What can you build with ESP32?
Explore watches, displays, robots, controllers and sensors. Compare the assessed builds, then follow the sources for projects still awaiting review.
FULL ASSESSMENTS
14Already assessed
ElectronicsClawd Mochi
A small ESP32-C3 desk companion with animated faces, web controls and a published low-cost parts list.
Parts / build cost$7–8Time~1 hour
BUILD IT
Home & automationAI-on-the-edge-device
An ESP32-CAM project that reads existing water, gas or electricity meters and publishes the readings digitally.
Parts / build costVariesTimeVaries
BUILD IT
RoboticsSesame Robot
A printable ESP32 quadruped using eight servos, an expressive OLED face and open animation/control software.
Parts / build cost$50–60TimeWeekend+
WORTH CONSIDERING
ElectronicsSplit-Flap Display
A modular ESP32-based split-flap display designed to scale from a single character to large installations.
Parts / build costScale-dependentTimeMulti-day
BUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCE
Home & automationVerhoBot
A compact ESP32 curtain robot built to automate an existing curtain rail without ropes or pulleys.
Parts / build costNot publishedTimeNot published
WORTH CONSIDERING
RoboticsOpenBot DIY
An open wheeled robot that reuses a smartphone for camera, compute and higher-level robotics while an Arduino Nano or ESP32 handles the motors and low-level sensors.
Parts / build costThe current project still describes the DIY robot body as about $50. A third-party BOM with links checked in August 2026 estimates roughly $50 to $80 before the phone and fabrication access.TimeNot published. Treat printing, electronics assembly, firmware/app setup and physical testing as separate stages rather than a single quick build.
BUILD IT
Photography & videoESP32 3-Axis Camera Slider
A current open pan, tilt and slide camera rig using an ESP32 web interface, stepper motors and a fabrication-heavy mix of printed and machined parts.
Parts / build costNo source total. CAIBI estimates roughly £110–£190 / $150–$260 for the commodity core hardware before custom metal fabrication, printing and some driver-specific power parts.TimeMulti-stage. The source does not publish a total build time.
WORTH CONSIDERING
Home & automationUK 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.
Parts / build costNo source total. CAIBI estimates roughly £52–£85 for the Raspberry Pi route's core parts, or $68–$70 in the US before a microSD card, all before 3D printing, screws and shipping; the display panel price is the least certain item.TimeOne or two sessions, plus data-feed changes (CAIBI estimate)
WORTH CONSIDERING
ElectronicsAWTRIX 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.
Parts / build costThe cheapest route is buying a Ulanzi TC001 (£37 / $45.99 at Ulanzi) and flashing it for free. A scratch build costs roughly £50–£65 / $55–$65 in core parts, before a case or diffuser.TimeUnder an hour to flash; weekend to scratch build (CAIBI estimate)
WORTH CONSIDERING
ElectronicsTellaprompter
A compact ESP32 touchscreen teleprompter with touch speed control, a physical pause button and a printable monitor mount.
Parts / build costNot publishedTime1.5 hours
BUILD IT
Home & automationMorning Thermal Printer
An ESP32 desk printer that turns weather and calendar data into a short physical morning briefing on receipt paper.
Parts / build costNot publishedTime45 minutes
BUILD IT
Science & measurementESP32 Air Quality Monitor
A small ESP32 instrument showing temperature, humidity, pressure and a comfort label on an OLED display.
Parts / build costNot publishedTime25 minutes
BUILD IT
WearablesWatchy
A fully open-source ESP32-S3 e-paper watch sold as a small assembly kit and designed to be reprogrammed, modified and recased.
Parts / build cost£45.49 UK / $59 USTime~1 hour assembly and setup
BUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCE
Creative toolsSmartKnob
An open haptic control knob that uses a brushless gimbal motor and magnetic encoder to create software-defined detents, endstops, springs and other tactile behaviours.
Parts / build costNo stable complete build price publishedTimeTime-consuming advanced build
BUILD FOR THE EXPERIENCEDISCOVER
41 more sourcesWhat kind of ESP32 thing?
Displays
Robotics
Home + sensing
ESP32 RADAR
Everything currently found
FOUNDDisplays
AI usage limits on a desk display
Keep your AI account usage visible on a small screen beside your computer. CAIBI suggests: Prove one account can supply usage locally, then connect the matching display. Add a measured stand after the data path works.
FOUNDPlayful objects
Deskimon: print and assemble a desk companion
A character display with offline animations, a clock and timer, housed in a modular printed body. CAIBI suggests: Confirm the exact Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-1.75 and purchased file terms. Follow the creator build first; use the separate RoboEyes route for independently editable behaviour.
FOUNDPlayful objects
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 suggests: Start with USB power, a supported display and three expressions. Add one input and idle sleep before considering voice or moving parts.
FOUNDDisplays
Desk status lamp
Show focus, availability or a simple countdown as clear pixel icons. CAIBI suggests: Choose the states and controls; add a diffuser, enclosure and reliable power.
FOUNDEveryday tools
Room comfort display
See temperature and humidity from two rooms on one small screen. CAIBI suggests: Add room names, last-seen times, sensor placement guidance and vented cases.
