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, 16 Jul 2026 14:06:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:59ab0abe-b32d-47f9-b00c-4b73b01f3bd8e14sbhargavProject Video Releases element14 presents | Meet the Hosts 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/72081/building-a-privacy-first-workshop-security-camera-with-pocketbeagle-2Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:54:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:51a0a7fa-97a4-4777-902b-0e7b0e6bf00be14sbhargavClem builds a fully self-contained, privacy-first security camera around the PocketBeagle 2, combining a custom PCB, USB hub design, battery backup, and edge AI person detection to create a system that only records when it matters. Along the way, he overcomes real-world challenges, from unstable networking caused by voltage drop to last-minute hardware changes, resulting in a robust, workshop-ready solution that keeps every frame entirely local Watch the Build players.brightcove.net/.../index.html When it comes to security cameras, most off-the-shelf solutions expect users to place blind trust in cloud services and proprietary systems. For Clem, that simply wasn’t acceptable. As he bluntly puts it, “you cannot trust anybody's claim that they will not abuse your data… you have to control it.” Instead of relying on a commercial solution, he set out to build a completely local, self-controlled camera system using a PocketBeagle 2, custom hardware, and fully open software. The result is a tightly integrated build that brings together embedded Linux, machine vision, power resilience, and mechanical ingenuity into a compact device designed specifically for workshop surveillance, without ever handing data to a third party. Designing the Hardware At the centre of the build is the PocketBeagle 2, chosen not for simplicity but for control and flexibility. Although not as beginner-friendly as some alternatives, Clem deliberately leans into its strengths, noting its fast boot time and suitability for edge applications. To give the device a familiar form factor, parts from a dummy security camera were repurposed,including the glass front and swivel mount. However, the final enclosure is far more robust. A watertight aluminium housing from Hammond Manufacturing provides environmental protection, while internal slots allow direct PCB mounting. Mechanical design plays a key role throughout. Custom ASA 3D printed parts ensure precise positioning of the USB camera module, with the material selected for its durability and thermal stability. Clem highlights the importance of temperature resilience, explaining that internal heat from the embedded computer required a material that wouldn’t deform over time. The project demonstrates careful planning at the mechanical-electrical boundary. By using manufacturer CAD data, Clem designed the PCB before receiving the enclosure, achieving a precise fit with just 0.2 mm of tolerance,evidence of how reliable modern design workflows can be when properly executed. Custom PCB and USB Integration The custom PCB serves as the backbone of the system, integrating power distribution, USB connectivity, and expansion. A Microchip USB2514 hub controller enables multiple USB devices to operate simultaneously, crucial for combining the camera, storage, and networking interfaces. This aspect proved to be one of the most challenging. Clem admits, “I’ve been a bit of a burnt child with USB hub designs… it was down to the crystal and its load capacitors.” Initially intending to simplify the design with an oscillator, he encountered a compatibility issue late in the process. The device he selected produced a voltage level unsuitable for the hub controller, risking damage to the chip. A last-minute redesign reverted the system to a traditional crystal oscillator network. Even then, compromises had to be made: MODEL_PROTOTXT = "dnn_model/deploy.prototxt" MODEL_WEIGHTS = "dnn_model/mobilenet_iter_73000.caffemodel" PERSON_CLASS_ID = 15 NO_PERSON_TIMEOUT = 3.0 MAX_RECORDING_AGE = 72 * 3600 Although this configuration snippet relates to the software stack, it reflects the same engineering philosophy, working within constraints while maintaining system-level reliability. On the hardware side, Clem worked with slightly mismatched capacitor values, relying on trace capacitance to balance the circuit. “The only way to find out is to just try it.” Power, Networking, and Real-World Pitfalls Networking and power delivery introduced unexpected complexity. Instead of integrating networking directly into the camera housing, Clem routes connectivity through an external junction box. This isolates access points and ensures that tampering with the camera itself doesn’t expose the network interface. The system uses a Traco Power 5 V supply, paired with carefully tuned voltage output. What initially appeared