First up is a project that is perfect for beginners in robotics! Learning about IoT, artificial intelligence, and everything that robotics entails has never been so fun and flexible thanks to this board. It can be assembled on structures made of cardboard or any other material due to its small size. But don’t be fooled, it comes with significant innovations. You can even program it to track people and animals using AI.

Since the complete project plans are open-source, you can opt to build this from scratch or you can purchase a kit with everything and more included. The board design includes 10 connectors for servo motors, wireless communication, PWM driver, reversible continuous current outputs for motors, RGB LEDs, USB ports, expansion ports, and so on. The kit costs around $58, plus you can also purchase some interesting accessories from the designer.

• Designer: CraftyRobot
• Core components: Smartibot kit
• Project page: Thingiverse, CraftyRobot

Colorful LED panels are great for decoration or even functional displays. However, without IoT, it would be tedious to adjust for every new design idea. In this project, you’ll find a 3D printable case for a NeoPixel WS2812B LED panel matrix, which features 256 colorful LEDs, and instructions for how to connect the lights to the Esp32 controller, making them programmable through one of several interface options.

In the app, you can program many fun and beautiful animations that will give your space a fresh look. There are compliments regarding the quality of the 3D print files for the LED panel case, and you can also see some beautiful makes.

• Designer: Jonas
• Core components: Esp32 microcontroller, WS2812B LED matrix, USB-C breakout board, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Printables, GitHub

This small robot has many young fans worldwide and is a great representation of the joy that IoT can bring. While previous versions of Otto the Robot could only walk and run, this version can engage in battles and comes equipped with a ninja sword. Otto the Humanoid Ninja can be easily programmed with an intuitive and user-friendly interface, allowing even those with no experience to create a true robot.

To build this small robot, you’ll need a 3D printer to print the parts or you can order a kit from the official website. After programming, you can experiment with various maneuvers and movements on your smartphone using the app. Being open source and modular, there are many possibilities to modify and improve Otto, all while you also improve your robotics skills!

• Designer: OttoDIY
• Core components: Esp8266 microcontroller, ultrasonic sensor, servo motors, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Printables

You don’t need to spend a fortune and countless days to create a truly beautiful IoT project. In this project, ping pong balls, cardboard, and LED strips are used to create a fun and unique lamp that can enhance your decor and set the mood for any occasion.

With the help of the WLED program, getting the controls set up should be a breeze. You can experiment with different sizes for the lamp, but you’ll need a more powerful power source for larger lamps. Some tools like a soldering iron and hot glue are also necessary. Before getting started, it’s recommended to also watch the video tutorial where the designer provides helpful insights like how to calculate the diameter of the tube for the LED strip.

• Designer: sic
• Core components: Esp32 mini microcontroller, LEDs, ping pong balls, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Printables, bitluni’s lab

A summer downpour, faulty plumbing, or broken household appliances can cause leakages that may go unseen but can lead to devastating damage if not caught early enough. IoT devices are perfect for keeping watch 24/7 so you don’t have to. This project is designed to regularly measure the presence of water and its own battery level and send an email alert if attention is needed.

Every hour, the controller is activated to check the sensor, and with each activation, a value is incremented in non-volatile memory to be read in the next cycle. When the counter reaches a sum equivalent to 24 hours, an email and information are sent to a MQTT server. When not activated, the device enters a deep sleep mode to consume minimal energy.

• Designer: danielgass
• Core components: Esp12F module, USB to TTL converter, battery
• Project page: Instructables

Gone are the days when simply opening a window was enough to gauge the weather and trust that nothing unexpected would occur. The weather has indeed become increasingly unpredictable, making a small monitoring station incredibly helpful to avoid being caught off guard.

The IoT aspect of this project is that the device displays real-time information from OpenWeather in a format of your choosing. This device uses rechargeable batteries, making it completely wireless. With a low-energy e-paper display, the average battery life can be up to 3 months.

The wiring instructions and code details are available on GitHub and there’s a 3D printable case on Printables that can house everything without hassle.

• Designer: WiZeus, G6EJD
• Core components: Esp32 microcontroller, e-paper display, battery, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Printables, GitHub

Thanks to IoT devices, you don’t need to have a recent car model to get automatic parking assistance right in your own garage. This project provides an audible beep and visual indicator that lights up a red signal when the vehicle is in the proper parking position, measured by a distance sensor, thus preventing accidents or damage. At the same time, the parking spot’s status can be monitored in spreadsheets through a web interface.

Data monitoring via the browser requires the use of the Argon-compatible Particle Web IDE. Once everything is configured, it will be possible to track results through two Google spreadsheets, for example, indicating the absence or presence of a car.

• Designer: Kyah Baker, Dean Vrettos
• Core components: Particle Argon board, ultrasonic distance sensor, programmable pixel led strip
• Project page: Hackster

This simple project can be used to monitor the number of people entering a room or passing by a certain location. Such information can be highly beneficial for various sectors such as stores or classrooms. The device utilizes a sensor to detect a person and sends the information to a web interface. The good news is that this project should cost less than $22 in total.

