https://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/element14 Presents with new video episodes every Wednesday and Friday on electronic build projects, programming tutorials, and moreen-USTelligent Community 12https://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/w/documents/3748/project-video-release-archiveThu, 27 Aug 2026 14:07:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:59ab0abe-b32d-47f9-b00c-4b73b01f3bd8e14sbhargavProject Video Releases element14 presents | Meet the Hosts Episode 729: Building a Customisable Handheld Arduino Thermal Imaging Camera Episode 728: Building a DIY PLC with PocketBeagle 2: Finding Out Why Industrial Controllers Cost So Much Episode 727: Designing a Mobile Robot Platform with Differential Drive, PID Control and Wireless Mapping Episode 725: Clem's Workbench Upgrade to Automated Lab with Programmable Instruments and Python Episode 724: Building and Programming a SCARA Industrial Robot Arm – An Introduction to Robotics Episode 723: Building a Privacy-First Workshop Security Camera with PocketBeagle 2 Episode 722: PID Control, Motion Profiles and ROS Explained - An Introduction to Robotics Episode 721: Designing a Smarter Workbench: Inside Mark’s 8-Channel Power Monitoring System Episode 720: Building the Foundations of Your First Robot - An Introduction to Robotics Episode 719: Turning a Broken Robot Vacuum into a Network-Controlled Raspberry Pi 5 Rover Episode 718: Creating a Multi-Function ESP32 Desk Pet with Custom PCB and Audio Processing Episode 717: Simulating Prey Vision with Raspberry Pi 5: A Dual Camera Perception Experiment Episode 716: Designing a Mobile Robot Platform with Inverse Kinematics and Wireless Control Episode 715: How to Build a Reaction-Based Catch Game Using Arduino and Relays Episode 714: Find EMI Fast with a Low‑Cost, Automated Way to See Where Your PCB Radiates Episode 713: How to Make an LED Sculpture React to Sound with micro:bit Episode 712: Designing a More Capable Dual Motor Driver Beyond the L298N (What worked and what didn't) Episode 711: Modern Edge AI on Raspberry Pi 5 for an Animatronic Tracker: Vision Acceleration with AI Hat+ and AI Camera Episode 710: Your First Real PCB in KiCad : An Arduino Compatible Board Designed from Scratch Episode 709: Was that my Number!? Fixing Café Order Chaos with a Raspberry Pi Announcer Episode 708: Reviving a Vintage LED Sign with Arduino and PS/2 Control Episode 707: Building a Circuit Sculpture with LED Filament Episode 706: ESP32 + RFID = Smart Access Control in a Simple DIY Build Episode 705: Building a Super Smooth Z-Scale Train Controller with Arduino Episode 704: Hacking an IKEA Desk into a Programmable Electric Workstation Episode 703: How to Set Up the Raspberry Pi 5: Complete Beginner Step-by-Step Guide Episode 702: Build Your Own USB Looper for Serial Debugging and File Transfer Episode 701: From Snooze to Launch: The Arduino-Powered LEGO Alarm Clock Inspired by Artemis 2 Episode 700: How Voice Recognition Works on Raspberry Pi (and Why It’s Easy to Break) Episode 699: GimmeGPIO: A Simple Way to Get GPIO on Laptops and Desktops Episode 698: Building a Practical Electronics Workbench for Makers and Engineers Episode 697: A Smart, Safe 3D Printer Cabinet Using Raspberry Pi and Node-RED Episode 696: How a Pulse Metal Detector Works, and How to Build One Episode 695: A DIY Test and Programming Rig Built for Small-Batch Electronics Production Episode 694: Earn Your Fitness Reward with a Smart Cookie Jar Using Strava and ESP32 Episode 693: Open-Source Multicolour 3D Printing Upgrade: Clem’s 3D Chameleon Remix Episode 692: Build Your own ESP32 Fitness Heart Rate Monitor / Tracker Episode 691: How Accurate Is Bluetooth Channel Sounding? A Deep Dive with the nRF54L15 Episode 690: Meet the PlatypusBot: Now Powered by Raspberry Pi & ROS Episode 689: How Clem Built a Handheld Sci-Fi Communicator That Really Works Episode 688: Building the Cylon Pumpkin: Combining a Larson Scanner and Vocoder for Halloween Episode 687: Turning a $10 Air Fryer into an Arduino powered Filament Dryer Episode 686: Creepy Motion-Activated Painting You Can Build Yourself Episode 685: When Your Body Becomes the Instrument: Clem Builds the “Dröne” Synth Episode 684: Building an Audio Reactive LED Matrix with a micro:bit and NeoPixels Episode 683: How to Make a Portable Emergency Radio with an Arduino Nano in a Mint TinT Episode 682: DIY RF Modulator + Raspberry Pi Pico = Gaming on a Sony Watchman FD-10A CRT Episode 681: Turn anything into an Arduino Module: Reusing