Lun-E : Getting Started with Open Source Hardware

We're running a short, hands-on workshop (about 1 hr 30 min) to help people take their first real step into hardware by building and understanding Lun-E, a small tracked desktop robot. It's presented by whybit.in in collaboration with PCBCUPID. Lun-E was called T-01 Explorer earlier, so you may have seen it under that name.

Most people want to get into hardware but don't know where to start. This session is meant to remove that barrier by showing how things actually work. We'll cover how to explore open-source hardware, how to get started from scratch, and how to get comfortable with the tools involved. Along the way we'll walk through the full lifecycle of building a hardware project: picking components, wiring, assembly, debugging, and testing.

A big part of the session is about how Lun-E was built. Why we chose certain components, how we kept costs low, what trade-offs we made, and the story of how the project started. Lun-E is an ESP32 robot with tank treads, differential steering, animated OLED eyes, and a wireless ESP-NOW link, so participants get to see how a few cheap parts add up to something that feels alive. Everything is open source under GPL v3.

The workshop is run by two people: Harshith of whybit.in, who built Lun-E, and Srinivasan, who runs PCBCUPID.

We'll provide all the components so everyone can build and follow along. We'll have to collect them at the end, since they're too expensive for us to give away 🫠.

By the end, participants should have a clearer idea of how to get into hardware, how to start their own DIY projects, and how to find their way around the open-source hardware ecosystem with confidence.

• Open Hardware exists

• Understand the fundamentals of hardware

• Learn how to enter and navigate the open source hardware ecosystem

• Gain hands-on experience by building a complete hardware system (T-01 Explorer)

• Develop the ability to go from idea to working prototype

• Learn how to select and use components like sensors, modules, and development boards

• Build confidence to create your own DIY hardware products

• Get introduced to rapid prototyping methods for faster development

• Understand the workflow of designing, assembling, and testing hardware

• Discover tools, platforms, and communities to continue building beyond the workshop