Find a starting point
Explore a creator’s tutorial, files or demonstration. See what is documented and what still needs checking.
Browse the ideas board →Turn an idea
into a practical build.
Work out what it takes. Then take the next step.Find a promising project. See what is missing. Use CAIBI guidance and AI prompts to develop the code, plan an enclosure and test your next step.
New to making with AI? Start with a small exercise →
FEATURED PROJECTClawd MochiOpen assessment →
The useful part is what happens next.
A tutorial can get a sensor working. Turning it into a useful room display still needs decisions about power, controls, a case and testing. CAIBI helps you work through those gaps.
Develop the missing pieces
Use a proposed build route, AI prompts and practical checks to explore the code, parts and physical design.
From sensor tutorial to room display →Build, test and share
Contribute a design, a working build or what went wrong. Guidance is a starting point; physical results provide the evidence.
Help develop a build →Something you could make next
Useful displays, expressive companions and small builds. Guidance ready means steps and prompts, not a physically verified result.
DisplaysOpen-source build
Source referenceCAIBI guided build · Not yet assessed
AI usage limits on a desk display
Keep your AI account usage visible on a small screen beside your computer.
CAIBI suggestsProve one account can supply usage locally, then connect the matching display. Add a measured stand after the data path works.
Toby Marks: AI Monitor source and releases · Source image; not a CAIBI buildPlayful objectsSoftware foundation
Source referenceCAIBI guided build · Not yet assessed
A desk buddy with expressive eyes
A small character that blinks, changes expression and responds to a button. Give it a personality through animation and an original printed shell.
CAIBI suggestsStart with USB power, a supported display and three expressions. Add one input and idle sleep before considering voice or moving parts.
FluxGarage RoboEyes · Source image; not a CAIBI buildRoboticsOpen hardware and software
Source referenceCAIBI guided build · Not yet assessed
Build your own Stack-chan with a printed case
Make an expressive desk robot, starting with a screen face and adding controlled head movement.
CAIBI suggestsChoose one documented core/PCB/servo/case combination, prove it on the bench, then print the matching enclosure. Personalise behaviour before adding voice services.
Open hardware and software · Source image; not a CAIBI build
FEATURED ASSESSED BUILD
SmartKnob
A control whose physical feel is defined in software.
BUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCEKnown parts cost£74–£148Build total not establishedCreator allowance; complete BOM total not tallied
TimeTime-consuming advanced build
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
SmartKnob · Scott Bezek ↗
Buy price referencePrice not checkedNo priced alternative recorded
Time-consuming advanced build
The creator explicitly says the total is not yet fully tallied, but estimates a single build is probably under $200 and likely around $100 to $150 depending on fabrication and minimum-order quantities.
Excludes: Advanced soldering/rework tools; Minimum-order waste; Shipping from multiple suppliers.
Cost checked 4 Sep 2026.
Scott Bezek ↗
Build estimate£37–£44Source estimate · high confidence
TimeWeekend+
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Sesame Robot · Dorian Todd ↗
Buy price reference£214Petoi Bittle programmable robot dogRecorded 5 Sep 2026
Weekend+
Creator-published total parts range, with GBP shown as an approximate conversion.
Excludes: 3D printer ownership; Shipping; Optional batteries or upgrades.
Cost checked 4 Sep 2026.
Dorian Todd ↗
AWTRIX Pixel Clock
Open firmware that turns a 32x8 WS2812 pixel clock into a local notification and information display for Home Assistant, MQTT or HTTP. AWTRIX 3 was archived in August 2026; its author now directs every new install to the rewrite, AWTRIX NG, which runs on the same Ulanzi TC001 or on a self-built ESP32 and LED matrix.
WORTH CONSIDERINGBuild estimate£50–£65CAIBI estimate · low confidence
TimeUnder an hour to flash; weekend to scratch build (CAIBI estimate)
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Source reference: the AWTRIX 3 repository card, not a CAIBI build photograph · Stephan Mühl (Blueforcer) ↗
Buy price reference£37Ulanzi TC001 Smart Pixel Clock, 1 pc (flashed with AWTRIX NG)Recorded 24 Sep 2026
Under an hour to flash; weekend to scratch build (CAIBI estimate)
Scratch-build core parts from current retailer prices. The verified UK items total £36.70 at The Pi Hut. The UK panel price is an approximate conversion from BTF-Lighting USD prices because no UK retailer price could be verified, which is why confidence is low. The US figure uses Adafruit and BTF-Lighting prices plus a small capacitor allowance. None of this is needed on the bought route: a Ulanzi TC001 costs £37 / $45.99 at Ulanzi and the firmware is free.