Everyday Electronics Episode 680: From Kit to Custom Design: Building a Tube-Based FM Radio Episode 679: ESP32 Duolingo Owl Project: Never Miss a Lesson Again Episode 678: Open Source ATtiny3226 Arduino Calculator – Hardware, Case & Code Build Episode 677: Make Your Own Vocoder with Teensy 4.0 - Voice of a Cylon?! Episode 676: I Tried Building 16 ATtiny Robots with Vibration Motors – It Was a Disaster Episode 675:Avoid Conflict with this ESP32 Defcon Task Tracker Episode 674: Building an Open Source Blood Pressure & Heart Signal Monitor Episode 673: Building an ESP32 Powered Warhammer 40k Rhino with Dynamic LED Effects! Episode 672: Building an Autonomous LEGO Train with CircuitPython and LIDAR Episode 671: PlatypusBot - Scavenging for Robotics Parts Episode 670: Build your own Larson Scanner Episode 669: Creating an ESD (Or Lightning!) Detector! Episode 668: Designing an Arduino PID Controlled Micro Drone Episode 667: Emulating a Speech Synthesis Chip with an ESP32 Episode 666: How Far Can I2C Go? Episode 665: Raspberry Pi AI Tracking Eye of Sauron - AI AL Barad Dur Episode 664: Learn how to Make a Photo Booth with the ESP32 and Telegram Automation! Episode 663: Upcycling a Vintage Microphone into an Emergency Radio System Episode 662: Making a Stronger Affordable DIY Robot Arm with 3D Printing with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 661: Clem makes his own LED Wristwatch Episode 660: LoFi Beats to Solder To Episode 659: DIY Single Board Computer with ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 658: A Smart Youtube Counter With An Audio Analyzer Episode 657: How to Control a LEGO Mindstorms kit with AI and Raspberry Pi 5 Episode 656: DIY Jig for your Laser Cutter with Custom Arduino Automation Episode 655: DIY Hot Plate for SMD Soldering Using Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 654: How Do BattleBots Work? In the Pit with HyperShock Episode 653: Edge-lit 7-Segment Display Clock Using Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 652: Smart Windows and Blinds with Arduino and Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 651: Design for Manufacturing - Project to Product by Modifying Off-the-Shelf Cases Episode 650: Using Nordic's nRF7002, My Dehumidifier Tells Me When It's Full! Episode 649: Giant Retro Gaming Magic Mirror with a Raspberry Pi 5! Episode 648: Home AI Image Generation Server with LattePanda and Stable Diffusion Episode 647: Building an Open-Source Tool for Cave Surveying Episode 646: Creating a Digital Roulette Table with an ESP32 DevKit Episode 645: Practical DIY Pi Pico Current Load Circuits Episode 644: Turning a Raspberry Pi Pico into a GPU! Episode 643: Making a Tribble that Detects Klingons Episode 642: Making a Time-lapse Camera with a Raspberry Pi 5 Episode 641: Moon Phase Display with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 640: Tinkering vs Engineering: Can You Build a Laptop from Scratch? Episode 639: Off-Grid Remote Generator Starter? Episode 638: RP2040 PCB: Design, Turn-On, and Debug - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 637: Making Music with a Lego Guitar and Capacitive Touch Episode 636: Creating an IMU based 3D Mouse with an ESP32-S3 Episode 635: Vintage Electronics Exploration with a Bally Cypress Gardens Bingo Machine Episode 634: Craft a Festive LED Christmas Sweater Featuring the ATtiny416 Episode 633: Spying Under the Christmas Tree with an Arduino-powered Ornament Episode 632: Revamping Old School Pinball with an ESP32 Episode 631: All-Purpose Debugging: A Practical Universal Screen with LCD Displays Episode 630: Mega IIe: First Fully Functional Computer built around the Apple Mega-II Chip Episode 629: Backpack Splash: Mark's Water Gun Upgrade for Epic Outdoor Water Wars! Episode 628: Affordable DIY Robot Arm - A Deep Dive into 3D Printing and Servo Motors Episode 627: Creating sudostick - From Prototype to Product Episode 626: Catching you Up on Bonesnapper Ridge - Off-Grid Maker Shop Episode 625: Interactive Magic - Creating an Enchanted Cauldron Episode 624: Modding A Smoke Machine to Add Motion Detection Episode 623: How to Run Linux on an ESP32 Episode 622: Building Spooky Fun: Halloween Sound Pranks with nRF 5340 BLE Audio Episode 621: Color Sensor-Based Water Quality Tracker: DIY Environmental Monitoring Episode 620: Stey-by-Step Guide to Creating your own Speaking Animatronic Hat Episode 619: How to Build an Open Source Bluetooth Mechanical Keyboard Episode 618: Upgrading My Racing Sim with a Force-Sensitive Keyboard Episode 617: Simplify Network Monitoring: Building an ESP32-Powered Solution Episode 616: Mastering Oven Control: Precision Resin Curing with DIY Modifications - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 615: Building a Unique USB Card Reader: From Idea to Prototype Episode 614: Using PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) in Robotics - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 613: Building a Magic Wand Talking Sound Board Episode 612: Handheld BASIC computer in Badge Format with the Arduino Uno Episode 611: How to Run the Distance to the Moon with Strava Data and a Pico W Board Episode 610: How to Embroider with Circuits and Conductive Thread Episode 609: Updating a Fujitsu N860-2500-T111 Keyboard to Work with a PS2 Standard Episode 608: Making the Simplest DIY Wind Energy Generator - How Hard Could it Be? Episode 607: From Strava to Motion: Creating an Arduino-Powered Arcade Game with Running Data Episode 606: How to Use LoRaWAN to Launch Model Rockets Wirelessly Episode 605: Arduino and LEDs Make Solitaire Easier to Solve Episode 604: Charlieplexing Buttons and LEDs at the Same Time - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 603: Create Your Own Air Hockey Table with Arduino Scoring Episode 602: DIY AC Dimmer Circuit: Control Your Lights with a Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 601: How to Reverse Engineer Electronics: Building a Developer Board for a Coding Class Episode 600: Building My Dream Digital Clock: DIY 7 Segment Display with a Cute Robot Twist! Episode 599: How to Build a Spectrum Analyzer with Lego Bricks & Discrete Electronics Episode 598: How To Build a Portable, Solar-Charged Off-Grid Power Station Episode 597: How to Build a Robot that Celebrates Good Grades with Arduino Episode 596: How to Build Your Own Voice Assistant with MyCroft AI - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 595: Member Challenge Accepted - Universal LANC Controller for DSLR cameras Episode 594: Repairing a Neewer 660 Studio light - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 593: Playing 3D Famicom Games Wirelessly on the NES - How Hard Could It Be? Episode 592: Lamptopus: Spinning LED Desk Lamp Episode 591: Building A Bluetooth Speaker in 5 Minutes - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 590: Seven Kingdoms Open Source Bartop Arcade Episode 589: Upgrading the iMac G4 With a NUC Episode 588: Highlights from element14 presents 2022 Episode 587: Create Your Own Talking Stress Indicator Episode 586: DIY Open Source Bluetooth Headphones Episode 585: Enhancing a Magnifying Headband with Auto Sensing Light Episode 584: Going Beyond Periodic Wakes: Using WiFi to Revive a Sleeping Device Episode 583: Epic Neopixel Birthday Cake Episode 582: Smart Christmas Decoration with Raspberry Pi Pico and MQTT Episode 581: Bee-Saving Electronics Prototype Episode 580: DIY Low Cost Capacitance Meter Using a 555 Timer Episode 579: How to Make a Basketball Auto Score Keeper Using Colour Sensing Episode 578: Build your Own Bat Detector with Analog Parts Episode 577: The Game Guy Mini, Upgrading the Unportable Game Boy! Episode 576: Build your own Underwater Drone with 3D Printed Parts Episode 575: How to Make a Secured Parcel Pickup Box with Arduino Episode 574: Ghost Rider Halloween Costume Episode 573: Using a Pi Pico to Convert Keyboard Input to Morse Code Episode 572: How to Use an ESP32 & Camera to Know You've Got Mail! Episode 571: Using Dead Batteries to Test for Dead Batteries Episode 570: Making a WiFi Connected Audio Spectrum Analyzer with ESP32 Episode 569: Multi-Spectrum UV Resin Curing Station with Würth LEDs Episode 568: How to Make a Custom Soundboard with the STM32F4 using FreeCAD Episode 567: Synced NeoPixel Mickey Mouse Ears Episode 566: How to Automate Industrial Welding Positioners with Arduino Episode 565: Measuring Destructive Testing Force with a 20 Ton Hydraulic Press Episode 564: Build a VU Meter with LED Pixelated Nixie Tubes Episode 563: Creating Augmented Reality Circuits with Meta Quest 2 and Unity Episode 562: Pi Home Temperature Monitoring System Episode 561: WiFi to Parallel Port Ascii Art Dot-Matrix Printer Episode 560: Raspberry Pi Controlled Lego Train with Build HAT Episode 559: Create a Magic Makeup Mirror with Pose Detection Episode 558: 3D Object Rendering Using an FPGA Episode 557: Create your own Handheld Serial Monitor for Project Debugging Episode 556: Hacking a Hotel POS Tablet - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 555: Dance Central Pose Estimation