You’ll need a soldering iron and a 3D printer to complete the small device that operates with a time-of-flight sensor at its core. This sensor is great because it’s fast and very accurate, and also poses no health risks. The author gives an in-depth explanation about the theory of both this device and other more expensive people counters for those who are interested.

During setup, it’s key to connect the device to the same network as the browser where you wish to display the count. Also, be mindful of the sensor placement, as it does not distinguish between objects and people.

• Designer: Basement Engineering
• Core components: D1 mini Esp8266 module, ToF sensor module, power bank, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Instructables

Among the many things IoT can do, this next project is a matter of life or death for your terrarium. If you don’t have a terrarium yet, don’t worry as the author has some tips on how to make one from scratch. Many other in-depth terrarium building projects can be found on Instructables if you want to explore different setups.

Regarding IoT, this project provides instructions for setting up temperature, humidity, and soil moisture sensors for monitoring your system. It’s crucial to note that the data should not be taken as an absolute value and should be combined with physical observation until you know the right parameters for your system. Once everything is set up, you can monitor all the data via a browser and even control LED lights.

• Designer: thebigpotatoe
• Core components: Esp8266 microcontroller, temperature and humidity sensor, soil moisture sensor, LEDs
• Project page: Instructables

Security is increasingly crucial worldwide, and precisely for this reason there are a multitude of commercial devices, but they tend to be expensive or even cumbersome and limited. If you have a hankering for DIY and IoT, this could be the perfect starter project for you as it offers high security and remote control.

Users will need to pass four levels of security to unlock the lock: an RFID card, a fingerprint, a PIN password, and a one-time password (OTP) generated by a Telegram Bot. In addition to access control, the system records the entry of each person with date and time, enabling enhanced management. While it may look complicated, there’s a helpful video tutorial showing the details of each step.

• Designer: make2explore
• Core components: Esp32 microcontroller, RFID reader module, fingerprint sensor, touchscreen HDMI display, solenoid lock
• Project page: Instructables

There are many areas where IoT can be used to help others, and one example is taking care of animals. Our furry (or feathery) friends are always there brightening our lives, so it’s nice to give back and show some care for your local species.

In this context, the author of this project has created a very intelligent solution that automatically provides food through an IR presence sensor when the animal approaches. IoT comes into play by monitoring the amount of food available in the compartment and notifying the user if the food runs out and needs to be replenished. Check out the device in action!

• Designer: Akshayan Sinha
• Core components: Arduino Uno, IR proximity sensor, servo motor
• Project page: Hackster

Whether to bring you more peace of mind on longer trips or add flexibility to your routine, IoT is here to help. With this project, you’ll have a practical and affordable assistant to prevent your plants from dying of thirst or too much water. You can easily refresh your plants from a computer or smartphone with this beginner-friendly device.

An interesting aspect implemented by the project’s author is the separation of the power systems into two distinct circuits. This avoids the need for using an AC power source and a DC converter, simplifying the circuit and enhancing safety in the case water accidentally ends up where it doesn’t belong.

• Designer: Robo Hub
• Core components: Esp8266 microcontroller, soil moisture sensor, submersible water pump, servo motor
• Project page: Instructables

If you already have a 3D printer and are looking for a DIY solution to avoid frustrating printing failures due to wet filaments, you’ve come to the right place. Filament drying can take hours, and while some dryers out there have some neat features, it’s not common to find devices that can be monitored remotely.

With this project, you’ll have all the information you need, including graphs, to keep an eye on humidity and avoid unpleasant surprises. The display on the box provides the sensor information (including in graphical form), but you can also access the stats through the browser on the local network. On the browser, it’s also possible to remotely control the temperature settings of the dry box. A safety thermal shutdown encoded for 60 °C is included.

• Designer: jmgk
• Core components: D1 mini Esp8266 module, OLED screen, temperature and humidity sensor
• Project page: Printables

It’s not uncommon that even with a designated place for keys and other important items, they can easily get misplaced, causing distress and delays. For those just starting out with IoT, this project is a great opportunity to discover how to create a customized PCB that’s needed to assemble this compact system.

The author provides detailed instructions on how to order a personalized board, along with all the necessary programming codes. It’s important to note that this device operates on the local network to which it is connected. Therefore, if the key is out of reach of the wireless network, the system will not function.

• Designer: Ashish Choudhary
• Core components: Esp8266-01 module, buzzer
• Project page: CircuitDigest

Surveillance of an environment through fixed cameras has its drawbacks, the most significant one being the blind spots that the camera cannot reach. In this project, you can create logins for different users to remotely control this robot through the browser and conduct remote security rounds through Wi-Fi, avoiding obstacles or unnecessary risks.

As a project that’s best for beginners looking to take their skills to the next level, the robot uses three infrared sensors to detect objects in its path, allowing you to focus on what you want to monitor. To assemble this watchdog, you’ll need to 3D print the chassis piece that the author provided as a Fusion 360 link.

• Designer: svvetal14
• Core components: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, Raspberry Pi camera module, IR sensor, servo motors, 3D printed parts
• Project page: Instructables