Samwise Makers' News
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Seven Sensors and Breakout Boards to Avoid in a Product
Electronics engineer John Teel has published a guide identifying seven sensors and breakout boards that are common in hobbyist kits but unsuitable for real products. The list covers DHT11/DHT22 temperature-humidity sensors (proprietary one-wire protocol, unreliable supply chain — replace with Bosch BME280 or TI HDC3020); HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors (5V-only, no temperature compensation); HC-SR501 PIR modules (power-hungry, inconsistent); MQ-series gas sensors (require burn-in and reference-gas calibration); MPU-6050 IMU (NRND designation, supply risk — replace with Bosch BMI270 or TDK ICM-42688); cadmium sulfide LDRs (violate EU RoHS — replace with Vishay VEML7700); and ACS712 mains-current breakout boards, flagged as dangerous for missing creepage distance and mains safety margins.
Sources: Hackaday
HeyGears G1 Combines UV Flatbed Printing and 3D Printing in One Desktop Machine
HeyGears has launched the G1 on Kickstarter, marketing it as the first desktop machine to combine full-color UV flatbed printing with MSLA 3D printing. The larger G1 build volume is 420 x 320 x 130 mm, with an Epson inkjet head capable of 10 micron layer resolution in full CMYK color using up to 6 kg of UV ink or resin. Ink is sold in standard bottles rather than locked cartridges, with a CMYK starter kit priced around $189. Early review units shown by creator Steve Makes Everything performed as advertised. Super-early-bird Kickstarter pricing starts at $2,000.
Sources: Hackaday
Deck de France Turns Indoor Bike Trainers Into Video Game Controllers
Developer sukolupo has released Deck de France, an open-source project that maps data from smart indoor bike trainers to a virtual gamepad compatible with gaming consoles and PCs. The software reads resistance, cadence, and speed from supported trainers and translates them to controller inputs, demonstrated with a Steam Deck mounted to the handlebars running Rocket League and Tour de France titles. The project provides a way to make stationary cycling more engaging by integrating it directly with gameplay. It works with a range of commercially available smart trainers. Source code is available at github.com/sukolupo/deckdefrance.
Sources: Hackaday
Stewart Platform Hexapod Gains Force Sensing via Resistors in Series with Servos
A maker known as JD has added low-cost force sensing to Stewy, a hexapod robot with an unusual design: its head is a Stewart platform, a 6-DOF parallel actuator typically used with a fixed base, repurposed here with legs attached to the same six servos. To give the robot ground contact awareness on uneven surfaces, JD placed a resistor in series with each servo motor and measures the resulting voltage drop with an analog microcontroller input. Since servo current draw scales with torque output per Ohm’s law, the approach yields a usable torque signal with minimal added hardware, confirmed by testing after slightly reducing servo speed.
Sources: Hackaday
SketchForge Offers Browser-Based 3D Modeling Without Accounts or Cloud Services
SketchForge is a new 3D modeling tool that runs entirely in the browser locally, without requiring an account, installation, or external services beyond the initial load. It takes a WYSIWYG approach, building models from primitive shapes with easy dimension entry and alignment tools. A sketch feature lets users draw 2D profiles that can be extruded or revolved into solids. Chamfers and fillets are supported natively. The tool exports STEP files, which are supported by most modern slicers and major CAD packages, making it easy to bring models into other workflows. A live demo runs at sketchforge3d.com; source code is available at github.com/Formsmith746/SketchForge-3D.
Sources: Hackaday
Stream32 Brings Open-Source Flexibility to ESP32-Based Macro Pad Builds
Developer Fady Faheem has published Stream32, an open-source ESP32-based stream deck alternative on GitHub. The design pairs an ESP32 microcontroller with a touchscreen display — either a 4-inch Waveshare LCD or a 10.1-inch Elecrow panel — and runs custom firmware supporting configurable pages of macro shortcuts. Setup requires connecting the display, flashing the firmware, and defining shortcut layouts. Both hardware and firmware are fully open source, making it straightforward to adapt Stream32 to alternative displays or extend its functionality. The project targets streamers, video editors, and power users seeking full control over their macro pad without commercial pricing.
Sources: Hackaday
3D Printed Cycloidal Gearbox for NEMA 17 Steppers Achieves 92% Efficiency
Advanced Hobby Lab has published a cycloidal gearbox design for NEMA 17 stepper motors built from FDM-printed parts and a small number of metal components, with design files available on Printables. Comparative testing against a 3D printed planetary gearbox showed the cycloidal variant achieved 92% efficiency and produced less noise. Cycloidal drives offer very low backlash due to their eccentric cam and output pin arrangement, making them attractive for position-sensitive applications where backlash in planetary designs causes problems. The builder notes all results are within FDM printing limits. A dual-nested cycloidal design with fewer parts was noted as a more compact alternative.
Sources: Hackaday
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo
1. HeyGears G1 — ~$10M raised, Kickstarter (from $1,999)
2. None this week
3. None this week
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. sukolupo/deckdefrance — bike trainer game controller
2. FadyFaheem/Stream32 — ESP32 open source stream deck
3. Formsmith746/SketchForge-3D — browser-based 3D CAD
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency