DIY Lab

I build things to understand them.

This is where hardware, software, and curiosity collide. Each project is a hands-on build log written the way I actually work — mistakes included, tradeoffs visible, safety non-negotiable.

Raspberry Pi Surveillance Drone
Complete
Raspberry PiDroneComputer VisionEdge AI

Raspberry Pi Surveillance Drone

I built a privacy-first aerial inspection platform from scratch — Raspberry Pi vision on top, a proven flight controller underneath, and a design bias toward consent-based monitoring.

Build time

2 weekends

Core brain

Raspberry Pi

Stages

5 interactive

Open interactive build log
Edge AI Wildlife Observer
Complete
Jetson NanoEdge AISolar PowerWildlife

Edge AI Wildlife Observer

I built a tiny field scientist that watches the world without uploading everything to the cloud. Jetson Nano for on-device classification, solar for power, and an SD card for data.

Build time

3 weekends

Core brain

Jetson Nano

Stages

5 interactive

Open interactive build log
Futuristic Home Automation with OpenClaw
Complete
OpenClawSensorsLocal AISmart Home

Futuristic Home Automation with OpenClaw

I designed a local-first home nervous system: OpenClaw as the agent layer, sensors as context, smart actuators as careful hands, and hard permission boundaries for anything physical.

Build time

4 weekends

Core brain

OpenClaw

Modes

4 simulated

Open interactive build log

On my bench (someday)

Ideas I keep sketching on napkins

No promises on timelines. These are the projects that keep pulling me back to the workbench.

🌱

AI-Powered Garden Monitor

Raspberry Pi + soil sensors + a vision model that tells me when my plants are unhappy.

⌨️

Custom Mechanical Keyboard

Handwired split keyboard with custom firmware. Because why use something normal.

🌦️

Personal Weather Station

A roofline sensor mast that logs microclimate, air quality, rain, and solar intensity locally.

How I approach builds

Show the mess

I document mistakes and dead ends, not just the polished result. The debugging story is usually more useful than the spec sheet.

Make it interactive

Sliders, diagrams, checklists, simulators — anything that turns a passive blog post into something you can actually play with.

Safety is engineering

Privacy, legal constraints, and physical safety are design requirements, not afterthoughts. If I cannot build it responsibly, I will not build it.