2026 EMF Badge 'Spaceagon' Arrives With Hexpansion Keyboard Add-On

The 2026 EMF Camp badge, dubbed the Spaceagon, has officially launched as an updated successor to the popular Tildagon hardware platform. The Spaceagon retains the hexagonal form factor while introducing improved tactile buttons, enhanced LED placement, a precision compass, an analog joystick, and touch-sensitive areas around the perimeter. Existing Tildagon badge owners can upgrade by purchasing a front panel replacement rather than a whole new unit. The 2026 edition also marks the debut of the first official Hexpansion-format keyboard add-on, a modular peripheral designed specifically for the badge expansion ecosystem. Firmware updates bring compatibility for the full range of existing Hexpansion accessories.

Sources: Hackaday

Mirror Trick Enables Single-Pass 3D Scanning of Both Object Sides

A photogrammetry technique shared on Hackaday allows makers to 3D scan both sides of a physical object in a single camera pass using an ordinary flat mirror. By positioning the object at a 45-degree angle to a reflective surface, a rotating camera captures both the actual object face and its mirror reflection simultaneously, giving photogrammetry software two complete views for reconstructing a full mesh without manual object flipping. The approach eliminates the tedious two-scan workflow and avoids alignment errors introduced during multi-pass recombination. Results were demonstrated using Meshroom, an open-source photogrammetry suite, with consumer-grade lighting and a standard DSLR camera.

Sources: Hackaday

Snapmaker OrcaSlicer Update Adds Official FullSpectrum Color Printing

Snapmaker has officially integrated FullSpectrum color printing support into its OrcaSlicer fork, branded Snorca, for the U1 toolchanger 3D printer. The community-developed FullSpectrum technique blends different colored filaments during a print by transitioning between up to four active materials, allowing the hotend to produce secondary and tertiary colors without additional toolheads. The update elevates the technique from experimental status to a first-class feature within the Snapmaker ecosystem. Users running Snorca can now enable FullSpectrum profiles directly from the print settings menu. The approach significantly broadens the U1 color output capability without hardware modification, making it competitive with dedicated multi-material printing systems on the market.

Sources: All3DP

Maker Faire Long Island Returns June 6 at Stony Brook University

The 9th Annual Maker Faire Long Island returns to Stony Brook University on Saturday, June 6, 2026, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Activities Center. The event, produced by the Long Island Explorium, will feature the Maker Faire debut of Morpho, showcasing next-generation UV printing technology for makers, artists, and designers. Additional highlights include a DIY Passive Radar demonstration capable of detecting meteors over 100 kilometers away and built for under $100 in parts, and interactive sessions led by STEAM author Kathy Ceceri exploring paper-based robotics, motorized circuits, and pop-up engineering designs. The event is free and open to families and curious builders of all ages.

Sources: Make: Magazine

The MagPi Issue 166 Explores Music-Making With Raspberry Pi

The MagPi, the official Raspberry Pi magazine, has released Issue 166 focused on making music with Raspberry Pi hardware. The issue covers synthesizers and audio-focused projects using the Pi as both controller and sound engine, including guides to configuring audio HATs, working with MIDI interfaces, and building standalone instruments. Project walkthroughs span skill levels, from beginners assembling their first audio circuit to experienced developers seeking to integrate Raspberry Pi into a live performance rig. As highlighted on the Adafruit blog, Issue 166 exemplifies the Pi community’s depth in creative hardware applications. The issue is available for free digital download and in print via the Raspberry Pi Press storefront.

Sources: Adafruit Blog

Diffraction Grating Turns LED Grid Into Floating Digit Display

A maker known as Twisted and Tinned built a desktop clock that uses a laser diffraction grating to transform addressable RGB LEDs into floating visible digits. The display appears as a disorganized LED grid until a diffraction grating film is placed in front, separating each LED’s light into a spectrum. Different digits are coded in unique hues that appear to float spatially. A Raspberry Pi Pico drives the WS2812B LEDs and handles timekeeping. The grating pattern is embedded directly into the 3D-printed front bezel, which is printed onto the film itself, creating a clean one-piece construction with no separate mounting hardware required.

Sources: Hackaday

ESP32P4C61-TINY Packs Dual RISC-V Cores Into a $40 Kickstarter Board

Wireless-Tag’s ESP32P4C61-TINY combines two Espressif microcontrollers on a single compact board: an ESP32-P4 dual-core RISC-V processor running at 400MHz with up to 32MB of PSRAM and 16MB of flash, paired with an ESP32-C61 co-processor handling Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5 wireless connectivity. The board is based on Wireless-Tag’s WT01P461-S1 module and targets open-source AIoT development for edge inference and multimedia applications. Currently available through a Kickstarter campaign at approximately $40, anticipated shipment is July 2026. The pairing of a high-performance main compute core and a dedicated wireless co-processor positions it for demanding real-time IoT and machine vision workloads in small-form-factor enclosures.

Sources: Hackster.io

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