Tyler August writes about eenk, a project that brings long-form text adventures'' think Zork with several novels' worth of prose' 'to palm-sized Xteink e-ink readers. Built on the ESP32 microcontroller and the ink scripting language, it ships with its own IDE (eenky) for authoring choose-your-own-adventure books and is released under an MIT license on GitHub.
- The X3/X4 use an ESP32-C3 with no PSRAM, giving developers less memory than 1980s home computers
- The X4 Pro variant uses an ESP32-S3 for more RAM and adds a touchscreen
- Commenters note Xteink sells identical hardware through different channels with different software configurations (locked vs. unlockable)
- A commenter suggests packaging the project as a Crosspoint plugin rather than a standalone firmware to avoid repeated reflashing
- The X3/X4 use an ESP32-C3 with no PSRAM, giving developers less memory than 1980s home computers
- The X4 Pro variant uses an ESP32-S3 for more RAM and adds a touchscreen
- Commenters note Xteink sells identical hardware through different channels with different software configurations (locked vs. unlockable)
- A commenter suggests packaging the project as a Crosspoint plugin rather than a standalone firmware to avoid repeated reflashing
Tyler August writes that The Masked Bear's open-source wifisense-pi project uses an ESP32-S3 sampling the 2.4 GHz WiFi channel 100 times per second with a Raspberry Pi 4 for signal processing to detect subtle body motions via WiFi disturbances, effectively sensing breathing or presence through walls without dedicated hardware.
- Can detect a perfectly still human by breathing, but presence can be hidden by holding breath
- Single sensor provides no position information and cannot reliably distinguish one vs multiple people
- Works by sniffing existing 2.4 GHz signals and functions through walls
- Not the first WiFi-based presence project; prior work includes ESP32 person sensors and millimeter-wave alternatives
- Can detect a perfectly still human by breathing, but presence can be hidden by holding breath
- Single sensor provides no position information and cannot reliably distinguish one vs multiple people
- Works by sniffing existing 2.4 GHz signals and functions through walls
- Not the first WiFi-based presence project; prior work includes ESP32 person sensors and millimeter-wave alternatives
Tanveer Singh:
- microSD desk photo frame
- PC system stats monitor
- Home Assistant dashboard
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth security tool
- ASCII aquarium
- microSD desk photo frame
- PC system stats monitor
- Home Assistant dashboard
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth security tool
- ASCII aquarium
Ashwini Sinha explains how ESP-Claw turns an ESP32 into a self-programming agent through natural language instructions. By integrating LLMs, the system can automatically generate code and flash firmware to perform tasks such as managing sensor data or controlling peripherals without manual coding. This setup effectively transforms conventional microcontrollers into intelligent embedded systems capable of autonomous updates and performance optimization.
- Minimum hardware requirements include 8 MB PSRAM and 8 MB Flash memory on the ESP chip.
- The agent can access information via web search capabilities to answer specific queries.
- Setup requires a USB-C cable for initial firmware flashing and programming.
- Minimum hardware requirements include 8 MB PSRAM and 8 MB Flash memory on the ESP chip.
- The agent can access information via web search capabilities to answer specific queries.
- Setup requires a USB-C cable for initial firmware flashing and programming.
Debashis Das writes that the ZecTrix Note 4 is an ESP32-S3 based smart note featuring a 4.2-inch e-paper display and integrated voice capabilities for managing reminders, weather, and schedules. The device offers both monochrome and four-color variants (Note 4C) and includes built-in hardware such as a microphone, speaker, NFC, and a rechargeable battery.
- Uses Espressif ESP32-S3 SoC with vector extensions for machine learning workloads.
- Features community firmware options like Slate or TransitInk OS to repurpose the device.
- The Note 4C four-color variant is notably cheaper than the monochrome version on the manufacturer's website.
- Uses Espressif ESP32-S3 SoC with vector extensions for machine learning workloads.
- Features community firmware options like Slate or TransitInk OS to repurpose the device.
- The Note 4C four-color variant is notably cheaper than the monochrome version on the manufacturer's website.
