Two days ago a days ago, an interesting
discussion thread appeared on hacker news, on what users are building using the ESP8266 with ESPHome software. Let's try to summarise the discussion. And what are our users build with ESP8266 or ESP32?
Promote your project or idea here!
Snapcast client
The project is to create a Snapcast client to synchronise audio playback across multiple rooms.
Link to project
NTP Stratum- server.1
NTP server with time taken from GPS, displaying the time with extreme precision.
Link to project
HUB75 boards
Boards displaying the status of public transport.
Link to project
Sign "On Air"
Sign, which turns on or off when a user joins an online meeting.
Link to project
Decorative sign "Fire"
Decorative sign imitating a pixelated fire.
Link to project
Kindle controlled lamp
Kindle controlled night light, using MQTT.
Link to blog
HDMI switch and blind controller [/b]
A simple HDMI switch and system to control blinds throughout the home.
Link to blog
Minecraft player counter
A counter that allows you to check at a glance, how many players are online on a Minecraft server.
Design of a small 'flat' to be a companion for children staying in hospital. Family and friends can control the lighting, giving the child a sense of closeness.
Link to project photo
Link to project photo (colours)
Christmas house
Christmas house with miniature character inside, realistic fireplace and television.
Link to video
Presence/motion/light/temperature sensors
Sensors for home automation including IR transmitter for TV/AC control.
Link to project
E-ink display with calendar
E- ink display showing user's calendar.
Link to blog
Projection of images in air
Method to create images in air for long exposure photography.
Link to blog
Button to order food
Button, which delivers food when pressed.
Link to blog
Bubble-creating drone Drone, Which releases soap bubbles.
Link to video
A toy bus Toy bus showing time until arrival of real bus
Toy bus showing time of arrival of next bus.
Link to blog
Turnable mobile phone Turnable dial mobile phone.
Link to video
An alarm clock with weather forecast An alarm clock, which shows the weather so the user knows if it is worth getting up for tennis.
Link to the blog
E-newspaper with GPT
E-newspaper powered by GPT and ESP32.
Link to project image
Automatic balcony irrigation system
The user built a balcony irrigation system using an 8-channelchannel ESP32 relay system from Lilygo, connected to mini submersible pumps. MiFlora sensors were integrated via BLE to monitor plant health. Minimum soil moisture and pump run time configuration was 'set up' by hosting configuration files on Pastebin. A management interface is being developed this year with an M5 Atom running MicroPython with a web-based GUI to configure the sensors, visualise sensor data with graphs and send notifications to the phone via NTFY. The author is considering releasing the project as open-source.
Lilygo 8x ESP32 relay system
Mini submersible pumps
M5 Atom MicroPython
Tiny door-opening robot
Someone has built a small robot, that opens the door when the AV cabinet becomes too hot. The robot is equipped with a temperature sensor, two fans and a linear actuator, and has a small web-based user interface to manually turn the cooling on/off. The system has been in operation for several years.
Controller for a wood gas boiler
Another user has built a controller for their wood gas boiler that allows them to start a fire and leave the house without having to return to set the 'off' temperature. The controller also solves the problem of hysteresis, where once the fuel in the boiler is burnt out, the system shuts down due to cold air cooling the sensor enough to cause a shutdown and then a restart, which is annoying and inefficient.
The wireless part is optional, but is used to draw a temperature curve, allowing you to determine the best time to reload the fuel if necessary.
Boiler controller
Gateway for low-cost BLE sensors and data transfer to InfluxDB
User built his own gateway for low-cost BLE sensors, sending data directly to InfluxDB.
BLE gateway to InfluxDB
Monitoring and automation of solar charge controllers
Someone monitors and automates their solar charge controllers, battery management systems and inverter using 3 separate ESP32 boards. The project is not considered the pride of the author and relies mainly on the work of others.
Energy monitoring ESPhome
Dawn clock and time-lapse video creation device
First contact with ESPHome allowed the reactivation of a dawn clock project with adjustable colour temperature (for waking up with blue light) and the ability to play any MP3 files as an alarm. The user has also created an ESP32 device for creating time-lapse movies that plugs into the remote trigger port on a DSLR camera, configurable via Home Assistant, of course. Another project on the list is an environmental sensor and room curtain opener, using an ESP8266 and an RS-232-controlled servo module.
Remote control for a radio antenna rotator Built a remote control for a radio antenna rotator.
Remote control for antenna rotator
ESP32 with accelerometer in a small 3D printed box Another project is an ESP32 with accelerometer in a small 3D printed box. Two such kits have been attached to the washing machine and dryer, which detect the start and end of the cycle and send notifications via Home Assistant. The tablet in the kitchen also receives notifications and emits a special sound when the laundry is finished.
Freakwan project
User provided a link to his Freakwan project, which seems interesting and is reminiscent of Meshtastic, but the design of the protocol is better rated by another user.
Freakwan project
FM synthesizer with two operators and MIDI input Someone built an Arduino project, that monitored one room on an SD card while on holiday to know if the heating could be lowered while away. The results were inconclusive. Another project tried to work out where a mouse was entering another room from, using infrared distance sensors. It was not possible to catch anything. What did work was to build an FM synthesiser with two operators, MIDI input and audio output. The project was completed with satisfaction, without developing it to a version with 4 or 6 operators, potentiometers and buttons.
Home location system The user plans to create a home location system for tracking items such as wallet or keys using multiple ESP32 or Raspberry Pi receivers to triangulate the position of Bluetooth beacons. He is also considering a project
Sensor Light Switches which would integrate sensors such as presence, noise, pressure, temperature etc. with traditional light switches.
Fridge door monitoring system The user has created a fridge door monitoring system for a garage that is not frequently used and has no alarm when the door is open. The ESP8266 monitors two reed switches and sends the status to the Home Assistant. The components were 3D printed.
A CO2 sensor that activates a fan Another user built a CO2 sensor that activates a fan in an office when CO2 levels exceed 700ppm. The project used an NDIR CO2 sensor, specifically the
SCD30 , which requires frequent calibration.
Intelligent desk One user has created a 'smart' desk that can be controlled by Home Assistant. The project is available at:
Home Assistant Community .
Wandering Hourly Clock The user has built a wandering hourly clock controlled by a stepper motor and ESP32, which synchronises time using NTP. The project has been enhanced with time zones and DST support via a web interface. Software changes have been added to the project, which is available here:
Printables .
Weather dashboard Another project is a weather dashboard made on an M5Paper device from M5Stack with an E-ink touchscreen display. The project is available at:
Speechcode .
Controller for Stock Ticker Machine
The controller for Stock Ticker Machine is based on ESP (probably ESP8266). The project can be found here:
Secret Batcave . In addition, ESPhome was used to measure the temperature in the fish pond using a simple circuit on a prototype board with a Dallas One Wire sensor, available here:
ESPhome .
Integrating an inactive home alarm system with Home Assistant
User integrated an inactive home alarm system with Home Assistant, enabling monitoring of everything from fire alarms to motion detectors, doors and windows, using a repository on GitHub. This solution allows old security systems to be upgraded.
Repository on GitHub
DIY projects using rp-pico 1) Wattmeter for a small solar installation, which sends a UDP packet every few seconds, recorded in a JSON log and then processed by DuckDB.
2) A small WiFi pico-w temperature sensor that transmits data to the Raspberry Pi Zero controlling the boiler.
3) An 'Ok to wake' light for the son's clock that changes colour at 6:30am to signal that he can already wake his parents.
Thread about controlling the boiler
Code in Rust on GitHub
The "Ok to wake" project
"Ok to wake" - a An alarm clock for your daughter Another user created a similar "Ok to wake" project for his daughter.
Project page
Temperature/humidity/atmospheric pressure sensor
Sensor design with ESPHome compatibility, with built-in functionality.
Product on Tindie
Description of the project
Tracking contacts in times of pandemic The user has created a contact tracking device using ESP32, which records encounters between people via Bluetooth.
Repository on GitHub
Applications of ESP32 with Home Assistant -. Projector and projector screen integration
- Universal home remote control
- Motion sensors and accent lighting
- Laser maze for kids
- Bluetooth based room detection experiments
Notification of remote control turned off in heating
Design of thermoprobe with ESP8266, which sends notifications to Telegram chat when it detects the remote control going off in the heating.
Pac-Man as an indicator for Uptime Kuma
Conversion of a Pac-Man light figure into a beacon for an instance of Uptime Kuma.
Repository on GitHub .
Tracking 3D printing and full body trackers for VR User built 3D printing tracking system and body trackers for virtual reality.
Humorous design of a jar that informs you of your status
Design of a jar that rings a given phone number to inform you of your status.
Bluetooth repeaters, alternative SwitchBot and more
Designs of Bluetooth signal repeaters, alternative SwitchBot, WiFi bell, cameras and motion sensors.
Integration of ESP8266 with QMK keypad
Integration of ESP8266 with QMK keypad, enabling action triggering in Home Assistant.
QMK keyboard
Bee Motion sensor ESP32-.S3
Glowy box - Internet reliability indicator Design of an Internet reliability indicator in the form of an LED series box.
Mitsubishi heat pump control
WiFi controller for hot tub
Design of controller for hot tub, customised for control via WiFi.
Repository on GitHub
Using ESPHome for home control
Projects for garage door control, entrance gate and various home appliances.
Pacman machine add-ons and other
Siri-controlled Pacman machine add-ons and other projects.
Using community projects Using off-the-shelf community projects to improve home functionality.
Hub for control of adjustable bed
Project to enable control of adjustable bed from Home Assistant.
Description of the project
Product on Tindie
Battery door lock and video intercom with fingerprint reader
Design of battery door lock and video intercom with display and fingerprint reader.
Door lock
Video intercom
Synchronised multi-room speakers
Design of synchronised multi-room speakers using squeezelite and LMS.
Presentation of the project
The old Light adjustment phone The user has transformed an old dial phone into a light brightness adjustment device.
Paintball sight and other prototypes
Prototype of a Wacky Wheels-style buggy racing sight, using a pressure sensor.
Power sensor in front of the kettle
Design of a power sensor that notifies you when the tea is finished brewing.
Automating the HVAC system Design of a device to automate the HVAC system and distribute fragrance throughout the house.
Simple temperature sensor
Simple temperature sensor that runs on AAA batteries and transmits data via WiFi.
Repository on GitHub
WallLED clock that synchronizes time via NTP
Design of LED wall-clock, which synchronises time via NTP.
Repository on GitHub
Workshop air compressor monitor
Design of air compressor monitor with remote monitoring and control function.
Water meter monitoring and other applications in the home
Using ESP to monitor the water meter and read various values from the heat pump in the home.
Monitoring screen for PC and other
Design of a screen to monitor the performance of PC components and a desktop clock.
Weather station and functionality development
Build your own weather station and add new features.
Payment for arcade and pinball games over WiFi
Prototype device for payment for arcade and pinball games over WiFi.
AI Chat Thing
AI Chat Thing project with OpenAI API integration.
Presentation of the project
Battery-powered gate sensor
Simple gate sensor running on CR123A batteries, with 7 months operating time.
Description of the project
. Air conditioning controller and train information display
Design of air conditioning controller and train information display.
Library of IR codes Fine-physics management. Management of physical access to the local Fablab
Assist in managing access to the local Fablab using the ESP8266 series and esp-rfid.
Repository on GitHub
Light controller. Plant light controller and other projects
Project light controller for indoor plants and other projects.
Bluetooth controlled reflow oven
Design of Bluetooth controlled reflow oven.
Instructions on Instructables
Relay with online monitoring capability Design of device with remote monitoring capability.
Product page
Remote monitoring platform with ESP32 + LoRa Design of remote monitoring platform using ESP32 and LoRa.
Repository on GitHub
Monitoring status. GitHub status monitoring and network-controlled antenna controller
Projects for GitHub status monitoring and network-controlled antenna controller.
Web interface for IR remote controls
Project web interface for IR remote controls.
Instructions on Instructables
Weather and task list on LED display
Design of LED display with weather forecast and task list.
Description of the project
Tomato clock on ESP8266 Tomato clock project using ESP8266.
Repository on GitHub
Precision presence detection using 24 GHz radar
Project presence detection using 24 GHz radar.
Firmware update and remote control for coffee machine
Project firmware update and remote control for coffee machine.
