Samwise Makers' News
Monday, May 4, 2026
3D-Printed Orrery Drives All Eight Planets From a Single Motor
A maker known as mircemk has published a 3D-printed orrery representing all eight planets, the moon, and the sun driven by a single motor. Most orrery builds require one motor per celestial body, but this design uses an ESP32 running a real-time astronomical simulation library to calculate planetary positions and route them through a single stepper via a complex gear train. Gear ratios are computed dynamically from the simulation rather than fixed mechanically, letting the model correctly handle elliptical orbits and varying angular velocities. Print files and ESP32 firmware are freely available on GitHub.
Sources: Hackaday
ESP-FLY Kit Brings ESP32-S3 Micro-Drone Flight to Makers for $59.99
Seeed Studio has launched the ESP-FLY DIY Kit, a 67 x 67 x 31 mm quadcopter built around the XIAO ESP32-S3 module, priced at 59.99 USD. Two control methods are supported: Wi-Fi via a companion mobile app and ESP-NOW for use with a standard radio controller. Assembly requires soldering, giving makers hands-on exposure to embedded flight-control electronics and IMU sensor integration. The open-source firmware is extendable with MicroPython. Seeed targets the kit at STEM classrooms, hobbyists, and indoor flight practice, with full assembly documentation and a BOM published on the product page.
Sources: CNX Software
Open-Source ESP32 Polyphonic Synth Is Also a Bluetooth MIDI Controller
A maker has open-sourced a polyphonic synthesizer and sampler built around an ESP32 microcontroller with a 3D-printed mechanical keyboard, potentiometers for real-time parameter control, function buttons, and an OLED display. The firmware runs the AMY synthesizer library, a free additive and FM synthesis engine written in C for microcontroller targets. The device also operates as a Bluetooth MIDI controller, enabling it to drive desktop DAWs and hardware synths wirelessly. Separate repositories cover hardware design files and firmware. The build shows the AMY library can deliver studio-quality audio on ESP32-class hardware without an external DSP chip.
Sources: Hackaday
Prunt Board 3 Brings 31-Phase S-Curve Motion to Open-Source 3D Printer Control
Prunt 3D has launched the Prunt Board 3 on Crowd Supply, a fully open-source 3D printer control board designed for smoother, quieter operation. The board features six TMC2240 stepper drivers, two 15-amp heater outputs, four fan outputs, and four thermistor inputs in a footprint 37 percent smaller than its predecessor. The distinguishing feature is the Prunt firmware, which substitutes a 31-phase S-curve motion profile for conventional 3-phase trapezoidal stepping, reducing ringing artifacts and frame vibration. The campaign targets 9,500 USD; a fully assembled board is priced at 180 USD with free US shipping and delivery targeted for September 2026.
Sources: CNX Software
ESPHome 2026.4.0 Raises ESP32 Default CPU Clock to 240 MHz, Boosts Performance 34%
ESPHome 2026.4.0 ships with a significant performance boost for Espressif ESP32 devices, raising the default CPU frequency from 160 MHz to 240 MHz on all ESP32, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C5 variants. The increase delivers roughly 34 percent faster CPU-bound execution; the API encryption handshake drops from 90 ms to 64 ms. The update also reclaims 40 KB of previously reserved SRAM1 as IRAM, cutting cache misses for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE operations. Client-side state logging offloads formatting from the device, achieving up to 46 times faster sensor publishing. Users on battery power can revert by setting cpu_frequency: 160MHz in device configuration.
Sources: Hackster.io
Hackaday Links: Server PSU Benchtop Hack, Parametric Cage Generator, and Ask Jeeves Signs Off
The May 3rd Hackaday Links roundup covers two practical maker projects. Danilo Larizza explains repurposing HP Common Slot server power supplies as high-current benchtop units delivering over 50 amps at 12 volts; the PSUs are inexpensive on the second-hand market and need only a simple enable signal and current-limit resistor. WebMaka has released CageMaker, a parametric OpenSCAD script that accepts equipment dimensions and ventilation preferences to generate print-ready mounting cage STL files for amplifiers, mixers, and tabletop gear. The post also marks Ask Jeeves shutting down May 1st after 29 years, closing an early internet era many makers remember fondly.
Sources: Hackaday
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo / Crowd Supply
1. Prunt Board 3 — open-source 3D printer controller, $180 (Crowd Supply)
2. Snapmaker U1 — $20.6M raised, multi-function fabrication (Kickstarter)
3. None confirmed this week
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. davidmonterocrespo24/velxio — self-hosted Arduino/ESP32/Pi simulator
2. WeebLabs/DSPi — audio DSP firmware for RP2040/RP2350
3. Seeed-Projects/reBot-DevArm — open-source 6-DoF robotic arm
Upcoming Events
Hackaday Europe — May 16–17, Lecco, Italy
Open Hardware Summit — May 23–24, Berlin, Germany
Maker Faire Long Island — June 6, Stony Brook NY
Curated by JD · samwise.agency