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Our community’s public account records weekly shareable maker-related content, published every Friday～
We welcome submissions or recommendations for related content.
Submission email:<span>[email protected]</span>
Raspberry Pi Desktop Mini Development Platform
This is a “Raspberry Pi Mini Lab” project based on Raspberry Pi, designed for makers who enjoy hands-on work and developing IoT or AI vision projects.
The entire platform features a 3D-printed 10-inch rack structure, integrating one Raspberry Pi 5 and five Raspberry Pi 4 units, each equipped with a PoE (Power over Ethernet) hat. All devices are powered and connected to the network through a professional PoE+ switch, significantly reducing power adapters and messy cables, making the desktop neat and organized.
The front panel is equipped with six OLED screens that display the status information of each Raspberry Pi in real-time, enhancing visualization and management experience. Additionally, it features a silent large fan with PWM speed control to ensure stable operation of the devices over long periods. A 7-inch touchscreen and a high-definition camera are also integrated on top, facilitating the development of AI vision or interactive applications.
Rack printing file:<span>https://makerworld.com/zh/models/1294480-lab-rax-10-server-rack-5u</span>
Source:<span>https://www.reddit.com/r/raspberry_pi/comments/1n0jc7a/my_first_pi_mini_lab/</span>
Bionic Robot Eyes that Track You
This project features an adorable bionic robot head created by maker Will Cogley, whose “eyes” track your face in real-time, following you wherever you move.
The secret lies in cleverly hiding a miniature camera inside the pupil of the eye, making it nearly undetectable. Utilizing MediaPipe’s face tracking technology, the robot can accurately determine your facial position and drive the movement of the eyes and head using six servos, achieving very natural tracking motions.
The entire head and mechanical structure are made using 3D printing, not only making it cute but also allowing for smooth movements, making it perfect for showcasing the charm of bionic mechanics and human-robot interaction.
Source:<span>https://hackaday.com/2025/08/28/animatronic-eyes-are-watching-you/</span>
Smart Canoe with Automatic Paddling
This is a canoe that can “paddle itself”! Maker Dave has equipped a regular canoe with two robotic arms holding paddles, transforming it into the “RowboBoat”—a robotic canoe.
The entire robotic platform is non-destructively fixed to the canoe using custom brackets and aluminum profiles, making installation and removal very convenient. Additionally, Dave used 3D scanning technology to model the canoe, addressing the irregular structure of the hull. In terms of control, the two robotic arms are operated by the ROS (Robot Operating System), using a “differential drive” principle similar to tank treads to paddle and steer. You can simply use a joystick to move the canoe forward and turn, with future upgrades planned for full autonomous driving.
Source:<span>https://hackaday.com/2025/09/01/robotic-canoe-puts-robot-arms-to-work/</span>
Stationary Bike Playing Retro Games, Combining Exercise and Entertainment!
This project transforms a home stationary bike into a fitness device that can play retro games! The author uses an Arduino Leonardo and infrared sensors to detect cycling speed, and has affixed black and white segments to the bike wheel. By reading the data with Arduino, the cycling speed is linked to game controls: for example, when playing Road Rash 2, pedaling faster automatically accelerates, while slowing down automatically brakes. This makes cycling more fun and greatly boosts motivation for exercise. The project also utilizes an LCD screen to display information, and all code is open source.
Source:<span>https://www.reddit.com/r/arduino/comments/1n24grm/first_project_using_a_spin_bike_to_play_retro/</span>
Mini Retro Tape Player: Using USB for Modern Data Storage
This project has shrunk the classic Commodore Datasette tape player to its extreme and given it new life with a USB interface. The author not only replicated the appearance but also reassembled it using the core of a miniature tape recorder, making the entire device both retro and trendy. Although the miniature tape can only store about 1MB of data, which is negligible by today’s standards, it can successfully load old games like PacMan via USB.
To ensure data can be read smoothly, simple error correction has been cleverly incorporated. This project breathes new life into old tape players.
Source:<span>https://hackaday.com/2025/09/01/tiny-datasette-uses-usb-for-the-modern-day/</span>
Weekly published in DF Maker Community
Previous Recommendations
Transforming photos into stunning line art, dissolvable 3D printed circuit boards, n8n smart terminal | DF Maker Weekly (Issue 143)
Steampunk-style FPV remote-controlled tractor, AI pocket machine that can chat | DF Maker Weekly (Issue 142)
Mini retro TV V2, “Predator” style LED sonar watch | DF Maker Weekly (Issue 141)
Homemade stringless digital guitar, LoRa simple text intercom, custom dual-layer PCB electronic watch | DF Maker Weekly (Issue 140)
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Submissions & Recommendations
The community public account will continue to record shareable maker-related content weekly, tentatively scheduled for release every Friday～Articles can be freely reprinted, and we welcome everyone to submit or recommend related content.(At least include one image, one sentence, and the original link)Submission email:[email protected]If anyone has something to say, feel free to leave a message in the comment section!Let’s work together to share more fun projects!