to be a networking issue turned out to be something far subtler: “Under full load my device will draw enough power to make the voltage drop… just enough to make the PocketBeagle stall.” A minor voltage adjustment, from borderline levels to a stable ~5.0 V, resolved persistent connection failures. This kind of issue is often overlooked but demonstrates how sensitive embedded systems can be to power integrity. Battery backup is integrated via an 18650 holder, leveraging the PocketBeagle 2’s onboard power management. This ensures uninterrupted operation even if external power is lost—particularly important for a security system that must remain active during outages. Thermal Management in a Sealed Design With all components enclosed in a watertight aluminium housing, heat dissipation becomes critical. Clem addresses this with a small heatsink mounted directly to the processor, coupled to the enclosure using thermal compound. This effectively turns the entire chassis into a passive heat spreader. As a secondary benefit, the system self-heats in colder environments, reducing the risk of condensation or frost: “It produces warmth itself… in the winter… it will also keep itself free of any frost.” AI-Powered Detection at the Edge Rather than recording continuously, the system uses on-device computer vision to detect human presence. Two detection methods are implemented: HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) and a lightweight DNN running locally on the PocketBeagle 2. As Clem explains: “HOG… barely works… But DNN… does all the inference locally on its own hardware.” The software stack is intentionally minimal, built around Python, OpenCV, and a simple web server. The streaming and recording logic is handled through a Flask-based application: @app.route("/video_feed") @requires_auth def video_feed(): return Response( generate_frames(), mimetype="multipart/x-mixed-replace; boundary=frame" ) Basic authentication is built in: USERNAME = "admin" PASSWORD = "password123" While simple, this reinforces the project’s emphasis on local control. Users are expected to adapt and harden the system to suit their own environments. Recording is triggered only when a person is detected, with a short delay before stopping: “If a person gets in view… it starts recording… and if that person left… for more than three seconds it will stop it.” This behaviour dramatically reduces storage requirements and makes reviewing footage far more efficient. Local Storage with Automatic Management All video is stored locally on the device, with automatic cleanup ensuring storage remains under control. After 72 hours, recordings are deleted: CLEANUP_INTERVAL = 24 * 3600 MAX_RECORDING_AGE = 72 * 3600 A background thread handles this maintenance, quietly removing outdated files without user intervention. Additional USB ports integrated into the PCB allow storage expansion, providing flexibility for longer retention if required. A Purpose-Built, Fully Controlled System Clem’s security camera is not just a technical exercise, it’s about ownership and trust. By combining open hardware, custom electronics, and local AI processing, he avoids the privacy pitfalls of commercial surveillance systems entirely. The finished device records only when necessary, stores data locally, survives power interruptions, and operates independently of any cloud service. Or, in Clem’s own words: “Never trust the device you haven't built from scratch.” For engineers, makers, and embedded developers, the project offers a compelling blueprint for building secure, autonomous systems that prioritise control without sacrificing capability. Supporting Links and Files - Episode 723 Resources - Building a Privacy-First Workshop Security Camera with PocketBeagle 2 Bill of Materials / Parts Used Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit PocketBeagle 2 Board, AM6232ASCGHAALWR, ARM Cortex-A53, Sitara - AM62x, Instruction Card BeAGLEBOARD 1 Buy Now Flash Memory Card, MicroSDHC Card, 16 GB, Class 10, UHS-I U1, A1 integral 1 Buy Now AC/DC DIN Rail Power Supply (PSU), ITE, 1 Output, 12 W, 5 VDC, 2.4 A Traco power 1 Buy Now USB Interface, USB Hub Controller, USB 2.0, 3 V, 3.6 V, QFN, 36 Pins microchip 1 Buy Now ETHERNET ADAPTER, USB3.0 GIGABIT WHI Pro-signal 1 Buy Now BATT HOLDER, 18650 X 1, TH keystone 1 Buy Now TVS Diode, WE-TVS, Unidirectional, 5 V, 6.8 V, SOT-23, 6 Pins würth 3 Buy Now Raspberry Pi Module, Raspberry Pi and Jetson Nano Mainboard, Imx291, Sony, Night Camera DFROBOT 1 Buy Now Metal Enclosure, Watertight, Extruded, EMI / RFI, Anodised, IP54, Small, Extruded Aluminium, 120 mm Hammond Mfg 1 Buy Now Product Name Oscillator, 24 MHz, 50 ppm, Through Hole, 13.2mm x 13.2mm, HCMOS, 5 V, QX8 Series 24Mhz crystal needed → salvaged from other project. bunch of passivessmart camera builddiy security cameralocal surveillance systemno cloud cameraedge