Game with Tensorflow and Raspberry Pi Episode 554: Arduino Uno Mini Limited Edition LED Necklace Episode 553: Adding a Parallel Printer Port to an Android Phone Episode 552: Magical Potion Bottle Rack Episode 551: Can We Rebuild a 1930s Accounting Machine? Episode 550: DIY Electronic Controlled Motorized Wheelchair Episode 549: Using a Teletype Machine as a USB Printer with Arduino Episode 548: Electronic Fidget Cube, Building Your Ideas! Episode 547: Creating a “Mummy” Wake Word Detector with Raspberry Pi and Edge Impulse Episode 546: Mapping the Outputs of a 1960s Teletype Machine - How Hard Can it Be? Episode 545: Designing a Custom PCB for Microsoft Jacdac Episode 544: Reviving the 1984 IBM 5155 - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 543: Lego Spike Prime Weather Station with Raspberry Pi Episode 542: A Noise-Free DIY Switching Power Supply - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 541: Vintage Laptop Battery Replaced with USB Power - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 540: Object Detection for Smart Recycling Episode 539: Training a Machine to Recognize Objects - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 538: How to Build a Quadruped Robot - NO MATH! Episode 537: Build a Phonograph Preamplifier - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 536: Interactive Light-Up Window with Pose Detection using a Raspberry Pi and micro:bit Episode 535: Repair a Sega Game Gear - How Hard Can It Be? Episode 534: Open Source Inventory Warehousing System Episode 533: Jumbo DIY LED Episode 532: World’s First Single-Chip Apple II Boots! Episode 531: Game Guy - The Unportable Game Boy Episode 530: MQTT controlled LED Christmas Baubles with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 529: UPDI Program for new ATTiny Episode 528: Let's Build an Electronic Fidget Cube! Episode 527: Interactive Light Up Window using a Raspberry Pi and micro:bit Episode 526: CNC Router Remote Control Episode 525: DIY Helmholtz Snow Globe Episode 524: Arduino IoT Cloud Weather Station Episode 523: Make your Own Auto-Sensing Solder Fume Extractor Episode 522: Siren Head Halloween Wearable Costume Episode 521: DIY Static Grass Applicator Episode 520: Adding Android Auto as Non-Permanent Add-On with Raspberry Pi Episode 519: Make Your Own Ye Olde Book Nook Diorama with Arduino Episode 518: Guitar Vacuum Tube Distortion Pedal Episode 517: Emulate an EPROM - How Hard Could it Be? Episode 516: Modding a Wireless Doorbell with Raspberry Pi and ESP8266 Episode 515: Upcycling a Lenovo PC into a Raspberry Pi WiFi Access Point Episode 514: Making a 3D Graphics Card for the Atari 800 XL Episode 513: Bike Speedometer with Arduino and GPS Episode 512: You Cannot Buy This Vacuum Tube Tester. You Build It! Episode 511: Raspberry Pi Powered Cheeseball Launcher Episode 510: Laser Cutter Command Station Episode 509: DIY Discrete Logic LED Countdown Timer Episode 508: Raspberry Pi FPV Rover Easy Robot Arm Upgrade Episode 507: Massive Raspberry Pi Episode 506: DIY Star Trek Tricorder from Build Inside the Box Episode 505: Super 8 Camera Digitizer Episode 504: DIY Sump Pump Alarm Episode 503: Meet Cheesoid - The Robot That Smells! Episode 502: Make Your Bike a Pokebike! Episode 501: Raspberry Pi NFC Button-Free Music Player Episode 500: Build Inside The Box Challenge! Episode 499: DIY Four Channel Arduino Servo Tester Episode 498: Raspberry Pi Smart Water Dispenser Episode 497: RFID Pocket Money Keeper Episode 496: Compute Module 4 Powered 3D Printer Board Episode 495: Magic GIF Ball Powered By Raspberry Pi Episode 494: Keyboard Shortcuts Keypad with Raspberry Pi Pico Episode 493: NeoPixel 7 Segment Display Clock Update Episode 492: Arduino vs 555 Timer - Tiny Slot Car Racers Episode 491: Arduino Single-Wheel Balancing Robot Episode 490: DIY Raspberry Pi Pico Fizz Buzz Multiplication Game Episode 489: Build An FPV Rover with Raspberry Pi Episode 488: DIY Raspberry Pi Cyberdeck Episode 487: DIY MagSafe Battery Charger Episode 486: Make The Ultimate Phone Charging Camping Flashlight Episode 485: How To Make A Custom PCB From Design To Assembly Episode 484: Raspberry Pi Bird Watching Camera Episode 483: DIY Miniature Multimeter Episode 482: Gigantic 3D Printed 7 Segment Display Clock Episode 481: DIY LOST Swan Station Split Flap Display Timer Episode 480: DIY Toothbrush Timer Episode 479: Raspberry Pi 2XL Robot Assistant Part 2 Episode 478: Upgrading A Christmas Train Episode 477: Metal Plate Your 3D Prints with a DIY Galvanizing Machine Episode 476: IoT