Samwise Makers' News
Friday, 24 July 2026
AMD Launches Ryzen AI Embedded X100 for Robotics and Physical AI
AMD has launched its Ryzen AI Embedded X100 processor family — six models targeting robotics, physical AI, industrial automation, healthcare imaging, and UAVs. The lineup features up to 16 cores at 5.1 GHz, 50 TOPS from AMD’s XDNA 2 NPU, PCIe Gen4, and 8-channel LPDDR5x-8533 memory — all within a 55 W TDP. Alongside the chips, AMD announced the Kria AI SoM (COM-HPC form factor with 64/128 GB LPDDR5x, 8× FAKRA cameras, CAN-FD, 10GbE) and a Kria Robotics Developer Platform with a Spartan UltraScale+ FPGA carrier. The open software stack supports Linux, ROCm, PyTorch, ONNX, and TensorFlow. Sampling now; mass production expected Q4 2026.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Running DOOM on a Custom CPU Built From Scratch
[Armaan] and [Liam] took the classic challenge to an extreme: they designed a CPU entirely from scratch at the logic gate level, deployed it on an FPGA, and got DOOM running on it. The project started modestly — Mandelbrot sets, then Pong — before the team tackled the iconic shooter. Getting there required a faster clock, memory tweaks, a keyboard interface, HDMI output, and a hardware timer. Initial performance was 0.7 FPS, but compiler optimisations and a clock bump pushed that to a playable 15–20 FPS. The team is pushing for 30+ FPS as the next milestone — proof that “can it run DOOM?” remains the ultimate benchmark.
Saving Some Coin With 3D Printed Solder Paste Stencils
Metal solder paste stencils can cost $50 or more and take days to ship. Stenchill’s open-source tool — available online and as a KiCad plugin — generates printable stencil files directly from Gerber data, letting makers produce stencils in PLA or PETG on any FDM printer for a fraction of the cost. Proper slicer configuration matters for aperture accuracy, but results are genuinely usable for prototype runs. The trade-off: very fine-pitch pads still benefit from metal stencils. For most hobby and small-batch PCBs, a near-zero-cost plastic stencil is hard to beat — especially when you need one at midnight.
A Train Departure Board for the Home
UK rail travellers know the distinctive dot-matrix departure boards of the National Rail network. [Jon] decided to bring that aesthetic home, building a real-time departure display using a Raspberry Pi 4 and an RGB matrix panel. The board pulls live train departure data for a chosen station and scrolls through upcoming services, platform numbers, and delay status — just like the real thing. It’s a practical piece of functional art for railway enthusiasts, and the project doubles as a genuinely useful commuter tool for anyone who wants to glance up from their desk and know exactly when the next train leaves.
Hackaday Europe 2026: Half Quad, Half Blimp Drone
At Hackaday Europe 2026, [Suryansh Sharma] presented a drone concept that blends two opposing designs: the agile quadcopter and the buoyancy-assisted blimp. The hybrid airframe uses rotor thrust for precision flight while a gas-filled envelope reduces the net weight the motors must counteract — potentially extending flight endurance and cutting power consumption. The talk, subtitled “Test. Fly. Survive.”, covered the engineering trade-offs of balancing aerodynamic and buoyant lift, structural challenges of the hybrid envelope, and hard-won lessons from test flights. The project investigates an under-explored middle ground between conventional multirotor UAVs and traditional lighter-than-air platforms.
Run Home Assistant on the Arduino Uno Q: Docker + MQTT Setup
The Arduino Uno Q introduced something unexpected: a Linux-capable side, pairing its STM32 microcontroller with an embedded Linux environment. [tech_nickk]’s Hackster project shows how to run Home Assistant inside Docker on that Linux side, then bridge it to the STM32 via MQTT — letting the microcontroller physically control hardware like an LED strip. It’s a clever two-world setup: the familiar Arduino ecosystem handles real-time GPIO, while Home Assistant provides the automation dashboard. The tutorial covers Docker setup, MQTT broker configuration, and the STM32 firmware needed to subscribe to topics and respond to automation commands.
Sources: Hackster.io Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
New Method Accelerates Color 3D Printing
Multi-color FDM printing traditionally burns through filament and time with excessive tool changes. [YKG3D] demonstrates a slicer technique — rooted in 2018 research — that rotates through a color palette once per layer rather than once per color zone. By tweaking filament flow and edge displacement, the method produces smooth gradients with far fewer tool swaps, and faster print times to boot. Trade-offs exist: apparent layer height multiplies with the number of colors (a 3-color print at 0.2 mm looks like 0.6 mm), and steep walls degrade the color illusion. For figurines, terrain, and art prints, though, the results are genuinely eye-catching.
CirkitScape Top HAT Expands Raspberry Pi with GPIOs, RS-485, ADC
Alabama maker startup CirkitScape has launched the Top HAT, a Raspberry Pi expansion board packing four USB 2.0 ports, 16 extra GPIOs (via MCP23017 I²C expander), a 3-channel 12-bit ADC (ADS1015), and an RS-485 interface (MAX485) — all in the standard 76×51 mm HAT footprint. Compatible with Pi 5, 4, 3B+, and Zero, it requires no custom firmware and works with Raspberry Pi OS, pyserial, smbus, and gpiozero. A Python web dashboard lets you control the hardware without writing code. Target applications include IoT gateways, sensor data acquisition, serial network bridging, and industrial prototyping. Priced at $45 direct or $48.60 on Amazon.
Sources: CNX Software Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Top Crowdfunding
Kickstarter / Indiegogo
None this week
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
None this week
Upcoming Events
Maker Faire Germany — Aug 15–16, 2026
Maker Faire Bay Area — Sep 25–27, 2026, Mare Island
Hackaday Supercon — Nov 6–8, 2026, Pasadena CA
Curated by JD · samwise.agency