Samwise Makers' News
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Open Book Touch: Open-Source ESP32-S3 E-Reader Raises 13x Its Goal on Crowd Supply
The Open Book Touch is a DRM-free, open-source e-reader built around an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, now funding on Crowd Supply. Developed by Oddly Specific Objects, the 10 mm-thick device features a 4.26-inch front-lit E Ink touchscreen at 480×800 resolution, microSD storage, warm/cool frontlight LEDs, and a user-replaceable 800 mAh LiPo battery in a 3D-printed enclosure. It supports EPUB and plain text with hyphenation, inline images, and wireless book transfers over local Wi-Fi — no proprietary cloud required. Fully programmable in Arduino or CircuitPython, the reader sells for $149. The campaign has already raised over $131,000, exceeding its funding goal by more than 1,300%.
Source: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
OpenCAL Brings Layerless Volumetric 3D Printing to the Maker Community
OpenCAL is a community-buildable volumetric additive manufacturing printer that forms entire objects at once — no layers, no support structures. Using computed axial lithography, the open-source platform projects rotating light patterns into a resin vat, solidifying inch-scale objects in minutes. Designed for maker-scale fabrication, the build calls for an FFF printer for the enclosure, a laser cutter for acrylic panels, and standard soldering tools. CAD files, build documentation, academic papers, and a community Discord link live on the OpenCAL GitHub repository. It is the first publicly reproducible, open-source volumetric 3D printer available to the wider maker community.
M5Stack Stamp-C5 Packs ESP32-C5 Wi-Fi 6 and 802.15.4 Into a Tiny $6.50 Board
M5Stack has released the Stamp-C5, a compact 19.1×17.6 mm USB-C IoT board built around the Espressif ESP32-C5 RISC-V microcontroller. The chip includes dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, and 802.15.4 radio support for Zigbee and Thread. Despite its tiny footprint, the board exposes up to 19 GPIO pins — 11 on standard 2.54 mm pitch headers with castellated holes and eight more via an FPC extension connector. Battery charging circuitry and an external IPEX antenna are included. The standard variant is priced at $6.50 and the DIP version at $7.95 on the M5Stack store, with AliExpress availability coming soon.
Source: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Clawrophyll: A Potted Plant Running a Full AI Agent Loop on Arduino UNO Q
Clawrophyll is a fully autonomous AI agent living inside a potted cedar plant, running entirely on an Arduino UNO Q — the Qualcomm SnapDragon-powered board launched in late 2025. Built by maker s4muela and published on Hackster.io, the project features a sculpted face, a gripper claw, environmental sensors, and onboard voice synthesis. The UNO Q executes a complete firmware-enforced AI agent loop that lets Clawrophyll sense its surroundings, speak to nearby people, and manipulate small objects in reach. All inference runs locally within hardware-enforced operational limits — no cloud connectivity required. The project demonstrates the UNO Q’s capability for real-time embedded AI agency on a single maker-accessible board.
Source: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
AVU: Open-Source Autonomous Mobile Robot Built for Home Assistance and Research
AVU is an open-source autonomous mobile robot designed for household assistance, security patrol, and research applications, published on Hackster.io by MikeMakesStuff. The project is built around commercially available components and a fully modular architecture, with complete CAD files, assembly guides, and firmware available on GitHub under an open license. The robot is designed as a maker-friendly ecosystem — one where contributors can add sensors, actuators, or new behavioral modules without redesigning the core platform. AVU’s modular design lets builders adapt it from a home assistant to a robotics research platform with minimal hardware changes. A complete bill of materials and step-by-step build instructions are included.
Source: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
PocketVault: Keychain-Sized AES-256 Hardware Password Manager on M5StickC
PocketVault is a keychain-sized offline hardware password manager built on the M5StickC PLUS2, developed by maker 4874sayantan and published on Hackster.io. All credentials are stored entirely on-device using AES-256 encryption, with no cloud connectivity or proprietary accounts required. Bluetooth Low Energy allows PocketVault to transmit stored passwords directly to a paired device on demand. The M5StickC PLUS2’s compact form factor, built-in display, tactile buttons, and rechargeable battery make it well-suited to a portable security key workflow. Full source code and build documentation are published in the project repository, allowing community members to audit the security implementation and adapt the design.
Source: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Hackaday Guide Demystifies Tiny LCD 7-Segment Displays and Their AC Drive Requirements
A new Hackaday guide by Donald Papp breaks down how to use compact three-digit LCD 7-segment displays — the kind with segments visible even without power. Written with reference to work by maker Nagy Krisztián, the guide covers the AC excitation requirement these LCDs need (DC drive causes permanent damage), the non-obvious segment-pin mapping typical of these modules, and the multiplexed refresh scheme required for multi-digit operation. LCD 7-segment displays are cheaper and lower-power than LED equivalents, but their drive complexity has kept them less popular in hobbyist projects. The guide includes wiring diagrams, microcontroller code, and notes on avoiding segment ghosting and flicker.
Top Crowdfunding
Crowd Supply / Kickstarter
1. Open Book Touch — $131,131 raised (1,311% funded) — Crowd Supply
2. QuadRF 4×4 MIMO SDR Tile — live campaign — Crowd Supply (ends Aug 6)
3. ESP32P4C61-TINY dual-SoC dev board — Super Early Bird $40 — Kickstarter
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. BondtechAB/INDX — 214★ — open-source multi-material toolchanger
2. hybridgroup/gobot — 9.3k★ — Go framework for robotics, drones & IoT
3. arduino/arduino-ide — 14.6k★ — Arduino IDE 2.x open-source release
Upcoming Events
Maker Faire Edmonton — July 17–19, 2026, Alberta, Canada
Maker Faire Hannover — August 15–16, 2026, Germany
Maker Faire Bay Area — September 25–27, 2026, Mare Island (20th anniversary)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency