VoltJots | Electronics and IoT

NEWS & ARTICLES

Robotic hand signs ASL alphabet

Kelvin Gonzalez created the Vulcan V3 robotic hand, which can smoothly sign the entire ASL alphabet using 24 servo motors, all built on a budget of $300 with mostly 3D-printed parts.

First AI battery test system launched

Researchers in China have developed the first automated AI system to test for thermal runaway in battery energy storage systems, addressing fire safety concerns as the market rapidly expands.

Turn pedals into power

Turn your pedalling into usable energy with a pedal generator, converting your effort into electricity for off-grid setups or DIY projects.

DMM plug-in test resistor idea

This DIY test resistor combines a precision resistor and thermistor in a compact design, making it easy to plug into handheld DMMs or LCR meters for accurate resistance and temperature readings without the bulk of traditional calibration tools.

Exciting Arduino update with ZephyrOS

Arduino has taken the next step in its beta program to move cores to the modern ZephyrOS, replacing MbedOS and providing developers with a scalable, actively maintained platform for advanced applications.

Ultrasonic charging for medical sensors

Researchers in Korea created a wireless charging system for implantable sensors that uses ultrasound, achieving over 20% greater efficiency and charging a battery in under two hours.

PROJECTS & TUTORIALS

DIY Arduino GPS tracker

Build your own low-cost GPS tracker using Arduino, SIM800L GSM, and NEO-6M GPS modules for real-time location tracking without pricey subscriptions. Access your data via a free web dashboard and use the GeoLinker platform for seamless integration.

Smarten up your smart home

The XENSIV™ Sensor Shield combines air quality, radar, and more into one board, making it easier to integrate with Home Assistant using Arduino and MQTT Auto Discovery, even if you're not a programming pro.

Gesture control with thermal imaging

The system captures thermal images to detect simple hand gestures (think rock, paper, scissors) and uses machine learning to interpret them. And since it works with low-resolution thermal data, it can function in poor lighting while keeping computational demands minimal and the user experience straightforward.

Custom keypad for Home Assistant

Want to add secure access control to your smart home? This DIY keypad combines fingerprint scanning with PIN entry, so you can unlock doors or authenticate quickly without reaching for your phone. It works great with Home Assistant and other smart home systems, and includes status LEDs to show you what's happening.

ESP32 CYD project made easy

Learn how to use the ESP-NOW protocol with the ESP32 CYD Board to receive and display sensor data from multiple ESP32 boards, showing the info in separate tables on different tabs of the screen.

Tutorial: SR latches explained

SR latches are basic memory elements in digital electronics that store binary data using Set and Reset inputs, with variations like gated and clocked versions built from NAND or NOR gates.

Compact buck converter for wearables

This compact buck converter efficiently steps down voltage from 1.2V to 3.3V, fitting within a 9mm footprint, and offers over 93% efficiency, making it perfect for space-sensitive wearable and IoT applications.

PRODUCTS

New MPU for AI-driven HMI

For high-performance HMI devices, with Full HD graphics and speedy connectivity, Renesas just launched the RZ/G3E MPU, featuring a quad CPU and NPU, and local processing for AI inference in edge computing.

FireBeetle 2 ESP32-P4 AI board

If you're looking at developing the likes of AI cameras, smart home devices, or other interactive systems, you're not going to go far wrong with the FireBeetle 2 ESP32-P4 AI board, which packs a dual-core 360MHz RISC-V processor, Wi-Fi 6, and MIPI interfaces.

NuMicro MG51 series microcontrollers

Nuvoton's NuMicro MG51 series offers industrial-grade 8-bit microcontrollers with a 1T-8051 core, perfect for home appliances, LED lighting, and motor control, featuring strong electromagnetic immunity and a wide operating range for noisy environments.