in-the-control-loop/config.yaml[]
----

== Customising this pattern

* Replace the dummy `echo` commands with scripts that read real sensors or call your APIs.
* Change the cron schedule on **Update Water Level** to match how often the status should refresh.
* Add ACLs if only certain users should see the dashboard or run the pump action.

== See also

* xref:dashboards/5-output-views.adoc[Most recent action output]
* xref:action_execution/oncron.adoc[Execute on schedule (cron)]
* xref:action_execution/onstartup.adoc[Execute on startup]
* xref:action_execution/triggers.adoc[Triggers]