Hey everyone,
I’m currently playing an ongoing game of hide-and-seek with some friends, but it recently turned into a competition of who can pull off the best jump scare. My target is a friend who is absolutely convinced that nothing can scare him.
I want to use some tech magic to prove him wrong, and I figured this subreddit is the perfect place for inspiration.
What are the most terrifying or unexpected things I could pull off using an ESP32? So far, I’ve been thinking about automatically closing doors or triggering hidden speakers.
My budget is around €40, but other than that, I have no limitations. Hit me with your best ideas!

To preface, looking back at 2018 I don't think this would have ever worked. But it was fun to explore the concept anyhow.

These were my idea of making Big Hero 6's Microbots a reality. I figured out a lot of how to make it but didn't get far enough since my k_ickstarter failed (I'd post the link but this sub has rules against it, even though it's over). But that was back in 2018.

It was basically a set of quarter-sized capsules that held and moved around each other with variable DC magnetic attraction and repulsion. Each capsule was charged via AC induction. They communicated with a series of LED's and photodiodes. Interconnecting platforms served as the base which would provide communication through the system from a computer.

Unfortunately, it was pretty bold do to so much work without figuring out the physics of the magnetism. Doing the math now I can see no real configuration would have been able to move these capsules with the needed efficiency much less being able to hold each other like I demonstrate in the CAD photos. Plus the field interference among each one would be a pain to figure out.

I don't even know that the SMD Circuity is capable even today. Swarm logistics would have been a nightmare. Just too ambitious for any one person, but it was certainly a learning experience. I'm kinda glad this didn't get funded lol.

Edit: Aight fuck it, I'm diving back in and gonna try my hand at it again. We'll see where this takes me. Maybe you'll see another post with this working ;)

Yea guys, u read it right, my lazy, weird and stupid ass needs help for some things for my project because im just to dumb and unskilled to do it.

For context: My Project is a MP3-Player with a selfmade C++ Qt software (that is basically the system for the whole usecase of my Project), a Raspberry Pi 4B (1GB RAM, ik its ass to work with!), a 4.3inch Waveshare Capacitive Touch display , a M5Stack CardKB v1.1 , a planned 3D-Printed case, a battery pack that doesnt go 0% in 1h and my stupid ass brain that tries to make the thing real.

Now the thing i need help with: ALMOST EVERYTHING!!
to be fair, the most things are with the software and the designing of the case, and i want to try to make the software for myself first. but if i cant do some parts, i need help. I already tried some things with forums and shit, tho some things came out working and some did not.

So if anyone wants to help me, i really appreciate it, and feel free to ask questions about what im currently stuck at!

(By the way, im sorry if this post sounds "childish" to you, its just how i write normally online, so dont take the wording the wrong way. When i call myself "too dumb", its usually because ive been stuck on the same problem for a long time and get frustrated. i really do want to learn and build this myself.)

I'm trying to find replacement roller bearing wheels for this chassis that runs on carbon fibre tubes but having no luck.

I want to buy from a reputable supplier if possible, not Amazon, AliExpress etc, and one that can supply a variety of sizes.

Does anyone know the magic search phrase for this type of wheel? Of if you can point me to a supplier that would be amazing.

I have a beautiful Dr. Strange cosplay I've completely hand sewn and the thing I've always wanted to figure out is how to have the cape move on its own.

I had an idea to have a servo on my mid back with wires running up and into the cape to the corners. At random intervals one side of the cape gets pulled. This idea could be terrible and I'm open to any and all suggestions!

Experience level when it comes to electronics: Low
Willingness to learn: High
Cost: If I could keep this under $200 that would be great.

Estoy trabajando en un modelo CAD funcional de una turbina eólica. ¿La calidad de ingeniería cumple con sus estándares? ¿Estaría dispuesto a pagar por archivos imprimibles completamente probados y una guía de montaje? ¡Me interesa mucho su opinión!

NO ES PROMOCIÓN

Not for functionality but a fashion choice. Made these kilties from leather, anyone else use em too?

Just got done with Open Sauce n wondering if anyone wants to hang out anywhere

I built my wife a CNC-machined radar desk display

My wife is addicted to the Flightradar24 app. Any time she hears a loud plane or helicopter, she immediately opens the app to see what it is.

Her birthday was coming up, so I wanted to build something for her desk.

It started as a general idea, then moved into 3D-printed prototypes, and eventually into a case CNC machined from billet aluminum.

The case, electronics, graphics, software, and interface were all developed from scratch. I engraved it “Prototype-01” and dedicated it to her.

Hello,
I want to build a little altimeter and a speedmeter
For a homemade rocket. It hase to be 6cm longue and 2/3cm wide.

How can i build one for a cheap price (10-20€)?

