community news
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This Drone Can ‘See’ in Total Darkness Without a Camera Researchers have developed a small autonomous drone inspired by how bats navigate in the dark. Instead of relying on cameras or LiDAR, which often fail in fog, smoke, or low light, this drone uses ultrasound-based echolocation. It sends out tiny sound pulses and listens to the echoes that bounce back from nearby objects. By analyzing these echoes, the drone can estimate the distance and… |
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PİRANA, A Kamikaze Drone Boat Controlled From The Sky Turkey-based defense company Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi (MKE) introduced a kamikaze unmanned surface vessel (KUSV) called the PİRANA. This crewless drone boat’s designed to attack enemy ships and other coastal targets. It approximately weighs 1,200 kgs and is capable of speeds greater than 50 knots, which is roughly 93 kmph. In June 2025, a key capability was demonstrated:… |
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DigiKey Launches Engineering Unlocked Video Series THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., USA – DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, announces the launch of its new video series, Engineering Unlocked. The three-episode series explores how modern tools, open communities and STEM education are reshaping the future of electronics design. From rapid prototyping platforms to real-world maker ecosystems, this… |
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The ESP32 Smart Water Bottle That Does Way Too Much The maker, Alex from Hobby Built, created a really interesting smart bottle that goes far beyond just holding water. This bottle can play your favorite songs, charge your phone wirelessly, display customizable LED lighting, and even indicate the water level inside in real time. What makes it even more impressive is how thoughtfully the entire structure is designed. The outer body is built… |
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This Nerf Gun Uses AI to Predict When You’ll Pull the Trigger A hobbyist maker has taken Nerf modding to the next level by integrating machine learning into a custom-built blaster called the Stinger. High-performance "flywheel" blasters usually suffer from a slight delay while the motors spin up to full speed, which can be the difference between a hit or a miss in a fast-paced game. To solve this, creator "stingernerf" bypassed traditional hardware… |
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Espressif's ESP-IDF v6.0: AI Integration, Security Overhaul, and Safer OTA Updates Yesterday, Espressif announced the release of ESP-IDF v6.0, which is now easier to set up with the new ESP-IDF Installation Manager. For a smaller memory footprint and to improve performance on resource-limited devices, the new version switches from Newlib to Picolibc as the default C library. ESP-IDF v6.0 includes an upgrade to the security layer, moving to MbedTLS version 4.x and… |
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Run USB Devices Off Your Bench Power Supply With USBpwrMe KS Elektronikdesign is soon to launch the USBpwrMe on Crowd Supply, an adapter that can be used to power USB devices directly from a bench power supply. It supports USB Type-A and Type-C ports, operates from 3 V–20 V, and can perform charge negotiation at 5 V. Both ports can be used simultaneously; however, the campaign notes that only one USB output should be used at max load. To… |
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Mesh Node Combines LoRa and Meshtastic for Off-Grid Messaging Not being able to locate a friend who got separated from the group during a trek led to the development of Mesh Node, a device designed for connectivity in areas where traditional infrastructure does not exist. It uses LoRa tech to support messaging over distances of up to 4–5 kilometres in open areas. The range of communication extends even longer by forming a mesh network, where devices… |
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Intelligent 3D Reconstruction Using Advanced Point Cloud Algorithms A YouTube channel named 9nl has developed an open-source project on GitHub that is gaining attention for its approach to 3D reconstruction using point cloud data. The system combines both hardware and software elements, where a compact embedded platform such as the Raspberry Pi can be used for capturing spatial data through connected sensors like cameras or LiDAR. This data, consisting of… |
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Raspberry Pi-Based 5” Portable Homelab Michael Klements built this 5-inch Raspberry Pi based lab rack by scaling down his actual lab rack by 50%, making it eight times smaller while preserving full rack-mount functionality. 3D printed using just 220g of filament with precision M3 brass inserts and screws, this portable homelab fits in your backpack yet powers a complete network stack. The setup includes an OpenWrt router running on… |
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Smallest DIY ESP32 Brushless Rocket Drone A maker recently documented the development of ESP-BLAST, a custom aerodynamic “rocket drone” designed for high-speed flight. Unlike typical quadcopters with exposed frames, this drone uses a streamlined bullet-shaped body to reduce drag while four small 1104 brushless motors drive 2.5-inch propellers. At the center of the system is an ESP32-S3, which acts as the… |
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A Desk Clock That Uses Marbles to Tell Time A neatly designed electromechanical clock shared on YouTube is drawing interest from hobbyists and electronics enthusiasts alike. The project is inspired by the marble clock concept originally created by Ivan Miranda, but the creator redesigned it into a smaller version that can easily fit on a desk. Instead of simply copying the original build, the maker simplified the structure while keeping… |
