Purpose-built gadgets
Open-source ESP32 builds with clear jobs, real hardware, and enough context to understand how the whole device comes together.
Open-source & free
Cool projects you can actually build tonight
Real projects. Real hardware. Real fun. OpenGizmo is where small hardware ideas get documented, with open-source builds and the details you wish you'd found before starting.
ESP32small boards
OPENshared builds
DIYreal hardware
OpenGizmo
Field notes
What's in here
Practical ESP32 builds, plus the notes that explain what they do and how they work.
Three ways to move from a good idea to a working little machine.
How they actually work
The useful bits: setup flow, device behavior, hardware choices, firmware details, and the interactions that make each build usable.
Context, not fluff
Project pages cover the builds, and the blog explains the reasoning, tradeoffs, and maker context around them.
Builds
OpenGizmo Projects
Browse the current OpenGizmo builds and jump into the project pages for hardware details, setup flow, and what each gadget is actually for.
Open-source ESP32 + MAX7219 project
Gizmo Ticker
A WiFi-connected crypto display built with an ESP32, a MAX7219 LED matrix, and a Nuxt 4 web app for browser-based setup and configuration.
Open-source ESP32 + Reolink project
Gizmo Reolink Switch
An ESP32-powered quiet-exit switch that uses a button, buzzer, 16x2 I2C LCD, and WiFi connection to temporarily mute Reolink NVR notifications and recording.