FOUNDControls
Wireless desk remote
Use a small touchscreen to control two nearby low-voltage devices. CAIBI suggests: Choose real actions; add acknowledgements, connection state and a stand.
FOUNDEveryday tools
Door-left-open reminder
Get a reminder when a shed or garage door has stayed open. CAIBI suggests: Add a delay, bounded notifications, reconnection handling and aligned mounts.
FOUNDDisplays
Outdoor temperature display
Read the outdoor temperature on a small dedicated display. CAIBI suggests: Add a stale-data indicator, setup flow and readable enclosure.
FOUNDWorkshop
Workshop dust trend display
See how particulate readings change during workshop activities. CAIBI suggests: Check the sensor claims; design airflow and compare repeatable measurements.
FOUNDRobotics
Phone-controlled rover
Drive a small rover from a local phone interface. CAIBI suggests: Add a stop-on-disconnect rule, a power switch and a chassis with protected wiring.
FOUNDDisplays
Touchscreen weather station
Make a compact weather display for a hallway or desk. CAIBI suggests: Add a location-setting screen, update time and useful offline behaviour.
FOUNDPhotography
Pocket thermal viewer
See a coarse heat map of objects around the workshop. CAIBI suggests: Design a sensor window and grip, check temperature scaling and document resolution limits.
FOUNDMusic & audio
Internet radio with physical controls
Listen to a few favourite stations without opening an app. CAIBI suggests: Verify playable stream URLs, add presets and volume controls, then design the speaker case.
FOUNDMusic & audio
Offline music player
Play your own audio files from a compact device. CAIBI suggests: Add clear file navigation, volume control and a serviceable speaker enclosure.
FOUNDGarden & outdoors
LoRa garden weather station
Send readings from an outdoor node to an indoor receiver. CAIBI suggests: Confirm regional radio settings, range at the actual site and weather protection.
FOUNDDisplays
LED matrix clock
Build a clock whose digits are visible across a room. CAIBI suggests: Check the published hardware files, then adapt brightness and the case to its final location.
FOUNDGames
Custom Bluetooth gamepad
Make a gamepad with a button layout that suits you. CAIBI suggests: Confirm host compatibility, test reconnects and prototype the grip before committing to a case.
FOUNDGames
VGA arcade console
Give a spare compatible monitor a dedicated miniature arcade. CAIBI suggests: Confirm game rights and video timing, then add a stable joystick panel.
FOUNDGames
Handheld game console
Build a small self-contained handheld around available game files. CAIBI suggests: Confirm the PCB and display revisions, then prototype button reach and charging access.
FOUNDPlayful objects
Stationery Unit D2: an interactive desk organiser
A printed pen holder with a screen, sounds and physical controls. CAIBI suggests: Try one screen animation on USB first. Develop an original organiser shape around your actual stationery and hardware.
FOUNDDisplays
Pixlpal: a colourful desktop information display
An RGB matrix display with a rotary control for information and audio experiments. CAIBI suggests: Choose a single useful screen first. Compare adapting the original electronics with a simpler existing matrix controller.
FOUNDRobotics
FOC Wheel-Legged Robot
Open wheel-legged robot platform using ESP32-class control hardware.
FOUNDRobotics
Voice Controlled Robot
Voice-controlled physical robot project with ESP32 hardware.
FOUNDRobotics
ESP32 Robot Actuator
ESP32 based robot actuator and motion-control project.
FOUNDRobotics
RobotDuck Head
ESP32 animatronic robot-head project.
FOUNDRobotics
ESP32 WiFi Robot
WiFi controlled ESP32 robot source.
FOUNDRobotics
ESP32 ROS2 Robot
ESP32 and ROS2 robot platform.
FOUNDRobotics
ESP32 Drawing Robot
Drawing robot with ESP32 control.
FOUNDElectronics
myClock
ESP32 display clock project.
FOUNDElectronics
ESPTimeCast
Current ESP32 information display project.
FOUNDElectronics
Plasma Clock
Distinctive physical clock build with a stronger visual proposition than a generic dev-board demo.
FOUNDElectronics
RGB P4 Matrix Clock
Large RGB matrix clock using ESP32.
FOUNDElectronics
LilyGo T5 Clock
E-paper clock route built around LilyGo hardware.
FOUNDElectronics
CYD Weather Clock
Cheap Yellow Display weather and clock build.
FOUNDElectronics
ESPTimeCast VFD
VFD display variant with strong physical character.
REVIEWED SOURCEWearables
Open Smartwatch
The selected Light hardware repository has not been pushed since 2021 and its own README says the hardware is still in development and not ready for release. The Open Smartwatch OS repository remains active in 2026, but active software alone does not establish a current supported hardware build route.
FOUNDWearables
LilyGo T-Watch Projects
Hardware and software ecosystem for ESP32 smartwatch builds.
FOUNDElectronics
Meshtastic Devices
Large open physical-device ecosystem using ESP32 and LoRa hardware.
FOUNDHome & automation
openHASP Panels
Open ESP32 touchscreen control-panel platform.
FOUNDHome & automation
WLED Builds
Massive ESP32 lighting ecosystem with many physical build routes.
FOUNDHome & automation
ESPHome Devices
Broad ESP32 device ecosystem that deserves its own discovery treatment rather than a single project card.