Build

Inside Pistonudo: A Student-Built WRO Robot

Two YouTube runs show Pistonudo tackling WRO Future Engineers 2026, but the ChaBots repository offers more than competition footage. It records the Mexican team’s route from last season’s lessons through mechanics, electronics, software, obstacle handling, testing, serviceability, and cost planning for a working autonomous robot.

Read the build on github.com: Inside Pistonudo: A Student-Built WRO Robot

Robotics

Featured in TinkerNews Issue 54 · 21 September 2026

10 builds

reBot-DevArm Opens a Robotic Arm to Makers

Physical manipulation and robot-learning work needs more than a simulator. reBot-DevArm offers an open arm project with hardware under CERN-OHL-W-2.0 and software under Apache-2.0, plus planned links to ROS, LeRobot, and Isaac Sim. Its repository is the starting point, though several build specifications still need checking.

Read the build on github.com: reBot-DevArm Opens a Robotic Arm to Makers

Build an Open-Source ADS-B Receiver for Nearby Aircraft

A compact board can turn aircraft broadcasts into useful local data without the usual Raspberry Pi and SDR pair. ADSBee combines 1090 MHz reception and decoding in an open-source, low-power design, giving makers a practical base for portable trackers, custom displays, field experiments, and community aircraft-data stations.

Read the build on makezine.com: Build an Open-Source ADS-B Receiver for Nearby Aircraft

Building Nexara: An Air-Gapped AI Avatar Head

A pair of round displays, a spatial camera, and a three-axis servo neck give Nexara a physical way to show local AI activity. An ESP32-S3 links those parts while separated power rails protect sensitive electronics from servo noise, keeping the proposed system independent of cloud services.

Read the build on pcbway.com: Building Nexara: An Air-Gapped AI Avatar Head

A Robot Arm That Serves Badminton Shuttlecocks

Badminton practice usually needs a feeder, but this machine puts that job on a compact Denso VS050 industrial arm. A pneumatic gripper takes shuttlecocks from a hopper, then twin spinning discs launch them. CAD, AVR control, 3D-printed parts, silicone, and court testing make the build especially instructive.

Read the build on hackaday.com: A Robot Arm That Serves Badminton Shuttlecocks

PAR Trades Display Speed for Mechanical Simplicity

A 37-by-18 flip-disc display takes a plotter’s approach: one moving tool head visits each pixel instead of giving every disc its own actuator. Color sensing and LIDAR guide each push, making PAR slow but mechanically tidy, while a browser interface lets users draw or upload fresh images.

Read the build on hackaday.com: PAR Trades Display Speed for Mechanical Simplicity

Build an AI Assistant with Raspberry Pi

Creating an AI assistant using Raspberry Pi and Python is a rewarding project. This guide covers the necessary hardware, coding steps, and integration of voice recognition software. Additionally, it explores using LiDAR technology for mapping, highlighting practical applications and overcoming technical challenges.

Read the build on kevsrobots.com: Build an AI Assistant with Raspberry Pi

All 10 builds in Robotics