Excludes: Enclosure or 3D printing; Diffuser acrylic; Optional buttons, light sensor, temperature sensor, buzzer and level shifter; Battery and charger; Shipping and any UK import charges on the panel; MQTT broker or Home Assistant host; Computer and USB cable.
Cost checked 24 Sep 2026.
Stephan Mühl (Blueforcer) ↗
Build estimate£85–£105CAIBI estimate · medium confidence
TimeNot published
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Source parts layout for ImageGenCam · OpenAI · Apache-2.0 ↗
Buy price referencePrice not checkedNo priced alternative recorded
Not published
Current representative prices for the published Raspberry Pi, display, camera, battery and storage parts. The source publishes the parts list but not a complete total.
Excludes: 3D printer ownership or print service; Shipping from multiple suppliers; Computer and OpenAI account.
Cost checked 4 Sep 2026.
OpenAI ↗More assessed builds
Know the cost, the tools and the difficult parts. These projects have a CAIBI assessment; that does not mean we have physically built them.
UK Train Departure Board
A desk-sized replica of a UK station departure board showing live departures for one chosen station, built from a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W or an ESP32 and a 256x64 SSD1322 OLED panel in a 3D-printed case.
WORTH CONSIDERINGKnown parts cost£52–£85Build total not establishedRaspberry Pi route core parts only; excludes printing, screws, shipping and the time to adapt the data code. UK low end assumes a microSD card is owned; US figures exclude the microSD card. Panel price from a US seller; UK figure converted (~£28).
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Creator photograph of a completed departure board · Chris Crocker-White (chrisys) ↗
Buy price referencePrice not checkedMini Train Departures Board (traindepartures.com)
One or two sessions, plus data-feed changes (CAIBI estimate)
Built from current retailer prices for the Raspberry Pi route. The panel price is from Newhaven Display (US, USD); CAIBI could not read a current AliExpress, Amazon or UK distributor price, so the UK panel figure is an approximate conversion (~£28) and excludes international shipping. The low end assumes a microSD card is already owned. Several US items were listed out of stock on the check date. US range sums the priced US items (Pi Zero 2 W, panel, supply, jumper wires); no in-stock US microSD price was verified, so it is excluded.
Excludes: 3D printing, filament or print service; M1.2 and M1.7 self-tapping screws; Shipping and import charges, especially for the panel; Rail Data Marketplace access (free within the published limit); Time to adapt the data code.
Cost checked 24 Sep 2026.
Chris Crocker-White (chrisys), building on work by Chris Hutchinson and Blake (ghostseven) ↗
Overhead Flight Tracker
A Raspberry Pi drives a 64x32 HUB75 RGB LED matrix through an Adafruit RGB Matrix Bonnet to show the route, flight number and aircraft type of planes passing overhead, with a clock, weather and satellite passes when the sky is empty.
BUILD ITBuild estimate£81–£130CAIBI estimate · medium confidence
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Creator photograph of the flight tracker in its 3D-printed case · Colin Waddell ↗
Buy price reference£306FlightTrackerLED Mach 2 LED Flight Tracker DisplayRecorded 24 Sep 2026
Evening to weekend (CAIBI estimate)
Sum of current retailer prices for the core parts. The UK low end uses a Waveshare 1:16-scan panel and assumes a microSD card is already owned; the high end uses the Adafruit panel and a new card. The US range uses Adafruit and PiShop.us prices; the low end assumes a card is owned. The UK supply is a Mean Well desktop unit plus a separate UK mains cable. Several US Raspberry Pi and microSD listings were out of stock on the check date.
Excludes: Enclosure or 3D printing; Diffusion acrylic; Shipping; Optional local ADS-B receiver; Any paid flight data API; Computer used for setup.
Cost checked 24 Sep 2026.
