R2D2 Gets New Brains

While it is fun to get toys that look like your favorite science fiction props, it is less fun when the electronics in them don’t measure up to the physical design. [Steve Gibbs] took a Hasbro R2D2 toy robot and decided to give it a brain upgrade along with enhanced sensors. You can see a video of the robot doing its thing and some build details below.

In this case, the toy from Hasbro was not working at all, so [Steve] saved it from the dumpster. Instead of a repair, he decided to just gut it and rebuild it with modern electronics. The ultrasonic sensor on the forward toe is a dead giveaway.

The robot responds to voice commands better than the original and can play sound effects and clips from Star Wars. You can also control the robot with a phone app. The new or upgraded sensors include microphones, a PIR sensor, a photoresistor to sense light, a smoke and CO₂ sensor, a computer vision camera, and, of course, the ultrasonic range finder.

Some motors and the original speaker are in use, but R2 now sports additional LEDs and servos. All the extras required some surgery on the plastic body. Instead of regular batteries, the ‘bot now uses a LiPo battery, so the old battery compartment was cut out to make more room.

Even if you aren’t a die-hard Star Wars fan, this is a fantastic project, and May the 4th is right around the corner. These toys aren’t cheap, but if you can score one with bad electronics, you might be able to find something cheap or — like Steve — even free.

These toys are popular hacking targets. Now [Steve] needs a pit droid.

youtube.com/embed/9G0J15jvJCM?…

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/r2d2-g…

Inside Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari Style)

It’s a bit ironic that an Atari 2600 game based on Raiders of the Lost Ark — a movie about archaeology — is now the subject of its own archaeological expedition as [Dennis Debro] and [Halkun] spent time reverse-engineering the game. Luckily, they shared their findings, so you can enjoy it the same way you can visit a king’s tomb without having to discover it and dig for it. If you don’t remember the game, you might enjoy the demo from [Speedy Walkthroughs] in the video below.

If you are only used to modern software, you might think this is little more than someone dumping the program code and commenting it. However, on these old, limited systems, you have to really understand the actual architecture because there are so many things you have to manage that are specific to the hardware.

For example, the game has two 4K ROM banks that use a strange switching mechanism. The entire game is built around the NTSC television signal. Everything is oriented toward generating the 60 Hz frame rate. Game logic runs during the vertical blanking and over-scan sections to prevent strange visible artifacts due to software running.

This is a fascinating look inside game coding as it existed around 1982. Of course, you can also run everything using emulation. Usually, our reverse engineering is more hardware-related. But we do love these old games, too.

youtube.com/embed/j3Py3T5J3e0?…

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/inside…

Custom Clamshell Cyberdeck Shows Off Underlighting

Cyberdecks are great projects, and [Salim Benbouziyane]’s scratch-built CM Deck is a fantastic specimen. It’s a clamshell-style cyberdeck with custom split keyboard, trackpad, optional external WiFi antenna, and some slick underlighting thanks to a translucent bottom shell. There’s even a hidden feature that seems super handy for a cyberdeck: a special USB-C port that, when plugged in to another host (like another computer), lets the cyberdeck act as an external keyboard and trackpad for that downstream machine.
The CM Deck is built around the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, which necessitates a custom PCB but offers more design freedom.
Notably, the CM Deck is custom-built around the Raspberry Pi Compute Model 5. When we first peeped the CM5 the small size was striking, but of course that comes at the cost of having no connectors, supporting hardware, or heat management. That’s something [Salim] embraced because it meant being able to put connectors exactly where he wanted them, and not have to work around existing hardware. A custom PCB let him to lay out his cyberdeck with greater freedom, less wasted space, and ultimately integrate a custom-built keyboard (with RP2040 and QMK firmware).

Even the final enclosure is custom-made, with 3D printing being used to validate the design and PCBway providing finished plastic shells in addition to manufacturing the PCBs. [Salim] admits that doing so was an indulgence, but his delight at the quality of the translucent purple undercarriage is palpable.

[Salim]’s video (embedded below) is a deep dive into the whole design and build process, and it’s a great watch for anyone interested in the kind of work and decisions that go into making something like this. Experienced folks can expect to nod in sympathy when [Salim] highlights gotchas like doing CAD work based on the screen’s drawings, only to discover later that the physical unit doesn’t quite match.

The GitHub repository contains the design files for everything, so give it a browse if you’re interested. [Salim] is no stranger to clean builds, so take a moment to admire his CRT-style Raspberry Pi terminal as well.

youtube.com/embed/U5GZeMm5nhI?…

Thanks [Keith Olson] for sharing the tip!