Project description
E Ink Todo list and more
E Ink display design for task list management with Todoist.
Description of the project
. Programmable LED garland controlled by MicroPython Design of LED garland controlled by MicroPython.
Controlling VP without IR remote control
Project allowing VP control without IR remote control.
Automation of window blinds
Project to automate window blinds depending on time of day and sunlight.
Network of home sensors on ESP8266
Network of sensors collecting data from different parts of the house and sending it to Raspberry Pi.
A ultrasonic nebula for hydroponics
Design of an ultrasonic nebula for hydroponics.
Intelligent kettle with HTTP code "418 I'm a teapot"
Modification of a smart kettle using ESP32 that responds with HTTP code "418 I'm a teapot".
Description of the project
Cooker hood automation Design of light and fan automation in a cooker hood.
Project description
Hub IR/RF KC868-.AG in every room Use IR/RF hubs KC868-AG to control air conditioners and other appliances.
Product on AliExpress
WLED and QuinLED controllers
Using WLED and QuinLED controllers to control LED strips.
WLED page
QuinLED page
ESP32 for attendance tracking
Using ESP32 for indoor attendance tracking.
The ESPresense website
Repository on GitHub
Automatic opening and closing of the chicken coop door
Design of an automatic system for opening and closing the chicken coop door using ESP8266.
Source:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40181000
Summary created and translated by GPT-4 Turbo language model.
Comments
I'll add something interesting that's not on the list above - TouchDRO with ESP32 in the lead role; I'm just getting on with building the contraption, with trepidation, as I've never dealt with microprocessor... [Read more]
Awesome, you're going hard right away, where are you going to use it? If you do construct something, please post some pics to DIY :) . [Read more]
Such a watch. The contraption is also a remote display for data from the Home Assistant and the current blood glucose reading from the glucose sensor (I have type one diabetes). All on ESPeasy. I've already... [Read more]
Thanks for the appreciation (very much in stock), but e.g. :-) - I will be helped by a colleague who understands this very well. And I want to use in an old tool milling machine, I will try with capacitive... [Read more]
Find some time please, I'm sure I'll reciprocate a little with a small gift. I believe that diabetes is a disease of the present age. Diabetes has already started in me as well, but exercise, a change... [Read more]
Interesting, but no links to parts. [Read more]
Not everywhere have the authors of the ideas shared links to the finished project or made it public, or are only planning a prototype. [Read more]
At the place where I work there have been furnace failures (for process purposes) from time to time, usually at night. The next day some people were off (that's sarcasm - just the furnace screwed up....).... [Read more]
Very interesting idea! If anything, post to DIY electrodes with photos and description and I'll send a gift. Thanks for sharing the solution. [Read more]
And add your own temperature sensor? I had a rubber vulcanising oven in my care, apart from the heaters it still held pressure. It was given a UPS for the control itself so that it did not drop pressure... [Read more]
I have inserted this photo, of a section of the panel, the current state of the cooker and getting rid of the perspective in Gimp. The camera is mounted from the top and the image must be rotated 90°.... [Read more]
This sounds more reasonable, but on the other hand you have to make sure that the network traffic is not going through the manufacturer's servers. I for one completely lost control of two cameras (5-6... [Read more]
At my house I have a module on an esp-01 which measures the temperature at 16 points using a DS18b20. Via UDP it sends the measurements to the YUNSHAN module which is the main thermostat. The thermostat... [Read more]
Do you use two wires for this? [Read more]
In my case on three wires, but two can also be used. Prerequisite: original DS18b20 sensors. On fakes it is unlikely to work. [Read more]
Gentlemen, and I have this question, as I have done very little on ESP, but I have an ESP-WROOM-32 and I wanted to use an ADC converter on this, but in a non-blocking way. From what I used to look for,... [Read more]
Use the RTOS on the ESP32. Set yourself shuffles every time you want and that's it. [Read more]
I am adding a Remote Battery Monitoring System: https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic4055344.html I don't think anyone has uploaded such a proposal. There was a monitoring of the photovoltaic inst... [Read more]
Yesterday I received an order to develop a schematic and PCB for a device based on ESP8266 for controlling a 16x16 dot display. After completion I will ask the customer if I can publish the files here. ... [Read more]