Make: Magazine, Volume 91 - PDF

Make: Volume 91 - Core Strength: Boards Guide 2025

In this issue of Make: we make friends — literally! Build your own companion robot with a Raspberry Pi 5, and then give it a voice using AI and a large language model running locally. No internet required! Or keep it simple and build a friendly bot with a micro:bit and a few servos.

Next, get an overview of the latest new dev boards, including offerings from Adafruit, Seeed, Sparkfun, Pimoroni, and more, that use Raspberry Pi’s second-gen, double dual-core RP2350 chip. And, get started with new Arduino libraries and example projects for cheap ESP32+LCD boards.

Special Bonus — Make: Guide to Boards 2025 You know Raspberry Pi and Arduino, but the waters run deep for microcontrollers and single board computers. From onboard screens, to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, to AI capabilities, we show you 77 new boards that have exactly what you’re looking for to power your next project. Plus, 38+ projects:

* Embed tiny mirrors and mesh into your 3D prints to create sparkling fabrics

* Get the perfect pitch with an autotune kazoo

* Make a battery using your favorite sports drink

* Laser cut a creative ski chalet birdhouse for your feathered friends

* Use an Arduino for professional looking DMX lighting

* Make a walk-in camera obscura to project the outside world inside (and upside down)

* Expose spy tech with the budget K18 Bug Detector

* And much more!