Samwise Makers' News
Monday, May 18, 2026
Qualcomm’s QCC74x SoC Takes Aim at ESP32 with Wi-Fi 6 and RISC-V Core
Qualcomm’s new QCC74x wireless SoC is squarely targeting Espressif’s dominant ESP32 series, according to a Hackaday analysis. Featuring a single-core 352 MHz RISC-V CPU with FPU and DSP extensions, 484 kB of on-chip SRAM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and IEEE 802.15.4 for Thread and Zigbee, the chip matches the ESP32-C series on many specifications. Evaluation hardware, the QCC748M EVK, is listed at $13 before taxes. The SDK lives on Codelinaro and uses a FreeRTOS-based stack, though Bluetooth and Zigbee support are currently marked unsupported. The upcoming ESP32-S31 may have it matched on performance, but the QCC74x adds meaningful competition to the low-cost wireless MCU space.
Sources: Hackaday
Makers Build Working Replica of Chernobyl’s SKALA Control Room Display
A hardware team has built a fully functional replica of the SKALA status display from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 4 control room, timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary memorial of the 1986 disaster. SKALA served as the central system overview panel, showing processor and peripheral device status at a glance. The modern replica reproduces the original layout using contemporary embedded components, allowing the historical system architecture to be demonstrated and studied outside the sealed exclusion zone. The project required reverse-engineering schematics from archival documents and photographs, underscoring the value of open hardware documentation for preserving industrial history.
Sources: Hackaday
Five PLA Filaments, 292 Colors: Filament Interpolation Expands Desktop 3D Printing Palette
A maker has demonstrated 292 distinct printable colors using just five PLA filament spools: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and white on a Bambu Lab H2C 3D printer. The technique, known as filament interpolation, blends base colors at precise ratios during purge transitions to achieve a CMYK-like extended color gamut on desktop FDM hardware. The project includes a recipe book documenting exact filament ratios for each of the 292 colors, organized into palettes including skin tones. The model and documentation were published on MakerWorld. All3DP notes this demonstrates that multi-color capability no longer requires specialty filaments or multi-material systems beyond what current mid-range printers already support.
Sources: All3DP
Open-Source ESP32-S3 Boards Use WAGO Connectors for Tool-Free Module Swapping
Engineer Rev Adrian Kennard has released a family of open-source ESP32-S3 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth IoT boards featuring WAGO push-in connectors for quick-swap interfacing with LED strips, buttons, and other GPIO modules. Originally designed for an Iron Man costume including illuminated gauntlets and helmet, the boards suit any project requiring flexibility beyond soldered components and more reliability than standard GPIO headers, which can loosen under vibration. WAGO connectors allow tool-free connections and disconnections, making the boards particularly suited to wearables and rapid prototyping. All schematics and PCB layouts are published under an open hardware licence on GitHub.
Sources: CNX Software
Chronova Engineering Builds Milling Machine Attachment for 0.1 mm Drill Bits
Chronova Engineering’s Mike has built a precision drill press attachment for a milling machine that enables repeatable, low-force drilling with bits as fine as 0.1 mm, a task that standard drill presses make nearly impossible due to runout and uncontrolled feed force. The mechanism mounts a collet in the mill’s spindle to transfer rotation to a secondary spindle, which connects to a runout-compensating drill chuck. A lever and counterweight system lets the operator apply minimal downward force, while a dial indicator tracks depth with precision. Most components are machined from steel and brass, with a titanium handle for reduced mass. The full build is documented on Hackaday.
Sources: Hackaday
Menlo Research Open-Sources Asimov v1 Humanoid Robot with Full CAD and BOM
Menlo Research has open-sourced Asimov v1, a 1.2-metre, 35 kg humanoid robot platform targeting researchers, startups, and independent developers. The robot has 25 actuated degrees of freedom, uses two passive compliant toe joints for balance, and delivers up to 120 Nm peak torque. Its compute stack pairs a Raspberry Pi 5 with a Radxa CM5 module. The full GitHub release includes mechanical CAD, electrical CAD, a MuJoCo simulation model, onboard software, and a complete bill of materials. A DIY kit is planned for summer 2026 at approximately USD 15,000 with a USD 499 deposit. Hardware is licensed under CERN OHL-S 2.0.
Sources: Hackaday
OSHWA April Roundup: HackRF Pro and 17 More Devices Win Open Hardware Certification
The Open Source Hardware Association added 18 new hardware certifications in April 2026, spanning a wide range of maker-relevant devices. Notable certifications include Great Scott Gadgets’ HackRF Pro, a software-defined radio capable of transmitting and receiving signals from 100 kHz to 6 GHz, designed for next-generation radio testing and development. Other newly certified hardware includes nature cameras and an elephant trunk-inspired submersible camera. The monthly certification roundup, published by Hackster.io, tracks the growing catalogue of OSHWA-certified open hardware. Since the programme began, certifications have expanded from a handful of research tools to hundreds of community and commercial devices across electronics, sensors, and instrumentation.
Sources: Hackster.io
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo / Crowd Supply
1. Modos Paper Dev Kit — open-source e-ink monitor, Crowd Supply (ships May 29)
2. LimeSDR Micro — M.2-expandable SDR with vector accelerator, Crowd Supply (ends May 28)
3. Asimov v1 Robot Kit — open-source humanoid, $499 deposit, Menlo Research (summer 2026)
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. asimovinc/asimov-1 — open-source humanoid robot CAD & sim ★
2. Embedded-roadmap — 11.4k★ — guide for embedded systems engineers
3. ESP32 firmware tools — 5.1k★ — radio/IoT/hardware dev toolkit
Upcoming Events
Open Hardware Summit — May 23–24, Berlin, Germany
Maker Faire Long Island — June 6, Stony Brook University, NY
Maker Faire Bay Area (20th Anniversary) — September 25–27, Mare Island, CA
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.