ai detectionusb hub integratione14presents_mayermakesopencv person detectionembedded linux projectprivacy focused techmachine vision diycomputer vision projectworkshop securityCustom PCB designpocketbeagle 2 projectfriday_releasebattery backup electronicshttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/m/files/151523Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:44:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:75deee55-fdcd-4eed-b8df-590e9231612fcstantonContains: CAD\beagleCam-PCB.stl CAD\beagleCam-Camholder.stl CAD\beagleCam-Glasholder.stl CAD\beagleCam-Glasholder_.stl Code\pocketbeagle2-00Cam-main.zip - a snapshot of https://github.com/mayermakes/pocketbeagle2-00Cam ECAD\00cam.kicad_sch ECAD\fp-info-cache ECAD\00cam.kicad_pcb ECAD\00cam.kicad_prl ECAD\00cam.kicad_proepisode 723pocket beagle 2privacy camerabeagleboardhttps://community.element14.com/challenges-projects/element14-presents/project-videos/w/documents/72077/pid-control-motion-profiles-and-ros-explained---an-introduction-to-roboticsThu, 09 Jul 2026 11:28:00 GMT93d5dcb4-84c2-446f-b2cb-99731719e767:931bc7ec-70c1-4c31-b082-5582f7c2644ce14sbhargavIn the first part of this introduction to robotics, Miloš Rašić focused on the foundations of building a robot, covering electronics, mechanics, sensors, actuators and microcontrollers. In this second instalment, the focus shifts to the software side of robotics and the control systems that bring mechanical hardware to life. Rather than looking at robotics as a collection of disconnected components, Miloš begins by showing how software and hardware fit together into a complete robotic system. From low-level motor control to high-level path planning and Robot Operating System (ROS) development, each layer plays a different role and often runs on different hardware. Watch now players.brightcove.net/.../index.html If you missed the first part of this introduction to robotics, you can find it here: Building the Foundations of Your First Robot - An Introduction to Robotics Robot Software Architecture Having already explored robot hardware, Miloš starts by looking at a simple mobile robot platform from a software perspective. The example robot uses a differential drive system with two powered wheels, but the concepts apply equally well to robot arms, autonomous vehicles and more advanced mobile platforms. To explain how the different software layers fit together, he demonstrates a classic robotics task: maze navigation. A robot attempting to navigate from one point to another must first understand its surroundings, determine how it should move, and then translate those decisions into precise motor commands. For sensing, Miloš equips the example robot with wheel encoders and a 360-degree LIDAR. The wheel encoders provide position and speed information, while the LIDAR measures obstacles throughout the robot's surroundings. “To pull this off the robot needs some sensors to figure out where the obstacles are. For example we can use two wheel position sensors called encoders so we can measure the robot's position and speed and a 360 degree LIDAR sensor to measure the distance to the obstacles.” Once those sensors are available, the robot's software can be divided into several distinct layers: Control Interface – a graphical interface or control application used to interact with the robot. Path Planning – navigation logic or AI that determines where the robot should go. Sensor Fusion – combining information from multiple sensors to improve accuracy. Sensor Acquisition – collecting data from encoders, LIDARs and other sensors. Actuator Control – controlling motors and other outputs. Miloš highlights that not all software tasks should run on the same hardware. Higher-level tasks such as path planning, user interfaces and sensor fusion require comparatively large amounts of processing power but generally do not require microsecond timing precision. “The higher level tasks, the interface, pathfinding and fusion require heavy computing power. They process a lot of data slowly and are not strictly timing critical.” These processes are ideally suited to single-board computers such as a Raspberry Pi or NVIDIA Jetson. Low-level control is very different. Reading sensor signals, generating motor control outputs and running closed-loop control algorithms requires highly deterministic timing. “Reading raw electrical signal and pushing power to motors requires lightning fast millisecond level precision.” This is why robotics systems frequently combine a microcomputer with one or more microcontrollers. The microcomputer performs the computationally intensive tasks, while the microcontroller handles time-critical operations such as motor control loops. Anyone new to embedded systems may find it useful to supplement this section with element14's guide to The Basics of Microcontrollers , as well as