Samwise Makers' News
Saturday, May 9, 2026
CARA 2.0: A $1,000 Open-Source Robot Dog Built for Senior Design
Engineering student Aaed Musa has released CARA 2.0, an open-source quadruped robot capable of walking at 1.8 feet per second, carrying a 15-pound payload, and jumping 4.5 inches — all for under $1,000 in parts. The design centres on quasi-direct drive (QDD) actuators built from TYI 5008 BLDC drone motors (335 KV) controlled by MKS XDrive Mini FOC drivers, each costing roughly $80. A capstan drive using zero-stretch rope eliminates backlash while maintaining high efficiency. 3D-printed structural components keep weight low, and the robot can walk sideways, turn in place, and hold its balance on inclined surfaces. Project files are available on Patreon.
Sources: Hackaday
Microchip Samples LAN878x/LAN888x SPE PHYs with MACsec, TSN, and ASIL-B Support
Microchip Technology has begun sampling two new families of Single Pair Ethernet PHY transceivers — the LAN878x (100BASE-T1) and LAN888x (1000BASE-T1) — targeting automotive, robotics, and industrial applications where secure, deterministic Ethernet over a single wire pair is required. The new parts add hardware-based MACsec security compliant with IEEE 802.1AE-2018, providing frame-level confidentiality and replay protection without adding latency. Both families also support Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) and Functional Safety (FuSA) certifications, with Automotive Grade 1 operating conditions from −40°C to +125°C. Linux drivers and evaluation boards are now available.
Sources: CNX Software
MIT’s MILAbot Inchworm Robot Assembles Voxel Structures to Build Houses
Researcher Miana Smith at MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms has published an open-source inchworm robot called MILAbot, designed to assemble modular space-frame voxels — essentially giant snap-fit building blocks — into full-scale structures. The 5-degree-of-freedom robot anchors at both ends in inchworm fashion, crawling across a growing voxel structure while placing and connecting new blocks without any fixed base. Simulation studies show that voxel-built structures in plywood, PLA, or metal carry lower embodied energy than 3D-printed concrete, and a team of 20 MILAbots working in parallel can match conventional automated construction rates. Hardware designs and firmware are available on GitLab.
Sources: Hackaday
NeoPixel Light Beam Clock Projects the Time Onto Your Wall for $10
A maker going by the handle “schutz” on MakerWorld has designed the NeoPixel Light Beam Clock, a WiFi-connected wall clock that projects three beams of light onto the wall behind it — one each for hour, minute, and second — using a single WS2812B LED strip. The build requires a 60-LED WS2812B strip at 96 LEDs per metre and a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 microcontroller, with total component costs around $10. A 3D-printed circular frame angles the strip so each illuminated LED casts a beam rather than simply glowing. The ESP32C3 fetches time via WiFi on boot. 3D files are on MakerWorld; firmware is on GitHub.
Sources: Hackster.io
Amply: A $10 Class AB Bluetooth Amplifier with THD Below 0.015%
Marco Tabini’s Amply is an open-source hi-fi audio amplifier and Bluetooth receiver built from roughly $10 in off-the-shelf parts. Unlike typical budget amplifier modules, Amply uses a classic NE5532 op-amp front end feeding a Class AB output stage with discrete transistors in Sziklai pairs, achieving total harmonic distortion below 0.015% — as low as 0.009% under simulation. The design delivers 2×10 watts into 8-ohm speakers via USB-C Power Delivery or a conventional 9–30 V DC supply. An MH-M18 Bluetooth module provides wireless input, and a custom 100×100 mm PCB with solid ground plane keeps noise low. Optional 3D-printed enclosure files and full schematics are freely available.
Sources: Hackster.io
Maker Builds Pan/Tilt/Slide Camera Rig from a Scrapped 3D Printer
YouTuber TheHyperFix wanted professional camera movements for his videos but couldn’t justify the cost of a commercial DJI slider, so he repurposed the aluminium extrusions, stepper motors, and linear rails from a decommissioned 3D printer. Three axes — linear slide, pan, and tilt — mirror the printer’s original motion system, reassembled with custom 3D-printed brackets. When the original controller failed, TheHyperFix swapped in an Arduino UNO R3 MDB paired with a CNC shield running dedicated stepper drivers for finer microstepping. The resulting rig eliminates jitter and delivers smooth cinematic shots, demonstrating how repurposing salvaged hardware can produce capable filmmaking tools at minimal cost.
Sources: Hackster.io
Maker Builds Warehouse-Style Automated Storage System for Home Garage
Alex of the Hobby Built YouTube channel has constructed a three-axis automated storage system for his home garage that retrieves heavy storage totes from tall shelving racks on demand. The gantry-style robot moves horizontally, vertically, and in/out — powered by large StepperOnline servo motors with 5:1 planetary gearboxes and an electric brake for vertical stability. A counterweight aids lifting of heavy totes. Control runs on a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with a touchscreen interface; pressing a tote’s button sends the robot to retrieve or return that bin. Future plans include AI-driven natural-language retrieval, letting Alex say “bring me my gloves” to the system.
Sources: Hackster.io
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Crowd Supply
1. CyberBrick by MakerWorld — ESP32-C3 modular smart toy ecosystem, Kickstarter
2. None confirmed this week
3. None confirmed this week
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. davidmonterocrespo24/velxio — self-hosted Arduino/ESP32/RPi browser simulator
2. earlephilhower/arduino-pico — Arduino core for all RP2040 & RP2350 boards
3. raspberrypi/firmware — pre-compiled RPi kernel, bootloader & GPU firmware
Upcoming Events
Open Hardware Summit — May 23–24, Berlin (TU Berlin)
Teardown 2026 (Crowd Supply) — Jul 24–26, Portland, OR
Maker Faire Bay Area — Sep 25–27, Mare Island, CA (20th anniversary)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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