Arduino NTP World Clock with SPI Display Episode 475: DIY Wall Mounted Arduino Barometer Episode 474: Continuum Robot Tentacle Prototype Episode 473: Mendel 3D Printer Upgrade and Maintenance Episode 472: DIY Hydration Reminder System Episode 471: DIY Dance Dance Revolution Mat Episode 470: Voice Activated Inspector Gadget Hat Episode 469: Nintendo Super Scope Modded For Modern Televisions Episode 468: Socially Distanced Halloween Candy Dispenser Episode 467: Repairing the World's First Laptop! (Epson HX-20) Episode 466: Arduino-powered Hexadecimal Color Code Clock Episode 465: Lego Raspberry Pi HQ Camera Episode 464: Particle Voice Recognition for Home Appliances Episode 463: Raspberry Pi Speech to Text LED Face Mask Episode 462: Joycon Controlled Electronic Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots Episode 461: Portal 2 Security Camera with Raspberry Pi 2 Episode 460: Trinamic Open Source Ventilator (TOSV) Teardown Episode 459: Raspberry Pi 4 VR Conference Call Assistant Episode 458: DIY Arduino Automated Metal Bending Machine Episode 457: Raspberry Pi 4 Animatronic Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons Episode 456: Unhackable Arduino Switch Matrix Episode 455: Arduino Unit Conversion Calculator Episode 454: Soldering Up the rc2014 Homebrew Z80 Computer Kit Episode 453: Build an Anti-Troll Bot Using TensorFlow and Arduino Episode 452: Raspberry Pi 4 Experimental Resin 3D Printer Updated! Episode 451: Build an Off Grid Wikipedia with Raspberry Pi Episode 450: Sega GameGear Rebuild with LEDs Episode 449: DIY Tamagotchi - Build a Virtual Pet Episode 448: DIY Raspberry Pi 4 Boxing Game Episode 447: DIY Stop Motion Rig with LattePanda Episode 446: Raspberry Pi 2XL Robot Assistant Part 1 Episode 445: Raspberry Pi 4 Animatronic BD-1 Companion Robot Episode 444: Raspberry Pi 4 DVR Episode 443: Arduino Uno RC Remote - Can It Be Done? Episode 442: Make Your Own Giant Servo Episode 441: Raspberry Pi 4 International Space Station Tracker Episode 440: DIY Arduino Helicopter Collective Joystick Control Episode 439 - Mechanical Arcade Game with Barebones Arduino Episode 438: Smartphone Controlled DIY Rover Using Websockets Episode 437: DIY Motorized Zoom for Your DSLR Episode 436: Automated Raspberry Pi Planet Tracking GOTO Telescope Episode 435: Raspberry Pi 4 Music Player w/Analog Controls Episode 434: Infineon Smart City Model Episode 433: Arduino Based Love Tester Episode 432: Super FX Sword using the BBC micro:bit Episode 431: Room-Sized Studio Light Speakers Combo Episode 430: Flaming Xylophone Rubens' Tube Episode 429: YouTuber "On Air" Light with Particle Mesh Network Episode 428: Raspberry Pi 4 CRT-based VR Headset Episode 427: DIY Retro Gaming Portable on a Budget! Episode 426: Retro TV Ads Holiday Ornament Episode 425: Make Your Own Raspberry Pi 4 Photobooth! Episode 424: DIY Escape Room Puzzle Episode 423: Programmable Arduino Synthesizer Watch Episode 422: Raspberry Pi E-Ink Task Organizer Episode 421: Raspberry Pi 4 Commodore SX-64 Inspired Portable Computer Episode 420: DIY Shapeoko CNC Pendant Episode 419: Altair 8800 Laptop Episode 418: Animatronic Terminator Skull with BeagleBone ® AI Episode 417: #Pipboy 2000 Mk II Episode 416: DIY #3DPrinted Label Spooler Episode 415: Iron Man Helmet Heads Up Display Episode 414: Raspberry Pi 4 Experimental Resin 3D Printer Episode 413: Animatronic Claptrap Case Mod Part 2 Episode 412: Get to Know Your ADC with a DIY Temperature Probe Episode 411: Animatronic Claptrap Computer Case - Part 1 Episode 410: MacPro G5 Cheese Grater with Raspberry Pi 4 Episode 409: Commodore SX-64 Restoration Episode 408: Hand Soldered LED Oscilloscope Episode 407: The Ultimate Raspberry Pi 4 Laptop Episode 406: Automated Robot Artist Episode 405: RC Ornithopter Concept Episode 404: Arduino Powered Close Encounters Midi Light Board Episode 403: Upcycled IoT Coffee Pot Ramen Maker Episode 402: PiPhone++ The Giant Raspberry Pi Flip Phone Episode 401: Matrix Voice Controlled Robot Episode 400: The Ultimate Raspberry Pi Stress Test Episode 399: Candle-Powered Robotl Episode 398: Let Me Out Hooman! Bluetooth Dog Doorbell Episode 397: Steam Powered Retropie Console Episode 396: Arduino Retro LED Matrix Handheld Episode 395: Raspberry Pi Stop Motion Machine Episode 394: Animatronic GLaDOS Head with Raspberry Pi Episode 393: GameBoy Walkman Episode 392: Multi-Line Telephone Intercom Episode 391: First Person View RC Car with PS2 Steering Wheel Episode 390: Retro Texting Smart Watch of the Future! Episode 389: PlayStation Classic