My mini computer Using Esp32

ESP32 Mini Computer: Explore, Control, and Play from Scratch!

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ESP32 Mini Computer Project

Inspiration

I have always been fascinated by how computers work beneath the surface — not just their software, but also the seamless integration of hardware, logic circuits, and graphical user interfaces.
Instead of using off-the-shelf systems, I built a compact, custom computer using an ESP32, allowing me to explore these concepts hands-on through hardware control and an interactive web interface.

Functional Overview

This mini computer offers a variety of capabilities:

🌐 Connectivity & Utilities

  • Wi-Fi Scan – Detects nearby Wi-Fi networks
  • Wi-Fi Connect – Establishes connections to selected networks
  • Clock – Displays a real-time digital clock
  • Receive Text – Accepts messages via Wi-Fi
  • About Section – Shows project information

🟣 Hardware Control

  • LED Control – Toggle LEDs on/off via menu
  • Sound Test – Verifies buzzer functionality
  • Power Supply: Powered by a 3.7V 3800mAh Li-ion battery, providing sufficient energy for ESP32 and peripheral components

🟣 Interactive & Recreational

  • Robotic Eye Animation – Changes expressions dynamically based on mood
  • Calculator – Menu-driven calculator for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
    • Controlled using Left, Right, Up, Down, Select, and Back buttons
    • Taught me handling user input, state transitions, and real-time computation
  • Other Mini Apps – Small interactive features exploring GUI responsiveness and dynamic updates

🟣 Games

  • Space Shooter – Classic arcade-style shooting game
  • Game 2 – Additional embedded game for entertainment
  • Menu buttons allow smooth switching between games, calculator, and utilities
  • Learned game loops, collision detection, animation timing, and state management on limited hardware

Methodology of Construction

  • Hardware: ESP32 as primary processor controlling LEDs, buzzer, and sensors
  • Power: System powered by a 3.7V 3800mAh battery with stable voltage for all components
  • Web Interface: Dashboard built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Communication: HTTP requests for real-time interaction between ESP32 and web UI
  • Architecture: Modular separation of hardware logic, communication, and UI for maintainability and scalability

Challenges Encountered

  • Syncing real-time hardware state with web interface
  • Designing a responsive GUI under resource constraints
  • Debugging hardware-software integration
  • Managing multiple features in a compact, stable system

Accomplishments

  • Built a fully functional mini computer from scratch
  • Integrated hardware control with an interactive web GUI
  • Implemented calculator, animations, and games within hardware limits
  • Converted curiosity-driven exploration into a tangible, working system

Insights Gained

  • Integrating hardware and software into a cohesive system
  • Managing real-time data exchange between microcontroller and web UI
  • GUI design principles and dynamic state management
  • Modular architecture and system-level thinking
  • Problem-solving in embedded systems and interactive applications

Future Directions

  • Add persistent storage and session management
  • Enhance GUI with additional interactive elements
  • Introduce modular features for expansion
  • Improve performance and responsiveness
  • Evolve into a versatile IoT learning and experimentation platform

Check out my project on GitHub to see the full code and documentation.

Built With

  • cpp
  • ino
  • iot
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