2026 Videos - DroneBot Workshop Forums

MicroPythonOS - Android-like OS for ESP32

DroneBot Workshop — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:21:07 +0000

MicroPythonOS is an Android-like operating system for ESP32. Let’s install it and build our own app!

https://youtu.be/TZUo0pB7qd0

An operating system for a microcontroller? Not something you see every day, so today is very special. Welcome to MicroPythonOS!

Having an OS has many advantages when programming. You don’t need to worry about things like hardware, as the OS takes care of that. This makes the code for your app very easy and lightweight.

MicroPythonOS is a new product that is constantly evolving, but it is already a stable and fast OS that not only looks a lot like Android, but also has its own App Store (no credit card required)!

Today, we will install MicroPythonOS on a Waveshare ESP32-S3 touch-screen display module. We’ll tour the OS and check out a few apps, including ones from the App Store.

Then we will install MicroPython OS and use the Thonny IDE to build our own app, a simple countdown timer. After verifying its functionality on Linux, we’ll transfer the files to the Waveshare board and check it out there. It's a simple app, but it will teach you about app structure.

Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:

00:00 - Introduction
01:44 - MicroPythonOS
04:05 - Waveshare ESP32-S3 Touch LCD
07:44 - Installing MicroPythonOS
12:59 - MicroPythonOS Apps
17:55 - Installing MicroPythonOS on Linux
27:44 - Building a MicroPythonOS App
38:18 - Conclusion

This is a really fun product that hopefully will have a bright future. And remember, if you want to play along, you can get the code and a Linux “cheat sheet” from the MicroPythonOS article on the DroneBot Workshop website.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Bill

I2C Rotary Encoder

DroneBot Workshop — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:27:49 +0000

Let’s build an Etch-a-Sketch and a Menu System with Adafruit's SeeSaw I2C Rotary Encoder!

https://youtu.be/2MHeHxy2Jsg

Rotary Encoders are really awesome controls, but conventional ones can be tricky to work with (especially if you have more than one). Enter Adafruit's SeeSaw I2C Rotary Encoder, an easy-to-use encoder module with an I2C interface. Using I2C makes it easy to hook up one, two, or even eight encoders to your microcontroller with just a few wires.

These encoders include a pushbutton switch (most encoders do) and a built-in Neopixel RGB LED (not too many encoders have that). The Adafruit “Seesaw” Library makes it really easy to include these little gems in your project.

Today, we will see how these encoders work and run some test code to demonstrate their features. Then we will build two projects.

Our first project will be a menu system that allows you to control the Color and “Blink Pattern” of a Neopixel LED. You can use this as an example of building your own menu system.

The second project is a modern adaptation of the popular Etch-a-Sketch toy. It works much like the original, except you press a button instead of shaking it upside down to erase. It even allows you to change the line color and width, which you couldn’t do on the older Etch-a-Sketch.

Here is the Table of Contents for todays video:

00:00 - Introduction
01:26 - Adafruit Seesaw I2C Encoder
05:15 - Using the I2C Encoder
17:07 - Building a Menu System
27:41 - Build an Etch-a-Sketch
35:43 - Conclusion

After using these wonderful little encoders, you won’t want to go back to the older style! I hope you enjoy the video.

Bill

XIAO ESP32-C5 - 5 GHz Wi-Fi IoT Powerhouse

DroneBot Workshop — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 18:26:38 +0000

Build a Dual-Band Wi-Fi Analyzer using the XIAO ESP32-C5, the first XIAO with 5GHz Wi-Fi!

https://youtu.be/2PrRQDiVzAA

It’s a new Seeeduino XIAO, and it’s an inexpensive IoT powerhouse! The Seeeduino XIAO ESP32-C5 is one of the first development boards powered by the amazing Espressif ESP32-C5, a microcontroller built with IoT in mind.

The ESP32-C5 is a powerful, single-core 32-bit MCU that runs at 240 MHz. It is one of the first ESP32 chips to support Wi-Fi 6, and has both 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. It also supports BLE 5, Matter, Zigbee, and Thread.

It also features a power management system that can put the board into Deep Sleep to drastically improve battery life. And speaking of batteries, the XIAO ESP32 has a built-in battery charger, so you can run everything from a 3.7-volt LiPo or LION battery.

We’ll take a look at this new microcontroller board, and then we’ll put our knowledge to use and build a dual-channel Wi-Fi signal analyzer with an LCD screen. It's a really fast project, since we can just modify some sample code from the display graphics library.

Here is the content of today's video:

00:00 - Introduction
01:45 - XIAO ESP32-C5
06:10 - IDE Setup and Testing
07:43 - XIAO ESP32-C5 Connectivity
13:31- XIAO ESP32-C5 Low Power
18:36 - Build a Dual-Band Wi-Fi Scanner
23:43 - Conclusion

This powerful board retails for under 7 US dollars, so it certainly won’t break the bank. With its multiple connectivity options and low-power features, this is sure to become the heart of many innovative IoT projects.

I hope you enjoy the video!

Bill