the broader resources available through the element14 Learning Center . PID Controllers Once software responsibilities have been divided between the microcomputer and microcontroller, the next challenge is moving the robot accurately. At the heart of most robotic motion systems sits a PID controller. PID stands for Proportional, Integral and Derivative , and Miloš describes it as one of the most important concepts in robotics and control engineering. Whether controlling wheel speed, robot arm joints or industrial machinery, PID control is used extensively because of its ability to minimise error between the desired behaviour and the actual behaviour. “PID is very, very important.” Using a brushed DC motor, magnetic encoder and a custom dual motor driver PCB, Miloš demonstrates how each part of the controller contributes to system behaviour. The controller receives two key inputs: A reference value (the target speed or position). A measured value from a sensor. The difference between the two becomes the control error. “The idea and the purpose of the PID controller is to actually minimise that error, ideally to have it at zero.” Proportional Control The proportional term increases output in proportion to the current error. Miloš uses a driving analogy to explain the concept. If a car is travelling at 50 km/h but the desired speed is 100 km/h, the driver naturally applies more throttle than they would when travelling at 95 km/h. The larger the error, the stronger the corrective action. However, proportional control alone often leaves a steady-state error. The motor approaches the target but never quite reaches it. Integral Control The integral term accumulates error over time. If a system continually falls slightly below the desired value, the integral term gradually increases the output until the remaining error disappears. “The integral part will get you just right around to the 100.” During the demonstration, Miloš shows how adding integral gain gradually removes the offset that remains when only proportional control is used. Derivative Control The derivative term looks at how quickly the error is changing. Its role is to help prevent overshoot and improve stability. In theory, derivative control can significantly improve system response, but Miloš also points out that practical implementations are not always straightforward. “Putting any derivative into this system will just make it really really noisy so I decided to keep it at zero.” This is a useful reminder that theory and real hardware frequently behave differently. Sensors introduce noise, and every system has limitations that influence how aggressively a controller can be tuned. Throughout the demonstrations, Miloš repeatedly returns to the process of tuning gains and observing the resulting behaviour. Overshoot, oscillation, noise and settling time all become visible when viewing the live response graphs generated through the custom software interface. Readers interested in motors and drive systems may wish to explore element14's detailed guide to Motor Control: Motor Drive Control for Makers , along with Magnetic Encoders , both of which expand on technologies featured in this project. Motion Profiles: Bringing Theory Into Reality Even the best-tuned PID controller cannot achieve the impossible. One of the key lessons Miloš introduces is the difference between mathematical idealism and physical reality. When drawing references on paper, it is tempting to command a motor to jump instantly from one speed or position to another. In practice, this cannot happen. “Nothing infinite is possible when it comes to those physical things.” Using the familiar example of driving past a speed limit sign, Miloš explains why acceleration must always occur over time. If a vehicle instantaneously changed from 50 km/h to 80 km/h, the required acceleration would become infinite because the velocity change would occur over zero time. The same limitation exists in robotic systems. When a square-wave reference is sent to a motor, even a well-tuned control system cannot follow the command perfectly. The motor's acceleration limits prevent it from instantly reaching the new target. “No sudden changes are possible in the real world.” This leads to the concept of motion profiling. Miloš compares three common reference profiles: Step profiles — mathematically simple but physically impossible to follow accurately. Trapezoidal profiles — significantly better because acceleration is finite. S-curve profiles — smoother acceleration transitions and more realistic robot motion. The trapezoidal profile improves performance by gradually ramping velocity up and down, but abrupt changes in acceleration still occur at the corners. The S-curve profile goes one stage further by smoothing those transitions. “To get a truly smooth realistic movement we use an S profile.” The