Samwise Makers' News
Monday, July 27, 2026
Open RC Spotter Brings ESP32 Telemetry and Data Logging to RC Vehicles
Open RC Spotter is an open-source ESP32-based telemetry and data logger for RC vehicles, built by Jake Wachlin of Energy Labs. The board uses an ESP32-WROOM-32E-N4 paired with a u-blox MAX-M10S GPS module at 5Hz and an LSM6DS 6-axis IMU. Three PWM input channels—throttle, steering, and brake—log to MicroSD at 100Hz in CSV format. A 10-state extended Kalman filter runs onboard for sensor fusion. Completed logs download wirelessly via Wi-Fi SoftAP, and live telemetry streams at 20Hz over ESP-NOW to the Open RC Crew Chief web app. Hardware is on OSHWLab, firmware on GitHub, and the assembled board sells for $169 on Tindie.
Sources: CNX Software
AI Uses Fusion 360 MCP Server to Design a PiClock Case
Lee Hutchinson built a systemd- and Python-powered clock on a Raspberry Pi, then used AI to design its 3D-printable enclosure. Starting with a local Qwen model and switching later to Claude via the Anthropic API, he used a Fusion 360 MCP server to let the AI issue CAD commands directly inside Autodesk Fusion 360—a recently added integration. The AI iterated through design revisions without Hutchinson manually writing parametric CAD scripts. The project is documented on Ars Technica, and source code lives in the code-a-saurus/PiClock repository on GitHub. The experiment illustrates how MCP-connected tools can extend AI assistants into specialized desktop applications.
Sources: Hackaday
Delta Pen Plotter Automatically Swaps Colors Using Magnetic Tool Changer
Hungarian maker András Vujovits built a delta-style pen plotter capable of drawing in multiple colors using a magnetic tool changer. The machine uses two NEMA 17 stepper motors for movement, controlled by an Arduino Nano running a GRBL shield. The magnetic tool changer automatically swaps between Muji ballpoint pens—each seated in its own holder—without operator intervention between color changes. Vujovits kept the pen carriage intentionally lightweight to minimize the moving effector’s mass. The plotter demonstrates how delta kinematics combined with an automatic tool changer can enable multi-color pen plotting at hobbyist scale, without expensive commercial plotting hardware.
Sources: Hackaday
How to Duplicate Small Parts Using Two-Part Silicone Molds
The YouTube channel Do As I Do demonstrated a practical method for duplicating small parts using two-part silicone molds. The process begins by building a containment vessel from glossy paper and hot glue around the original part, which then receives a pour of liquid silicone to form the mold. Once cured, the mold splits in two to release the original, and two-part casting resin fills the cavity to produce the duplicate. The method suits parts with simple geometry—deep undercuts complicate demolding—making it an accessible option for hobbyists who need a small number of duplicates without access to machining.
Sources: Hackaday
3D-Printed Optical Cavity Measures Nanometer-Scale Displacements
Timothy Giles’s entry in the 2026 Frikkin Lasers Challenge measures nanometer-scale displacements using a 3D-printed optical cavity. Two semi-transparent mirrors face each other inside the cavity, with a speaker diaphragm—drilled with a center hole to avoid blocking the beam—acting as a linear actuator. A fiber-coupled laser diode sends light through the cavity, and a webcam monitors the resulting interference pattern. As the diaphragm moves, the pattern cycles through brightness peaks; counting those peaks converts movement into a displacement measurement. The setup also revealed wavelength instability in the laser diode during warm-up, demonstrating an additional diagnostic use.
Sources: Hackaday
BEAVIS Hybrid Balloon-Multirotor Achieves One-Hour Flight Endurance
Suryansh Sharma presented BEAVIS—Balloon Enabled Aerial Vehicle for IoT and Sensing—at Hackaday Europe 2026, a hybrid aircraft combining a gas-filled balloon with four propulsion motors in a split-cross configuration. Where a conventional multirotor achieves under 10 minutes of flight time, BEAVIS delivers more than one hour of endurance because most of its lift comes from buoyancy. The balloon carries the electronics and sensors while the motors handle maneuvering. A successor design called JANUS adds pivoting rotors that convert the vehicle into a conventional multirotor as a fallback. Sharma has already deployed BEAVIS in Kenya for ecological conservation monitoring.
Sources: Hackaday
Layer-Rotation Palette Method Speeds Up Multi-Color 3D Printing
Maker YKG3D revived a 2018 technique that accelerates multi-color FDM printing through what they call a layer-rotation palette. Rather than switching filaments across defined zones on a single layer, the method rotates through colors one layer at a time, adjusting either the amount of extruded filament or the displacement of layer edges so colors blend smoothly. The result is more gradual color transitions and faster printing compared to per-layer zone switches. One tradeoff is resolution: on a three-color print at 0.2mm layer height, the color pattern repeats every 0.6mm of height, making the detail illusion break down on steep walls.
Sources: Hackaday
Top Crowdfunding
Crowd Supply
1. QuadRF — $401,053 raised, 401% funded (ends Aug 6)
2. PocketMage — $217,678 raised, 217% funded, 28 days left
3. Open Book Touch — $55,243 raised, 122% funded, 28 days left
GitHub Trending
Makers & Hardware
1. BruceDevices/firmware — 6.3k★ (Predatory ESP32)
2. tjhorner/upsy-desky — 815★ (smart standing desk)
3. 21cncstudio/project_aura — 712★ (ESP32-S3 air quality)
Upcoming Events
Maker Faire Bay Area — Sep 25–27, Mare Island Shipyard
Hackaday Supercon Ten — Nov 6–8, Pasadena CA (CFP: Aug 12)
Maker Faire Orlando — Nov 7–8, Central Florida Expo Center
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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