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/custom…

Hackaday Podcast Episode 357: BreezyBox, Antique Tech, and Defusing Killer Robots

In the latest episode of the Hackaday Podcast, editors Elliot Williams and Tom Nardi start things off by discussing the game of lunar hide-and-seek that has researchers searching for the lost Luna 9 probe, and drop a few hints about the upcoming Hackaday Europe conference. From there they’ll marvel over a miniature operating system for the ESP32, examine the re-use of iPad displays, and find out about homebrew software development for an obscure Nintendo handheld. You’ll also hear about a gorgeous RGB 14-segment display, a robot that plays chess, and a custom 3D printed turntable for all your rotational needs. The episode wraps up with a sobering look at the dangers of industrial robotics, and some fascinating experiments to determine if a decade-old roll of PLA filament is worth keeping or not.

Check out the links below if you want to follow along, and as always, tell us what you think about this episode in the comments!

html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/…

Download this episode in DRM-free MP3 on your ESP32 with BreezyBox for maximum enjoyment.

Where to Follow Hackaday Podcast

Places to follow Hackaday podcasts:

• iTunes
• Spotify
• Stitcher
• RSS
• YouTube
• Check out our Libsyn landing page

News:

• Forget Waldo. Where’s Luna 9?
• Hints about Hackaday Europe 2026

What’s that Sound?

• Think you know that sound? Fill out the form for a chance to win!

Interesting Hacks of the Week:

• BreezyBox: A BusyBox-Like Shell And Virtual Terminal For ESP32
  
  • GitHub – valdanylchuk/breezyapps: ESP32 ELF apps for BreezyBox

  
  

• Lessons Learned After A Head-First Dive Into Hardware Manufacturing
• Upcycling An IPad Into A Touchscreen Display For Your PC
• Exploring Homebrew for the Pokémon Mini
  
  • Pokemon-Mini.net

  
  

• Designing A Compact RGB 14-Segment Display
• A Working Intercom From Antique Telephones

Quick Hacks:

• Elliot’s Picks:
  
  • ReMemory Is The Amnesia-hedging Buddy Backup You Didn’t Know You Needed
  • Building A Self-Playing Chess Board Robot
  • Why Haven’t Quantum Computers Factored 21 Yet?
    
    • [1301.7007] Pretending to factor large numbers on a quantum computer

    
    

  
  

• Tom’s Picks:
  
  • Gaming On An Arduino Uno Q In Linux
  • Scanning Table For The Professional Maker
  • Making A Hidden Door Status Sensor

  
  

Can’t-Miss Articles:

• How Industrial Robot Safety Was Written In Blood
  
  • U.S. Chemical Safety Board

  
  

• Is That Ancient Reel Of PLA Any Good?

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/hackad…

MyMiniFactory has Acquired Thingiverse Bringing Anti-AI Focus

One of the best parts of 3D printing is that you can freely download the plans for countless model from sites like Thingiverse, Printables, and others. Yet with the veritable flood of models on these sites you also want to have some level of quality. Here recent news pertaining to Thingiverse is probably rather joyful, as with the acquisition of Thingiverse by MyMiniFactory, it should remain one of the most friendly sites for sharing 3D printing models.

Although Thingiverse as a concept probably doesn’t need much introduction, it’s important here to acknowledge the tumultuous times that it has gone through since its launch in 2008 as part of MakerBot. Both were acquired by Stratasys in 2013, and this has lead to ups and downs in the relationship with Thingiverse’s user base.

MyMiniFactory was launched in 2013 as a similar kind of 3D printing object-sharing platform as Thingiverse, while also offering crowdsourcing and paid model options. In the MyMiniFactory blog post it’s stated that these features will not be added to Thingiverse, and that nothing should change for Thingiverse users in this regard.

What does change is its joining of the ‘SoulCrafted‘ initiative, which is an initiative against machine-generated content, including so-called ‘AI slop’. There will be a live Q & A on February 17th during which the community can pitch their questions and ideas, along with a dedicated Thingiverse group.

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/mymini…

The Engineering of the Falkirk Wheel

We live in an age where engineering marvels are commonplace: airplanes crisscross the sky, skyscrapers grow like weeds, and spacecraft reach for the stars. But every so often, we see something unusual that makes us take a second look. The Falkirk Wheel is a great example, and, even better, it is functional art, as well.

The Wheel links two canals in Scotland. Before you click away, here’s the kicker: One canal is 35 meters higher than the other. Before 1933, the canals were connected with 11 locks. It took nearly a day to operate the locks to get a boat from one canal to the other. In the 1930s, there wasn’t enough traffic to maintain the locks, and they tore them out.

