maker community

Espressif's latest ESP32 chip can now boot Linux, a milestone for a microcontroller line traditionally limited to bare-metal and RTOS work. Reports note the low-cost chip is approaching entry-level Raspberry Pi capability, sparking debate among makers about whether cheap microcontrollers could soon replace single-board computers for simple projects.

Organisers are reminding attendees that OSHWDem, Galicia's free and open technology fair, takes place this Saturday 3 October at the Domus museum in A Coruña. The event features robot competitions and exhibitions of open hardware projects, drawing makers, hackers and open technology enthusiasts from across the region.

A maker has built a device using an ESP32 microcontroller and roughly $6 in parts that reportedly outperforms a comparable IKEA product, and has released the design as open source. The project highlights how cheap, programmable hardware can rival commercial smart-home offerings, drawing large interest online.

La MaMa and Spiderwoman Theater are presenting a Global Indigenous Theatre Festival in New York, bringing together Indigenous artists and productions from around the world. The programme highlights Indigenous storytelling on an international stage and continues both organisations' long histories of championing experimental and underrepresented voices in theatre.

Hackaday has published a piece exploring the use of OpenSCAD, the open-source 3D modelling software usually associated with parametric design and 3D printing, in a gardening context. The writeup has drawn modest attention among open-source hardware enthusiasts, who enjoy seeing maker tools applied outside their usual workshop settings, though details of the project itself remain limited to the article.

The CHOMPI Sampler, a small standalone audio sampler popular with hobbyist musicians, has been released as an open source project. Its design files are now publicly available, allowing users to study, modify and build their own versions of the device. The move has drawn attention in the maker and electronic music communities, where open sourcing music hardware is often celebrated as a way to encourage experimentation and community-driven development.

A pool owner found the robot cleaner's drive so worn that the propeller kept slipping, and responded by designing a replacement part in FreeCAD and 3D printing it. The new orange drive spins constantly and engages the propeller through a helical dog clutch, so the propeller only turns when the two parts lock together. The post shows the finished fix, drawing attention for its neat engineering approach to repair rather than replacement.

A new tutorial explains how to build a Raspberry Pi-based AI companion featuring a real-time animated face created with Rive AI. The project combines affordable hardware, AI software, and expressive animation, and is being shared across robotics, coding, and engineering communities. Enthusiasts are discussing it as an accessible entry point into personal AI robotics.

A piper has written a public note of thanks responding to the book Highland Bagpipe Makers, which documents the craftsmen behind Scotland's national instrument. The response, shared on a bagpipe news outlet, reflects appreciation within the piping community for a reference work celebrating the instrument's maker heritage. The exchange has drawn warm attention from piping enthusiasts.

A hobbyist robotics project called dogsbod has been presented online: a homemade quadruped robot designed, built and programmed from scratch to walk across complex terrain. The writeup describes the design and construction process and cites the builder's long-standing fascination with four-legged robots as the motivation for the build.

Jussi Pakkanen, creator of the Meson build system, has been invited by Norwegian Unix user group NUUG to speak in Oslo. His talk, "Building a Super 8 Film Scanner at Home", describes how he repaired a 1970s projector and built a scanner using a Raspberry Pi, stepper motors, 3D-printed parts and machine vision to digitise Super 8 film.

Several independent projects have discovered that ESP32 microcontrollers, widely used in low-cost electronics, can function as software-defined radio receivers, a capability never officially documented by manufacturer Espressif. Hobbyists are sharing experiments and code, suggesting the cheap chips could be used for receiving radio signals without extra hardware, opening new possibilities for DIY radio and IoT projects.

An open source tricorder project, inspired by the Star Trek scanning device, has been developed with a focus on genuine scientific measurement rather than novelty gadgetry. The build combines sensors and open hardware to capture real environmental data, and it is drawing attention in the maker community for its emphasis on practical, science-first design over sci-fi gimmickry.

Quilt Fiesta Santa Fe is presenting an exhibition that showcases both traditional and art quilts, highlighting creativity and community among makers. The event brings together quilters and textile artists, drawing attention to quilting as both a craft tradition and a contemporary art form in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A UK-based craft maker is selling handmade soft toys called Cosmic Rays and Spaceflaps, which have glowing bellies, through a Ko-fi shop. The items ship from the UK, but the maker notes they cannot ship to the EU, likely due to post-Brexit shipping rules. The post is being shared in crafting and space-themed communities online.

A free app is letting owners keep using smartwatches after their manufacturers stop providing software support. The tool offers a way to extend the life of devices that would otherwise become obsolete when the company behind them abandons updates. Coverage highlights growing frustration with short support lifespans for wearable gadgets and interest in community-made solutions that keep older hardware usable.

London-based ceramicist Bisila Noha has been named winner of the 2026 Tacchini Prize, according to Wallpaper*. Her work draws on her Equatorial Guinean and Spanish heritage, exploring culture, community and feminism through clay. The profile highlights her blend of traditional craft techniques with contemporary political and social themes, positioning her among the most talked-about makers in design right now.

A call is going around asking founders and independent developers to share what they are currently building so more people can discover it. The prompt, tagged with BuildInPublic, Startups and IndieHackers, invites makers to promote their projects in public rather than working quietly. Responses and shares suggest an active community of indie hackers eager to trade visibility and feedback on early-stage work.

Seamark, a free open-source logbook for sailors, has introduced itself to the fediverse. The app lets users import a GPX track and see distance sailed, night hours, countries and sea areas passed, crew and weather records, all plotted on one chart. Built by a solo developer, it is aimed at sailors who want their entire sailing life recorded in one place.

A new open-source project called JBR-001 offers a fully 3D-printable desktop companion robot powered by an Arduino Uno Q. The design and build instructions are published on Arduino's Project Hub, letting anyone download, print and assemble the robot themselves. Makers and hobbyists are sharing the project, praising its accessibility and the growing range of open-source robotics hardware available to home builders.

The Chompi, a compact and distinctive music sampler known for its playful design, has been released as open source. That means its hardware and software files are now publicly available, letting musicians and makers study, modify and build their own versions. Coverage of the release highlights the device's popularity among electronic music hobbyists and the broader trend of boutique audio makers opening up their designs to the community.

The COMPRESSED Zine and Music Fair took place in San Diego, bringing together independent publishers, zine makers, and musicians for a combined celebration of self-published print and live music. A report from The Comics Journal offers a firsthand look at the event, describing the listening, browsing, and community spirit on display, and highlighting the fair as a gathering point for San Diego's independent creative scene.

An independent software maker building a SaaS product in public reports that paid plans are now live, three days before the official launch. The previous weekly update had added sample photos to the homepage and atomic credit charging to the billing system. The latest post teases that further details on what changed this week are coming.

Adafruit has highlighted a second version of a 3D-printable enclosure that houses a Meshtastic LoRa node together with a 3-watt solar panel, designed to work as an outdoor base station for off-grid mesh networking. The design is being shared with the maker community as part of the weekly 3D printing roundup, drawing interest from hobbyists building self-sufficient community radio networks.