practical demonstrations show the difference clearly. Square-wave references create large tracking errors. Trapezoids improve behaviour, while S-curves allow the motor to follow the command much more closely. Throughout the tests, Miloš reinforces the idea that the objective is not perfect mathematical tracking but achieving motion that remains inside the physical limits of the system. “The whole idea is to get these two to match so that you can't tell them apart.” He also notes that filtering recorded trajectories and removing sharp edges can significantly improve motion quality in future robotics projects. Power delivery and motor capability have a major influence on achievable motion profiles, making the element14 resources on Power Essentials for Makers and motor control particularly useful companion reading. Robot Operating System (ROS) After covering low-level control, Miloš moves to high-level robotics software and introduces the Robot Operating System, or ROS. Rather than serving as a conventional operating system, ROS acts as a middleware framework that simplifies the process of building modular robotic software. “It's not an actual operating system but it's a really nice framework for developing robotics projects.” Modern robotics projects often contain many independent subsystems. Sensors, motor controllers, navigation algorithms, vision systems and user interfaces all need to communicate while remaining maintainable. ROS addresses this challenge through a node-based architecture. “ROS allows us to write small independent modules of code called nodes.” Each node performs a specific role. One node might communicate with a motor controller, another might process sensor data, and another could implement navigation logic. These nodes exchange information using ROS topics. Miloš describes topics as communication channels that allow nodes to publish and subscribe to messages. Nodes can listen to data streams from multiple sources while simultaneously publishing their own outputs. ROS also supports services for one-time interactions. Unlike topics, which continuously transport data, services provide request-and-response communication. “Topics are expected to come at a certain rate continuously, while for service calls they are ad hoc and are also followed by a response.” To illustrate the advantages of this architecture, Miloš returns to the maze-solving robot. One navigation node implements a left-wall-following algorithm. By replacing it with another node that follows the right-hand wall, the robot completely changes its behaviour. The lower-level motor and sensor nodes remain untouched. “We don't have to rewrite a single line of our motor controller or PID code.” This modularity is one of the main reasons ROS has become widely adopted throughout the robotics industry. For newcomers who want to begin learning ROS in a structured way, element14's Essentials of Robot Operating System 2 provides an excellent companion resource and introduces topics such as nodes, topics, services and ROS application development in more detail. Miloš even demonstrates ROS 2 Humble running on a Raspberry Pi 4, with nodes communicating between an Xbox-style controller, a custom motor driver board and the motor itself. Through ROS, telemetry data including voltage, current and encoder position is streamed directly to the system while live commands control the motor. The demonstration neatly ties together the themes introduced throughout this episode. High-level software runs on the Raspberry Pi, while low-level control remains the responsibility of dedicated hardware designed to respond with the speed and determinism that robotics applications require. Where the Journey Continues By the end of this part, the complete software stack of a robot begins to take shape. Sensors collect information, controllers process it, motion profiles create achievable trajectories, and ROS ties the entire system together into a modular framework. As Miloš explains, understanding these concepts is enough to begin building genuinely capable robotic systems, even using simple materials and approachable hardware. “If you just have a hot glue gun and a piece of cardboard you'll be able to follow along.” The next parts in the series take these ideas and apply them to real robot builds, demonstrating how control engineering, motion planning and software architecture combine to create working robotic platforms. Be sure to follow along for further introductions to robotics with Miloš .sensor fusion roboticsRobot operating Systemros2 tutorialintroduction to roboticsrobotics tutorialautonomous robot navigationbeginner robotics guidemotion profiles roboticsraspberry pi roboticss curve motion profilee14presents_milosrasicmotor control roboticsmicrocontroller roboticsrobotics engineering basicsfriday_releasepid tuning roboticspid controller explained