Portable Prototype Episode 388: FPGA MIDI Music Synthesizer Episode 387: Rotocell - The Rotary Cell Phone of the Future! Episode 386: Xybernaut Wearable PC Episode 385: 20 PCB Design Pitfalls Episode 384: Retro Gaming Handheld Without a PCB Episode 383: Gameboy Wireless Link Cable (DMG1) Episode 382: Modding a Super 8 Camera into a Digital Episode 381: Reverse Music Box Episode 380: NES Zapper on RetroPie Episode 379: Macroscope Soldering Tool Episode 378: Invader ZIM Animatronic GIR Episode 377: Altair 8800 Replica Episode 376: 4D Gaming with the Matrix Creator Episode 375: Hacked Fetal Detector Music Synthesizer Episode 374: Raspberry Pi Donkey Kong Holiday Ornament Episode 373: Raspberry Pi Fallout Terminal PC Episode 372: Raspberry Pi Auto Etch A Sketch ™ Episode 371: FPGA "Game Genie" for Atari 2600 Episode 370: Raspberry Pi NOAA Satellite Receiver Episode 369: Recreating the Atari Portfolio Episode 368: Arduino Automatic Wire Cutter and Stripper Episode 367: Most Useless IoT Device Ever - Part 2 Episode 366: Infinity Icosahedron Episode 365: Twilight Zone Fortune Telling Machine Episode 364: Raspberry Pi Virtual Reality Arcade #VR Episode 363 - Add a Motor to your Bike with Arduino Episode 362: Most Worthless IoT Device Ever Pt. 1 Episode 361: R.O.B Rebuild and Upgrade Episode 360: Make Your Own Raspberry Pi Cell Phone Episode 359: Make Your Own CNC Pyrography Wood Burner Episode 358: The Shrimp of Terror! Episode 357: Raspberry Pi Asteroid Tracker Episode 356: Bank to the Future with Arduino & TI Episode 355: Raspberry Pi Pirate Radio Episode 354: Tiny Vacuum Forming Machine Episode 353: Program Your Own FPGA Video Game Episode 352: Pripyat - DIY Geiger Counter Episode 349: Raspberry Pi Selfie Rocket See All Previous Episodesepisode releasesfriday_release_archiveelement14 presentsproject videosepisodesfriday releasesepisode release archiveepisode archivefriday release archiveproject_videoshttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/w/documents/72105/building-a-customisable-handheld-arduino-thermal-imaging-cameraWed, 26 Aug 2026 16:28:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:376b923c-702f-4159-a718-273f8073fa81e14sbhargavRather than wait weeks to borrow a thermal imaging camera, Katie Dumont set out to build one from scratch. Combining a Seeed Studio MLX90640 thermal array sensor with an Arduino UNO R4 Minima and a colour display, she produced a portable thermal camera that can highlight heat loss, reveal hidden hot spots and display temperature variations in real time. The project goes beyond simply wiring modules together, with a custom-designed 3D printed enclosure, rugged physical controls, configurable temperature scales and plenty of experimentation to get the best image from the sensor. It's a practical build that demonstrates just how accessible thermal imaging has become for makers, engineers and anyone curious about what's really going on beneath the surface. Get Fired Up and Watch Katie Build players.brightcove.net/.../index.html Why wait to borrow a thermal imaging camera when the core technology is now available as a relatively affordable sensor module? Faced with long waiting lists for energy-efficiency thermal cameras, Katie Dumont decided to build one instead. The result is a handheld thermal imaging camera based around an Arduino UNO R4 Minima, combining a 32 × 24 infrared sensor array with a colour touchscreen display, physical controls and a custom-designed enclosure. Rather than replicating the behaviour of a commercial thermal camera, the project explores how easily a thermal imaging system can be tailored to specific requirements. Temperature ranges can be adjusted, colour mappings can be customised and the hardware remains open to future upgrades. The Hardware Platform At the heart of the build is the Seeed Studio MLX90640 infrared thermal imaging sensor. Unlike a conventional camera, the MLX90640 does not capture visible light. Instead, it measures infrared radiation across a grid of 768 sensing elements arranged in a 32 × 24 array. "It's got an array of thermal sensors of 32 by 24 of them so should get a fairly decent image of the temperatures." The sensor communicates over I²C, making it straightforward to interface with modern microcontroller platforms. One of the aspects that immediately stood out during development was its quoted accuracy. "It's plus and minus 1.5 degrees C accuracy so I should be fairly confident with what I get out of this as an accurate representation of the temperature." Supporting the