Maybe somebody is already tinkering with one.
@gkoproske and I have been discussing what throttles I'm going to "allow" for operators on my layout when the time comes for group operations. There is an active operations group within the local NMRA community, and he had a couple of experiences where the Digitrax-based layout owner provided UT-type throttles, having banned Digitrax full "DT" throttles because of experiences where an operator fat-fingered something bad and shut down the railroad. Glenn prefers his DT40x, and was frustrated by this, and challenged me on my plans.
So far I have been exclusively Wi-Fi on iPhones and Android notepads running through JMRI. I was originally planning on putting up a UR92 and accommodating Digitrax duplex wireless, but the more experience I gain with the smartphones and tablets, the more I like the idea of not having a proprietary wireless network scheme at all, letting JMRI doing all of the wireless DCC control heavy lifting. HOWEVER...
...the biggest problem I have with the phones is they are clunky for ops. Touchscreen sliders are hard to finesse. What I'd really like to have is a Wi-Fi/JMRI equivalent of a Digitrax UT4 - a physical knob and direction switch, basic F0-F7 buttons, and loco selection. Oh... and under $100. Something I can hand to visiting operators that is obvious in function and "just works".
This is where the Raspberry Pi Zero W comes in. For somebody familiar with programming the platform, it would not be difficult to make the Pi act as an interface controller between electromechanical controls and the JMRI Wi-Fi throttle command system. I'm not familiar with programming the platform and have too many other irons in the fire anyway, so it ain't gonna be me. I'm just hoping somebody knows of a project along these lines (and a lot less pricey than the Iowa Scaled Engineering throttle which is extreme overkill anyway).
