AkiraOS Brings “Docker for Microcontrollers” to Embedded Firmware

AkiraOS is an open-source embedded OS built on Zephyr RTOS that runs sandboxed WebAssembly applications on microcontrollers, offering a Docker-inspired approach to firmware development. The platform separates the OS from application code — firmware stays stable while apps deploy over-the-air as portable .wasm binaries without reflashing. AkiraOS targets ESP32-S3, nRF5x, and STM32 boards, exposing 18 hardware modules via a native API bridge including GPIO, BLE, I2C, UART, PWM, and OTA updates. The WAMR runtime executes WASM bytecode in interpreter or ahead-of-time compiled mode for near-native performance. Up to eight apps can be installed, with two running simultaneously on supported hardware.

Sources: CNX Software

9th Annual Maker Faire Long Island Draws 2,000+ at Stony Brook University

The 9th Annual Maker Faire Long Island took place Saturday, June 6, at Stony Brook University’s Student Activities Center, drawing over 2,000 attendees and 100+ makers to this Long Island Explorium production. The day-long event featured robotics demonstrations, kinetic and interactive art, engineering exhibits, hands-on workshops, and live performances. Notable exhibits included Morpho, a direct-print system capable of applying professional-quality color and texture onto wood, metal, acrylic, leather, glass, and 3D-printed objects. Now in its 9th year, the faire continues as Long Island’s premier STEM and maker community showcase, celebrating hands-on creativity and innovation across all age groups.

Sources: Make:

Stratasys vs Bambu Lab: Does Industrial ABS Justify the Price Premium?

When Dr. Igor Gaspar acquired Stratasys ABS+ P430 filament liberated from its proprietary cartridge, he ran prints on a Bambu Lab FDM printer and compared results against samples from an actual Stratasys machine, documented in Maya Posch’s Hackaday analysis. Stratasys ABS+ P430 is formulated for sealed FDM ecosystems with heated build chambers that maintain consistent processing temperatures — conditions a Bambu Lab consumer machine cannot replicate. Testing revealed detectable quality differences in warping, layer adhesion, and surface finish. The comparison provides a concrete data point for makers weighing whether Stratasys’s significant cost premium, including proprietary cartridge pricing, is objectively justified for engineering-grade part production.

Sources: Hackaday

Pi Pico Demo “Sum Ergo Demonstrato” Pushes RP2040 to Its Limits

Linus Akesson’s audiovisual demo “Sum Ergo Demonstrato” runs entirely on a Raspberry Pi Pico, connected only to the passive components needed for composite video output, earning Hackaday coverage on June 6. The demo delivers effects that appear to defy the RP2040’s hardware capabilities, combining smooth animation, synthesized audio, and visual trickery through careful cycle-counted assembly programming. Akesson released an accompanying hour-long video explaining the techniques behind each effect, itself a masterclass in constrained programming and microcontroller optimization. The project demonstrates that the RP2040’s dual Cortex-M0+ cores and PIO state machines still have untapped creative potential beyond their intended general-purpose applications.

Sources: Hackaday

ATtiny85 Runs a Full Intel 8080 Emulator, Boots CP/M

Ted Fried’s MicroCore Labs project achieves Intel 8080 emulation on an ATtiny85, one of the smallest AVR microcontrollers available, covered by Hackaday on June 6. The trick lies in offloading support circuitry: the ATtiny85 connects via SPI bus to a Teensy microcontroller that handles address decoding, memory management, and I/O functions, allowing the tiny ATtiny85 to focus purely on CPU emulation. The implementation reaches a speed claimed to be only marginally slower than a real 8080 when booting CP/M, the classic 8-bit operating system. The project continues Fried’s broader MicroCore series, exploring extreme resource constraints across a range of vintage microcontroller targets.

Sources: Hackaday

bt2i2c Bridges Bluetooth Keyboards to I2C Using a Pi Pico W

Roberto Alsina’s bt2i2c project turns a Raspberry Pi Pico W into a bridge between standard Bluetooth keyboards and the I2C bus, reported on Hackaday on June 6. The firmware, flashed onto the Pico W, establishes a Bluetooth HID connection with any compatible keyboard and translates keystrokes into I2C messages, opening a path to wireless keyboard input for microcontroller projects without dedicated USB host hardware. The project targets scenarios where a full USB host controller is unnecessary or unavailable, such as embedded displays or small SBC projects. Source code is publicly available and can be flashed directly onto a standard Pico W board.

Sources: Hackaday

Homebrew Driver Adds USB Webcam Support to the Original Xbox

A new homebrew firmware project by Darkone83 brings USB webcam support to the original Xbox console from 2001, featured on Hackaday on June 6. Although the original Xbox used USB-style internal connectors, non-standard proprietary plugs prevented attaching ordinary peripherals; a simple adapter converts the internal port to standard USB-A, enabling the custom driver to work. Currently two cameras are supported: the Xbox Live Vision Camera and the Sony PS2 EyeToy. Video is displayed on-screen at 320×240 resolution. Beyond display, the open driver source makes it straightforward for other Xbox homebrew developers to incorporate webcam input into games or applications as the project matures.

Sources: Hackaday

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