sensor is the Arduino UNO R4 Minima, based on the Renesas RA4M1 microcontroller. With significantly more RAM and processing capability than earlier Uno generations, it is capable of handling the calculations required to process MLX90640 image data while simultaneously driving a display. Visual output is provided by a DFRobot Fermion capacitive touchscreen display module, creating a compact self-contained handheld instrument. Two Multicomp Pro pushbuttons provide range adjustment controls, while a custom 3D-printed enclosure holds everything together. Validating the Sensor and Designing for Real-World Use Before committing to the enclosure design and software architecture, the project began with a simple proof-of-concept test. The thermal sensor and display were wired together with the Arduino, and example software from the display and sensor libraries was adapted into a quick prototype. To verify operation, two everyday thermal references were selected: an ice cube and a container of near-boiling water. "I've taken the example code for the library for the camera and the screen and just popped them together just to make a really simple test to check this is going to do what I want it to do." The resulting thermal images immediately demonstrated that the system was operating correctly. Cold regions appeared deep blue, while high-temperature regions saturated towards red. Even subtle thermal effects became visible. "I'm getting detail of the steam coming off the cup as that greeny, so not as hot but hotter than ambient temperature." The testing phase also verified that temperature gradients around the cup could be observed clearly, with transitions through yellow and green before reaching ambient background temperatures. Many DIY thermal imaging projects stop at a bench-top prototype, but this build was intended to become a practical tool capable of being stored in a toolbox and used repeatedly. Although the display includes touch capability, a conscious decision was made not to use touchscreen controls for normal operation. "I also want quite a rugged tool that I can keep in a toolkit." Instead of relying on touch gestures, the design uses dedicated physical buttons to adjust display ranges. This approach allows a protective acrylic window to be fitted over the display, increasing durability while simplifying operation. "For just two buttons, two physical buttons are going to be much stronger in a work environment than having a touch screen." It is a practical engineering compromise. While touchscreens provide flexibility, robustness frequently takes priority when creating equipment that may be transported regularly or used in harsher environments. Software Architecture The firmware was developed using the Arduino IDE, combining display libraries from DFRobot with thermal imaging support from the Adafruit MLX90640 library. Rather than relying on a fixed colour scale, the software introduces configurable temperature limits and colour mappings. Arrays define selectable temperature bands and associated palette values, allowing the display range to be adapted to different inspection scenarios. "I've made an array of temperatures that I think would be nice to choose between for the minimum and for the maximum." A significant enhancement beyond the initial proof-of-concept was the addition of a graphical reference scale. Alongside the thermal image itself, the software generates a colour bar displaying the current temperature mapping and ambient reference point. "I've made a little bar on the screen just so you've got something to reference." This is particularly useful when comparing thermal scenes because colours alone can sometimes be misleading without context. Showing the active scale ensures that temperature differences remain meaningful as users adjust ranges. The display rendering process converts each measured temperature into a colour lookup value and then expands the low-resolution thermal array into larger screen pixels. "Displaying each pixel as 13 by 13 square." This scaling approach preserves the sensor's underlying structure while making the image large enough to be useful on the handheld display. Custom Enclosure Development and Performance and Practical Applications To transform the electronics into a finished product, a dedicated enclosure was modelled and 3D printed. The housing was designed around the precise requirements of the hardware, including mounting locations for the Arduino, openings for the pushbuttons, accommodation for the acrylic display