Fast Forward

In the 1990s, a team of architects led by [Tony Kettle] proposed building a wheel to transfer boats between the two canals. The original model was made from [Tony’s] daughter’s Lego bricks.

The idea is simple. Build a 35-meter wheel with two cassions, 180 degrees apart. Each cassion can hold 250,000 liters of water. To move a boat, you fill the caissons with 500 tonnes of water. Then you let a boat into one of them with its weight displacing an equal amount of water, so the caissons stay at the same weight.

Once you have a balanced system, you just spin the wheel to make a half turn. There are 10 motors that require 22.5 kilowatts, and each half turn consumes about 1.5 kilowatt-hours.

Not Lockless

The wheel actually raises boats up 24 m, so the remaining 11 m still requires two locks. But this is a far cry from the eleven locks the system replaces. The structure has a foundation with 30 concrete piles down on the bedrock. The wheel itself uses 14,000 bolts to avoid welds that might fatigue under stress.

As you’d expect, the caissons have to turn with the wheel in order to stay level, somewhat like a Ferris Wheel. This works using three 8-meter gears. It takes about four minutes for the wheel to make a half turn. You can watch it work in the video below.

Why?

We were a bit disappointed that there doesn’t seem to be any reason to connect the two canals except as a tourist attraction. On the other hand, about half a million visitors go every year, so it does have an economic impact. As far as we know, this is the world’s only rotating boat lift. It certainly is artistic compared to, say, the historic Anderton Lift.

We love big engineering. Even the ones that seem commonplace.

youtube.com/embed/qHO9gARac-w?…

Featured image: “FalkirkWheelSide” by Sean Mack.

hackaday.com/2026/02/13/the-en…

Qualcosa è andato storto. Come i social network e l’intelligenza artificiale ci hanno rubato il futuro

«Qualcosa è andato storto. Come i social network e l’intelligenza artificiale ci hanno rubato il futuro», è un potente atto d’accusa nei confronti della tecnologia che ci rende dipendenti da smartphone, tablet e computer. Pubblicato da Solferino pochi mesi fa, è già un caso editoriale. Alla settima ristampa ha venduto circa 20.000 copie. Un successo, per un paese dove un italiano su due legge meno di un libro all’anno.

E il motivo di questo successo è che il libro spiega, in parole chiare e comprensibili, senza peli sulla lingua, che cosa le aziende come Meta/Facebook e TikTok, sono state e sono pronte a fare pur di catturarci davanti allo schermo, per vendere il nostro tempo di attenzione agli inserzionisti e così facendo terremotando psiche, sentimenti e percezioni degli utenti, soprattutto di quelli più giovani.

Già, perché, Riccardo Luna, è lui l’autore del libro, ripercorrendo le origini della Rete, che lui stesso da direttore di Wired candidò a premio nobel per la pace, racconta come questa si sia ormai popolata di app che recintano i nostri interessi e argomenta come la Rete, da utopia democratica dei primi anni 2000 sia stata colonizzata dall’affarismo di Big Tech che non ritiene di dover rispondere a nessuno del proprio operato. Aziende guidate da imprenditori tech che anziché dedicare le loro enormi ricchezze a sfamare il mondo, a contrastare gli effetti perversi del cambiamento climatico e a favorire pace e democrazia, lucrano su sistemi che creano rabbia e violenza, i social network a cui hanno messo il turbo degli algoritmi capaci di innescare i circuiti del piacere che scattano quando vediamo il like sotto il nostro post e ci rendono frustrati quando non li vediamo. Meccanismi che sfruttano anche la solitudine, l’incertezza sessuale e le delusioni dei più giovani per renderli sempre meno sicuri di se stessi e sempre più dipendenti dal feed del social preferito.

Temi già sollevati da altri prima di lui, certamente, come Nicholas Carr, Jaron Lanier, l’italiano Jacopo Franchi. Autori che hanno raccontato gli effetti dannosi dello scrolling infinito, quel modo di usare i social senza smettere mai e che, lungi dall’essere una cosa naturale innescata dalla curiosità, è un comportamento ingegnerizzato per le piattaforme da tecnologi e psicologi sociali in modo da trattenere chiunque, sia esso bambino o un adulto, appiccicati allo smartphone grazie all’algoritmo di selezione dei contenuti. A proposito, tu che leggi lo sapevi che basta un centinaio di video visti per riorganizzare l’algoritmo?

«Qualcosa è andato storto. Come i social network e l’intelligenza artificiale ci hanno rubato il futuro», Riccardo Luna, Solferino, 2025.

dicorinto.it/articoli/recensio…