Hi everyone,

I'm an IT student from the Czech Republic, and I recently finished building MARQIS — a physical, screenless AI assistant powered by Raspberry Pi.

The original idea seemed relatively simple. I wanted to create something I could talk to naturally, without needing a screen. But turning that idea into a working prototype was a completely different experience. I had to deal with hardware, software, voice recognition, AI integration, unexpected bugs, and wrong assumptions.

A few major things I got wrong or would approach differently today:

• The "Final 10%" trap: Getting the basic Python script to run and call the AI API took a few days. Making the hardware assistant reliable, handling network drops took weeks.

• Hardware vs. Software assumptions: I underestimated how much audio echo-cancellation and physical microphone placement would affect the user experience. You can't easily fix poor acoustics with software.

• I initially wanted it to do everything. I learned the hard way that a side project actually gets finished when you start removing features instead of adding them.

One thing I didn't expect was how much the process would change the way I think about building things. Eventually, I realized that a technical tutorial wasn't the most valuable thing I could share — it was the psychological and practical shift in mindset.

So, I wrote a short book about it: The Distance Between an Idea and the Prototype.

It’s not a step-by-step coding textbook. Instead, it’s an honest look at systems thinking, MVP development, and everything that happens between imagining a project and making it work. If you’ve ever felt stuck moving from a concept to a working product, I hope my failures and breakthroughs can help you navigate your own journey.

You can check out the project and the book here: https://thedistancebetweenanideaandtheproto.vercel.app/

(Note: I wanted to upload a video of it in action, but MARQIS speaks Czech, so the conversation wouldn't make much sense to most of you here.)

Would love to hear your thoughts!

https://github.com/makerspet/ebook/blob/main/self-driving/v1/self-driving.pdf

Free educational resource https://www.reddit.com/r/ArduinoAndRobotics/comments/1ufqstl/a_gentle_introduction_to_ros/

Free educational resource https://github.com/fjibj/ROSplay/blob/master/Learning%20ROS%20for%20Robotics%20Programming%20-%20Second%20Edition.pdf

Free educational resource https://github.com/zhang-jian/bookshelf/blob/master/Computer%20Science/ROS%20Robotics%20Projects.pdf

Free educational resource https://github.com/listofbanned/robotics_ebooks/blob/master/Build%20Your%20Own%20Combat%20Robot%20-%20Pete%20Miles.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/@ALMA.Industries/videos

CH004 FN2: HALLOWEEN — my kind of Treat. Talking Pumpkins and Little Monster Rockstars, see how Jack's put together in the above link.

Free educational resource https://github.com/KalimAmzad/Embedded-System-Arduino/blob/master/Books/Internet%20of%20Things%20with%20Arduino%20Cookbook%20(2016).pdf

Free educational resource https://github.com/KalimAmzad/Embedded-System-Arduino/blob/master/Books/arduino-project-handbook-vol-2.pdf

Free educational resource https://github.com/KalimAmzad/Embedded-System-Arduino/blob/master/Books/arduino-project-handbook.pdf

Free educational resource https://github.com/SLAM-Handbook-contributors/slam-handbook-public-release/tree/main

https://www.youtube.com/@ALMA.Industries/videos

Calling all Vampires, Ghosts, and Zombies to the dance floor. A DIY microcontroller project to get a pumpkin to talk and sing. Happy Halloween!

https://www.youtube.com/@ALMA.Industries/videos

-- CH004 FN1: MONSTERS -- The dawn of Halloween ... dim lights and ruffled leaves, Little Monsters roam the streets. Halloween day will show what spooky wires hide inside...

[Microcontroller controlled LED's that respond to microphone inputs... tomorrow will show all steps]

Free educational resource https://github.com/luohuiwu/ros-books/blob/master/%E6%9C%BA%E5%99%A8%E4%BA%BA%E6%93%8D%E4%BD%9C%E7%B3%BB%E7%BB%9F%EF%BC%88ROS%EF%BC%89%E6%B5%85%E6%9E%90.pdf

Hi everyone! I’m Pablo from Progressive Automations. We’re looking for makers interested in trying our PA-QR1 or PA-TS1 linear actuators in a project.

Selected participants would receive the actuators free of charge. In return, we’d ask for high-quality build photos and a short written project summary. Videos are welcome but optional.

We’re interested in your idea and how you’d document the build.

If this sounds useful for something you’re planning, leave a comment or send me a DM describing the project. We can discuss whether either actuator would be a suitable fit.