Unitree has extended its R1 dual‑arm humanoid robot family with new R1-A5 and R1-A7 models, which can be fitted with 2-finger grippers or 3 or 5-finger dexterous hands, and attached to a fixed base or a wheeled base for indoor mobility. The new robots appear based on the low-cost Unitree R1 platform launched last year, which can dance, walk, run, perform kung-fu moves, and chat with users, but is otherwise not overly useful since it lacks dexterous hands. The R1-A5 and R1-A7 won’t be able to dance, since they don’t come with legs, but the upper body comes with a head and two arms equipped with grippers or dexterous hands, which could perform useful tasks in combination with binocular vision. Four new models are available with the following specifications: They mostly share the same specifications, but the R1-A7 has longer arms and adds 4 degrees of freedom (2 extra per […]
SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 – A 86-Type Smart Home control panel with two relays, dual-band WiFi, Zigbee 3.0, Matter support
SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 is an 86-type Smart Home control panel featuring a 3.95-inch touch display, two relays supporting up to 10A, and dual-band WiFi 4, Bluetooth LE, and Zigbee 3.0 connectivity. The device also integrates a 1.5W speaker and a microphone for voice interaction, light and proximity sensors, and runs Android on a Rockchip RK3326-S SoC paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash. SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3326-S CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A35 processor @ 1.5 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G31 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC 5.1 flash Display – 3.95-inch capacitive touchscreen color TFT display with 480×480 resolution Audio – 1.5W speaker, digital microphone for two-way communication (intercom) Connectivity Zigbee 3.0 support via EFR32MG24 Dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi + Bluetooth Matter support Relay – Dual-gang relay up to 5A per gang, or 10A in total (resistive […]
MoreSense MS-07 – An ESP32-S3 indoor air quality monitor with SEN66 multisensor and Home Assistant support
MoreSense MS-07 indoor air quality monitor is built around the Sensirion SEN66 multisensor, powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, and features a 3.5-inch capacitive IPS touchscreen for local data visualization and control. The MS-07 is a direct upgrade to the earlier MS-06, replacing the Sensirion SCD40 used for basic CO₂, temperature, and humidity measurement with the more advanced Sensirion SEN66 multisensor, which adds support for PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4.0, PM10, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Like the previous model, it focuses on local operation and privacy, and supports integration with Home Assistant and Domoticz via MQTT autodiscovery, as well as Homey through the HomeyDuino app. It is typically used in homes, offices, and indoor environments to track air quality, comfort levels, and pollution metrics in real time. MoreSense MS-07 specifications: Microcontroller – ESP32-S3 SoC, dual-core XTensa LX7 @ up to 240 MHz; 512KB SRAM; Integrated 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and BLE Storage […]
Homture Magic Frame smart photo display integrates generative AI and 60 GHz mmWave radar (Sponsored)
The Homture Magic Frame is the world’s first smart photo display that integrates generative AI video and a 60 GHz mmWave radar. Artificial intelligence transforms static photos into interactive, living windows of memory, while the 60 GHz radar detects a person’s presence within a 2-meter range. So when someone walks by, the frame’s AI model gives life to the character(s) in the photo to greet people or follow their movement with their gaze. Homture Magic Frame specifications: Storage 64GB local storage Unlimited cloud storage hosted on US-based AWS servers. Display – 10.1-inch Full HD (1920×1200) touchscreen display Wireless – Dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz / 5GHz) Sensor – 60 GHz mmWave radar AI features AI Photo-to-Video Magic – Generates multiple dynamic videos from a single photo Old Photo Restoration – Scans vintage physical photos, repairs fading, and animates them. Smart Motion Interaction – The frame can greet you or have characters look […]
Flash Bee – An ESP32-C3-based DIY handheld lightning detector
Flash Bee is an easy-to-make DIY handheld lightning detector based on off-the-shelf parts such as the XIAO ESP32C3 board and the Round Display for XIAO, as well as a 3D-printed enclosure. The design relies on the AMS AS3935 Franklin lightning sensor that’s been around for years, and found in kits like Sparkfun’s Arduino IoT weather station, which is capable of detecting lightning up to 40 km away with 1km accuracy. While it’s not quite new technology, I found the Flash Bee design to be rather cute and convenient, and it looks really easy to reproduce. Flash Bee key components: Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-C3 with Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth LE 5.0 connectivity ($4.90) Round Display for XIAO – 1.28-inch touchscreen display with 240×240 resolution, 65K colors, 100 Hz refresh rate ($18) Grove Lightning Sensor AS3935 ($26.90, alternative link if out of stock) 3.7V 400mAh LiPo battery Slide switch 2x M2 5mm […]
NASA Artemis Watch 2.0 – An ESP32-S3-powered, NASA-inspired wearable kit for education
CircuitMess NASA Artemis Watch 2.0 is a programmable, NASA-themed smartwatch based on an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth module and a 1.14-inch monochrome display. The watch also features an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a buzzer, an RTC, a button, several LEDs, and a USB port for programming and charging the built-in 600 mAh battery. NASA Artemis Watch 2.0 specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N4R2 SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity Memory – 2MB PSRAM Storage – 4MB QSPI flash PCB antenna Display – Built-in 1.44-inch display USB – 1x USB Type-C port for charging and programming Sensors 6-axis LSM6DS3TR accelerometer and gyroscope Temperature sensor (TBC) Misc Lever button 6x user LEDs, 1x power LED, 1x RGB LED Buzzer RTC + backup battery Power Supply 5V via USB-C port 600 mAh LiPo battery, good for 2 to 3 hours on a charge Dimensions and Weight – […]
RuView project leverages ESP32 nodes for WiFi-based presence detection, pose estimation, and breathing/heart rate monitoring
RuView is an open-source “WiFi DensePose” implementation leveraging multiple ESP32 nodes to turn WiFi signals into real-time human pose estimation, vital sign monitoring, and presence detection without relying on video cameras. WiFi DensePose is a sensing technique, first explored in academic research, that leverages WiFi signals to reconstruct human pose. RuView implements this technique in Rust or Python, and relies on your WiFi router and several ESP32 nodes to track body pose, detect breathing rate, and measure heart rate even through walls. As we’ll discuss below, this project has its own controversy, as some claim it’s fake. The solution relies on Channel State Information (CSI) disturbances caused by human movement to reconstruct body position, breathing rate, heart rate, and presence in real time using “physics-based signal processing and machine learning”. That obviously means you need CSI-capable hardware, and not all consumer WiFi nodes implement it. The project description lists various […]
RainbowLink-V2 compact USB-to-serial converter features 12V output, dual TTL, isolated RS-485 and RS-232 interfaces
DFRobot’s RainbowLink-V2 USB-to-serial converter features four independent channels, namely one isolated RS-485, one isolated RS-232, and two TTL interfaces usable simultaneously. The compact tool also converts 5V provided from the host’s USB interface to 12V/800mA, 5V/2A, and 3.3V/200mA outputs, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter. RainbowLink-V2 (TEL0190) specifications: USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and adata Serial 2x TTL (3.3V) via headers 1x fully isolated RS485 channel via lever terminal 1x fully isolated RS232 channel via lever terminal Baud Rate – 2400 to 128000 bps Misc 3x Power LEDs for 3.3V, 5V, and 12V 4x Link LEDs for TTL 1/2, RS232, and RS485 12AWG – 22AWG wires supported on lever-type spring terminals Built-in short-circuit protection and overcurrent protection (but users are still recommended to avoid short-circuiting to prevent damage) Input voltage – 5V via USB-C port Output voltage 3.3V up to 200mA via header 5V up […]