cover and a dedicated aperture for the thermal imaging sensor. The enclosure design was created in FreeCAD, allowing dimensions to be adjusted until everything aligned correctly. Once printed, the finished parts closely matched the original CAD model and provided the foundation for final assembly. The completed unit feels much closer to a commercial inspection tool than a development-board prototype, while still retaining all of the flexibility of an open-source design. The finished camera provides a useful way of visualising heat loss, identifying hot components and locating unexpected temperature variations. Like many MLX90640-based systems, it operates at relatively modest frame rates due to the amount of processing required to convert raw sensor data into temperatures and rendered images. Even so, the camera is perfectly capable of highlighting thermal differences across surfaces, electrical equipment and household environments. "It'll give me an idea of just what temperature something is with a visual graphic of where that is." For energy-efficiency surveys, that means doors, windows, insulation gaps and draught-prone areas become immediately visible. For electronics work, it offers a way to identify unexpectedly hot components and thermal bottlenecks without specialised commercial equipment. Future Enhancements and Final Thoughts One of the advantages of building a thermal camera rather than purchasing a finished product is that new capabilities can be added whenever the hardware allows. The most obvious next feature would be image capture. "The addition for actually capturing that picture and having it as an image file." The display hardware already includes an SD card slot, opening up the possibility of storing thermal snapshots directly to removable media. However, implementing this feature requires careful consideration. "The only thing I'd worry about is in processing that it might make the whole camera image speed that it's updating slower." Another particularly interesting possibility would be combining visible-light imagery with thermal information, similar to the image-overlay functionality found on professional thermal cameras. "To have an actual normal camera and be able to overlay the thermal imaging sensor data onto a real picture." While technically achievable, this would likely demand considerably more processing power than is available within the current hardware configuration. The concept nevertheless demonstrates how extensible the design could become should a future revision migrate to a more powerful platform. This project demonstrates just how accessible thermal imaging technology has become. By combining an MLX90640 infrared sensor, an Arduino UNO R4 Minima, a colour display and a carefully considered enclosure design, Katie has produced a capable handheld thermal camera that can be customised far beyond the capabilities of many entry-level commercial units. What began as an attempt to avoid a lengthy borrowing queue evolved into a fully featured thermal inspection tool with configurable temperature ranges, physical controls, a rugged enclosure and a clear upgrade path. Whether used for identifying household heat loss, examining electronic assemblies or simply exploring temperature differences in the world around it, it is an excellent example of turning readily available maker hardware into a genuinely useful instrument. Key Hardware Used Arduino UNO R4 Minima Development Board Seeed Studio MLX90640 Thermal Imaging Sensor (32 × 24 IR array) DFRobot Fermion TFT Capacitive Touch Display Multicomp Pro Pushbutton Switches 3D-printed PLA enclosure 3 mm acrylic display protection window Interested in building your own version or adapting the design? Supporting Links, ECAD and Code - Parts Used and Buy Links Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit ABX00080 Development Board, UNO R4 Minima Arduino 1 Buy Now DFROBOT Capacitive TouchScreen, Fermion, TFT LCD, Arduino Board DFROBOT 1 Buy Now 114020141 Thermal Imaging Camera/IR Array Board SEEED Studio 1 Buy Now R13-24A-05-BB Pushbutton Switch, R13-24, 7.2 mm, SPST-NO" Multicomp Pro 2 Buy Now MP015138 3D Printer Filament, 1.75mm, Milk White, PLA" Multicomp Pro 1 Buy Now Product Name 3mm Clear Acrylic sheetinfrared imagingthermal camera diyarudino projecti2c sensormaker electronics project3d printed enclosurethermal mappinghandheld thermal cameraarduino uno R4heat loss detectionelectronics diagnosticsmlx90640thermal sensor projecttemperature visualisationfriday_releasethermal imaging camera