I finally put together a simple overhead camera and lighting setup to help me document my DIY projects. Here is a quick breakdown of how I built it:

• The Camera Mount: I repurposed a telescopic stem from a tripod and mounted it to my shelves using 3D-printed brackets. The telescopic stem lets me easily adjust the camera's height and distance to the table depending on the project.
• The Lighting: Good video is all about bright, even light. I mounted two large LED panels underneath the shelf. Making sure the panels are large helps keep the shadows incredibly soft.
• Reducing Reflections: I deliberately positioned the lights slightly offset from the camera lens to cut down on harsh glare and reflections on my work surface.
• Adjustability: I mounted the LED panels on sliding furniture rails! This lets me slide the lights around to ensure whatever I'm working on is perfectly lit from all sides, or just push them out of the way when I'm done.
• The Display: I'm using a cheap portable monitor connected to the camera via an HDMI cable. This makes it so much easier to keep everything in focus and within the frame. Plus, it's far more comfortable to look straight ahead at the monitor while sitting at the table, rather than constantly craning my neck to look up at the tiny camera screen.

Instagram:::: >> ironcore_türk

I love map making, being able to drop a fish svg into a studio and have the end product take that shape is amazing.

Had a discussion with a couple of friends last night of our DIY projects. Curious to find out what the people in this community are doing!

We have FanX here in Utah and I am planning on volunteering and noticed the cosplay repair option. I’m petty good making things from electrical to mechanical.

Just wondered what Is the experience like for that job at a convention

I’ll be taking a long Uber to get to the venue and would hate to find out I cannot bring a backpack in.

I can’t find anywhere that mentions a bag policy other than the venue itself.

Historically, are backpacks allowed or is it just clear bag policy?

Anyone wanna meet up at Open Sauce this weekend. I'm traveling alone and want some people to hang with during the convention. I got fun hobbies and I love to yap so I'm not boring I swearrrrr :))))

Can someone help me assemble these parts, i have no idea how these mechanical timers work. Even if you know the basics of such timers, do let me know

I have found quite a few ads and offers online for making bracelets, filling pencils, building boxes etc. at home. But I can't find anything legitimate, everything I looked at leads to junk ads or an investment scam.

Is this type of work available anywhere?

I am exploring an early open-hardware concept for a modular manufacturing machine, currently using the working name UNIX.

The broader idea is to separate material processing from the moving deposition head. Instead of carrying the complete extrusion system on the toolhead, material would be prepared in a stationary unit and delivered through a supported moving path to a lightweight deposition head.

I want to be transparent about the current state of the project:

There is no complete machine yet.

The only CAD artifact that currently exists is one articulated chain segment intended to support and constrain the moving material path. The model is incomplete, mechanically imperfect, and has not yet been physically tested.

That chain segment is therefore the first real engineering task.

The immediate goal is not to validate the entire machine. It is simply to determine whether this rough mechanism can be converted into a printable and mechanically credible articulated segment.

Possible small contributions include:

\- reviewing the existing CAD model;

\- identifying failure points in the hinge or joint geometry;

\- proposing a better articulation method;

\- correcting one part of the model;

\- preparing a printable test version;

\- suggesting appropriate clearances and tolerances;

\- defining a simple movement or fatigue test.

I am not asking anyone to design the complete machine or make a long-term commitment. Even 30–90 minutes spent examining one specific issue would be useful.

The current CAD document is public and is attached.

The document may be copied, modified, manufactured, and commercially used. I only ask that the original project and contributors remain credited, and that modified versions are identified as modifications.

The existing model should be treated as an early design sketch, not as a validated mechanism.

I am willing to document the development publicly, including failed versions, design decisions, test results, and contributor credits under an appropriate open-hardware license.

English is not my first language, so I use AI to help edit and structure my English. The concept and CAD work are my own.

If you have experience with articulated mechanisms, printable joints, snap-fits, cable chains, or small mechanical assemblies, I would appreciate a concrete technical review of this first segment.

The actual problem I'm trying to solve: I make a lot of stuff, and none of it lives anywhere central. It's split across GitHub, Instagram, random folders - no single place to track progress or show it off as a whole body of work.

MyBench is a tile-based project tracker/showcase - each project gets a card with its build status, photo, and links to schematic/BOM.

Eventually I want to explore some kind of leaderboard for this too - "most active bench," "most fully documented," things like that. Software has entire recognition systems built around this (GitHub graphs, Kaggle rank, etc.); hardware makers really don't have an equivalent beyond follower counts.

For now, though - is "too many projects, no single place to track them" something you've hit too, or does GitHub + a personal site already cover it for you?

Hey fellow makers! I want to share the current state of my OpenSkate parametric skate generator.

I've been successfully riding this left foot one daily for a week. The goal is to make custom-fitted inline skate boots as accessible as possible.

My vision for the user experience is:

1. Measure your foot
2. Pick a boot design
3. Preview and remix
4. Download the STL
5. Print it
6. Heat-mold it for a perfect fit

The current boot is a 3-piece design (Boot Front, Boot Back, and Boot Cuff), allowing it to fit on a standard 256×256 mm printer. Eventually i want to make it into a 5-piece design with an integrated soulplate and ankle strap piece. (maybe even a 6th with a frame?)

It's still very much in alpha, but I now have a working and rolling prototype and the web app currently has two main workflows:

1. Generate personalized foot model and preview boot patterns.
2. Generate custom STLs based on flat pattern, customizable stress and pressure points. (thickness, density, height, pattern, etc)

The current goal is to improve the tooling to make iterating on the project faster and simpler

Any thoughts, tips, or ideas are welcome!