Alex Kretzschmar writes about building a live aircraft radar using an ESP32-C3 and a 1.28-inch round display to track ADS-B traffic by plotting distance and bearing. He improved the original firmware to include flight context such as origin/destination, descriptive aircraft types, local weather data, and adjustable text sizes via a web interface.
- Firmware supports authenticated OTA updates for wireless installation
- The Makerworld 3D models had tolerances too tight for the author's boards
- A web interface allows modifying coordinates and display settings without resetting Wi-Fi configuration
- Firmware supports authenticated OTA updates for wireless installation
- The Makerworld 3D models had tolerances too tight for the author's boards
- A web interface allows modifying coordinates and display settings without resetting Wi-Fi configuration
Zoe Skyforest writes about Kek, an emulator developed by vanheusden to bring the influential 16-bit PDP-11/70 minicomputer back to life on modern hardware. The software supports a variety of platforms including Linux, Windows, and microcontrollers like the ESP32 or Teensy 4.1.
- Emulates classic disk drives such as RK05, RL02, RP06, and RP07.
- Supports KW11-L line time clocks and DC-11 serial interfaces.
- Capable of running Unix versions from version 5 through version 7 in multi-user mode.
- Emulates classic disk drives such as RK05, RL02, RP06, and RP07.
- Supports KW11-L line time clocks and DC-11 serial interfaces.
- Capable of running Unix versions from version 5 through version 7 in multi-user mode.
Adam Conway writes about constructing a custom aircraft radar using an ESP32-S3 powered WT32-SC01 Plus display. The device fetches live flight data from ADS-B networks to show real-time positions, altitudes, and routes on a 3.5-inch touchscreen interface. To maintain smooth visuals despite five-second data updates, the system uses dead reckoning to predict aircraft movement between polls.
- Employs an 8-bit parallel bus for high bandwidth display rendering
- Uses Douglas-Peucker simplification to compress coastline data into limited flash memory
- Incorporates emergency squawk code detection with visual warnings
- Manages real-time flight information via the adsb.fi and adsbdb APIs
- Employs an 8-bit parallel bus for high bandwidth display rendering
- Uses Douglas-Peucker simplification to compress coastline data into limited flash memory
- Incorporates emergency squawk code detection with visual warnings
- Manages real-time flight information via the adsb.fi and adsbdb APIs
Jean-Luc Aufranc writes that Seeed Studio’s reTerminal Sticky is a 3.97-inch magnetic touch ePaper display powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller. This device can serve as an e-reader, live dashboard, or home automation controller via support for open-source firmware like Crosspoint, TRMNL, and ESPHome. It features a capacitive touchscreen and edge computing capabilities through its built-in microphone.
- 800 x 480 resolution with four levels of grayscale
- Includes temperature/humidity sensors and a 3-axis accelerometer
- Equipped with a 750 mAh battery providing approximately seven days of standby time
- Retails for $49.90
- 800 x 480 resolution with four levels of grayscale
- Includes temperature/humidity sensors and a 3-axis accelerometer
- Equipped with a 750 mAh battery providing approximately seven days of standby time
- Retails for $49.90
This project implements a retro-style ADS-B radar display designed specifically for the ESP32 using a Cheap Yellow Display (CYD) ILI9341. It fetches aircraft data from local dump1090 instances and visualizes real-time information, including position, altitude, speed, and callsigns, on an interactive radar scope or within a tabular list.
Key features:
* Radar scope visualization featuring range rings, crosshairs, and blips for approaching aircraft.
* A detailed aircraft data table providing quick access to nearby flight info.
* Touchscreen support allowing users to cycle through large radar, split-screen, and full-table layout modes.
* Automatic identification of military aircraft via red color highlighting.
* Highly optimized for MicroPython on ESP32 hardware using specific CYD libraries.
Key features:
* Radar scope visualization featuring range rings, crosshairs, and blips for approaching aircraft.
* A detailed aircraft data table providing quick access to nearby flight info.
* Touchscreen support allowing users to cycle through large radar, split-screen, and full-table layout modes.
* Automatic identification of military aircraft via red color highlighting.
* Highly optimized for MicroPython on ESP32 hardware using specific CYD libraries.
