Welcome: A Maker's Maker
Dale Dougherty
Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak held court at Maker Faire to recount the early days of maker community.Page 06
Make: Volume 95 — Guide to Boards 2026
Amazing things are happening in low-cost computing, and Make: is all over it! In Make: Volume 95, the big names Arduino and Raspberry Pi are pairing SBCs with MCUs in new products like we’ve never seen before, but independent board makers like BeagleBoard and IceWhale are hot on their heels. Next, get connected with the Meshtastic off-grid communications network — how it works, and how to build a “walkie-textie” handset node using LoRa radio boards. Then, CircuitPython and MicroPython compatibility are becoming a feature, not an afterthought. We’ll also show you how to run CircuitPython on Make:’s own Oxocard ESP32 microcontroller, and how to build a University of Michigan’s time-tested wheeled robot powered by MicroPython on the RP2040 microcontroller. Then, build a go-anywhere, RP2040-based pocket video synthesizer to generate wild video art and throw it to screens or projectors.
And in our special pull-out “Guide to Boards 2026” we take a look at our favorite new microcontrollers (MCUs) and single-board computers (SBCs) for creating all kinds of smart projects. Plus, we’ll tell you which are the best boards for AI projects, LEDs, cosplay and wearables, music, and more.
On the Cover: The new Raspberry Pi 500+ and Arduino Uno Q both take a stab at making full-blown tiny computers. Photos: Mark Madeo (Raspberry Pi 500+ and Arduino Uno Q), Michael Crommet (knitted breadboard)
Table of Contents
Columns
From the Editor’s Desk
Letters and missives from readers like you.Page 07
Made on Earth
Mascot Madness
Marshall Piros
Ian Langohr brings a unique twist to mascot costumes.Page 08
Bund by (Fake) Blood
Jennifer Strand
Brittany Cohen's liquid corset is a fashionable triumph.Page 10
Freestyle Metalwork
Marshall Piros
Ulysses Secrest makes incredible metalwork masks and jewelry all freehand.Page 11
Features
Open Lab Starter Kit
Daniele Ingrassia
Build your own digital fabrication machines — lasers, 3D printers, CNCs, and more — from this open source hardware toolkit.Page 12
A Real Big Band
Quentin Thomas-Oliver
Quentin Thomas-Oliver built a 13-foot, half-ton drum monster to keep the beat for his band Ponytrap.Page 16
My Voice-Controlled Workbench
Christopher "Kit" Biggs
“Zoom in and enhance!” How one maker automated his solder station, microscope, and magnifying visor using ESP32s and free home automation tools.Page 22
Best Boards
Super (Tiny) Computers
David J. Groom
Arduino and Raspberry Pi’s new releases put real computing power where we’ve never seen it before.Page 30
Indie Boards
David J. Groom
Small teams at BeagleBoard and IceWhale use tiny computers to make a big impact.Page 32
Homage to the Axe
Charles Platt
Cheap but mighty, Picaxe microcontrollers still get the job done.Page 36
Pocket Video Synthesizer
Ramona Sharples
Generate video art on the go with a tiny gadget inspired by Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operators.Page 42
CircuitPython on the Oxocard Connect
Jacques Supcik
In addition to beginner-friendly NanoPy, our nifty microcontroller now runs CircuitPython.Page 48
Meshtastic “Walkie-Textie”
Jon “ShakataGaNai” Davis
Stay in touch without cellular, with this LoRa mesh communications project.Page 54
How to Speak Airplane
John McNelly
Track aircraft with a low-cost, open source, embedded ADS-B receiver that you can build into anything.Page 60
Make: Guide to Boards 2026
The board landscape keeps growing with this year’s new crop of versatile maker tools: microcontrollers, single-board computers, and beyondPage Booklet
Projects
Threadboard
Alanna Okun
Knit a working plushie breadboard from yarn and conductive thread.Page 64
3D Printing Folding Geometry
Sophy Wong
Make an elegant 3D-printed fabric bag that bends and folds like origami.Page 68
Mbot
Peter Gaskell and Abhishek Narula
Build a robust wheeled robot platform and program it with MicroPython.Page 74
Squishy Tech: Talking Paper PCB
Lee Wilkins
Embed electronics in paper circuit boards that communicate directly via ESP-Now, no Wi-Fi needed.Page 82
Adventures in Object Photography
Charles Platt
Shooting your project or product? Low-budget solutions for controlling highlights, shadows, and background.Page 90
Amateur Scientist: Semiconductor Light Sensors
Forrest M. Mims III
Learn the basics and make a transimpedance amplifier to boost light signals.Page 96
Reaction Race
Kathy Ceceri
Make a classic reaction game with micro:bit and cardboard.Page 100
Toy Inventor’s Notebook: Pocket Pickleball
Bob Knetzger
Make this pocket-sized, two-player action game that plays with a pickle instead of a ball!Page 106
Skill Builder
Hands On with ROS 2: Nodes, Topics, and Services
Shawn Hymel
An introduction to the Robot Operating Systemfor hobbyists and engineersPage 110
Making Makers
Steph Piper and Kevin Toyama
Inspire discovery in budding makers with gamified skill trees and level-ups.Page 120
Toolbox
TwoTrees TTC-6050 CNC Router
Dom Dominici
Page 122
Make It Yourself, by Node
Sam Freeman
Page 123
Microjig Grr-Ripper 2 Go
Sam Freeman
Page 123
Sunlu SP2 Filament Dryer
Matt Stultz
Page 124
Hoto Precision Screwdriver Pen
Sam Freeman
Page 125
Work IQ Vise
Sam Freeman
Page 125
Over the Top
A Cube of a Higher Order
Craig Couden
There’s a new record for the most complex Rubik’s Cube on the planet.Page 128
