Alonso Vidales has built Off The Cloud, an open-source Raspberry Pi 5 project that lets users store, search and share family photos without relying on a traditional cloud photo and video -storage service. Instead of sending photos and videos to an external server for storage and AI analysis, the system keeps them on a device at home. It automatically backs up full-resolution photos and videos…
Maker Armağan Amcalar demonstrates how multiple ESP-Mosaico boards can work together to build a modular guitar effects system.ESP-Mosaico is a development platform based on the ESP32-S31 chip. In his demonstration, Amcalar uses ESP-NOW, a wireless communication method, to connect boards and run different guitar amplifier models at the same time. These models are software-based simulations that…
Cranktown City has built a DIY satellite ground station that uses an 8-foot satellite dish to follow satellites as they move across the sky and receive the radio signals they transmit. Unlike a manually operated dish, this system can calculate a satellite's position and automatically move the dish to follow it. One of the project's biggest achievements is receiving full-disk weather images…
HVT Lab recently built a custom portable music player using an ESP32 microcontroller, combining local music playback, rotary encoder controls, and Bluetooth connectivity in a compact retro-inspired design. The project allows users to load their favorite songs onto a microSD card and play them through a 3.5 mm headphone jack. An OLED display provides a simple interface, while a rotary encoder…
An open-source project called ESP32 iPhone Agent lets an AI model control a real iPhone using a low-cost ESP32-S3 development board. Created by Henry Yuan, the project can perform actions such as tapping, swiping, typing text, drawing paths and pressing keys. It can also return to the home screen or complete a task. The Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 board costs around $7, and the project does not…
For nearly two decades, vintage Apple iPods have been dormant in desk drawers, victims of dead batteries, obsolete charging cables, and retired iTunes libraries. Now, a London-based hardware startup called Certain Things is changing the narrative with Sprout, an open-source replacement motherboard that drags early-2000s music players kicking and screaming into the modern wireless era. Rather…
In an era where microcontroller boards are becoming increasingly powerful, Tech Talkies recently showcased an interesting use for the versatile ESP32-S3 chip by turning it into a fully functional, pocket-sized retro television. Leveraging the display and audio capabilities of modern hobbyist hardware, the project demonstrates how low-cost microcontrollers can easily drive video playback and…
A simple event badge can do more than display a name. Nick Ficara designed and developed programmable electronic badges for Hack the North, a major student hackathon in Canada, after being approached by Alex, a project manager at the event. Unlike ordinary event badges that only display a name or event logo, this ESP32-powered hacker badge works as a small computer that participants can…
An autonomous 3D-printed catamaran built by hobbyist Cy Antony Ash has mapped the depth of a lake in North Wales, the result of a two-year build. The boat carries a Deeper castable fish finder along a programmed route across Llyn Celyn, so the sonar no longer has to be cast from a rod. Instead of underwater propellers, it uses drone motors mounted above the waterline, which keeps the props…
Researchers at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have developed ALBATROSS, a robot that can descend from the air, land on water, and then sail using wind power. Its name stands for Airborne Lander with Buoyant AuToROtating Sailing Sensor. The robot is designed to carry sensors to remote lakes, reservoirs, and other water bodies that are difficult to reach by boat. When…
A recent project shared on reddit - r/esp32 showcases how much computer vision potential can be squeezed out of inexpensive, low-power hardware. Built around a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 board paired with its dedicated round screen extension, the handheld device doubles as a self-contained 3D object scanner. Originally intended as a platform for an augmented reality game, the creator pivoted…
A developer who goes by kuslota has released InkBoy, a custom display driver and firmware that runs a Game Boy emulator at around 30 frames per second on Waveshare’s ESP32-S3-ePaper-1.54 V2 board. Waveshare specifies about 300 ms for a partial refresh on the board’s 200x200 panel, and the stock driver managed barely 2 fps in the developer’s testing. The code is on GitHub under an MIT license…