Colin Waddell / FlightTracker ↗
Bird Feeder Species Camera
A 3D-printed feeder with a Raspberry Pi fisheye camera that streams to Frigate on a separate always-on computer, where a local bird classifier names the species of each visitor.
BUY INSTEADKnown parts cost£90–£110Build total not establishedFeeder-end parts only: Pi Zero 2 W, fisheye camera, cable, supply, microSD, one spool of PETG, with an allowance for lens cover and fixings. Excludes the always-on Frigate computer, printer ownership and any outdoor electrical work.
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Creator photograph of the BirdBrain feeder mounted on a tree (CC BY) · miak3D / BirdBrain on Printables, CC BY ↗
Buy price reference£79.99–£155.98Birdfy Feeder Rookie, with Birdfy Membership Plus for unlimited AI recognitionRecorded 24 Sep 2026
Multi-stage: printing plus Frigate setup (no source time)
Current prices for the source-specified Pi, camera, cable, supply, card and one spool of filament. The low end is the listed parts; the high end allows for a lens cover, adhesive, fixings and outdoor cable management that the source does not price. The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W was out of stock at The Pi Hut, Pimoroni, Adafruit and SparkFun on 24 Sep 2026; PiShop.us listed it with a one-per-order limit.
Excludes: Always-on computer for Frigate (for example a Beelink EQ14 N150 mini PC, $385 pre-order on bee-link.com on 24 Sep 2026; no GBP price verified); 3D printer ownership or print service; Outdoor socket or any fixed electrical work; Bird seed, pole or bracket; Shipping.
Cost checked 24 Sep 2026.
miak3D / BirdBrain on Printables, using Frigate NVR bird classification ↗
Gridfinity Rebuilt
A parametric OpenSCAD implementation of Gridfinity bins with configurable sizes, compartments, tabs, bases and print options.
BUILD ITCost per bin£0.50–£3Choose quantity to budgetPer typical bin; filament only
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Gridfinity Rebuilt · kennetek ↗
Buy price referencePrice not checkedNo priced alternative recorded
Print-dependent
Material planning allowance for ordinary FDM bins. Actual cost scales with bin volume, filament price, magnets/fasteners and the number of baseplates.
Excludes: Printer ownership/electricity; Magnets, screws and labels; Large baseplate systems.
Cost checked 4 Sep 2026.
kennetek ↗
Build estimate£74–£111Source estimate · high confidence
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Hadley Telescope · Maff / Printables ↗
Buy price reference£194Sky-Watcher Heritage 130PRecorded 5 Sep 2026
Multi-day including printing; physical assembly is comparatively simple
Current source and builder evidence consistently place the usual build around $100 to $150 depending on optics, eyepieces and mount.
Excludes: Premium eyepieces; Upgraded focuser/finder; 3D printer ownership.
Cost checked 4 Sep 2026.
Maff / Printables ↗
Known parts cost£110–£190Build total not establishedCore hardware only; custom fabrication and power extra
DifficultyAI helpOpen assessment →
Basis & source
Creator thumbnail showing the three-axis camera slider · Daniel McKenzie / CNCDan ↗
Buy price reference£1,269Zeapon AXIS 100 Pro SS-E2PRecorded 5 Sep 2026
Multi-stage. The source does not publish a total build time.
Low-confidence planning allowance for the source-listed commodity mechanics and electronics plus three ordinary step and direction drivers. The creator publishes no all-in total and used spare 3D-printer parts. Custom laser cutting, folded and welded sheet, machined aluminium, pulley machining, printing, driver-specific power and shipping can dominate the actual first build.
Excludes: Laser-cut tripod plates; Folded and welded tilt bracket; Machined aluminium slider plate and pulley machining; 3D printing, filament or print service; Driver-specific power supply, connectors and cabling; Camera, tripods and quick-release hardware not already owned; Shipping, taxes, fabrication labour and assembly time.
Cost checked 5 Sep 2026.
Daniel McKenzie / CNCDan ↗Start with what you have
Browse all equipment →Turn your tools and skills into real projects.
Give a build live data
Browse all data →Connect your project to the real world.
Common AI tasks in physical making
Practical ways AI can help at different stages.