Hardware engineer uses Claude to design an open-source pocket recorder down to CNC drawings
DounderShtyc · reddit · 2026-10-19
A hardware engineer tested whether a plain Claude agent with tools could do real hardware design, targeting an open-source DIY clone of the Pocket phone recorder (ESP32, two mics, battery, aluminium case).
What the agent did autonomously:
- Built its own toolchain: CadQuery, OpenSCAD previews, matplotlib drawings, plus real STEP models of the XIAO ESP32S3 and mic boards
- Found the reverse-engineered pocket-libre protocol and proposed firmware compatibility so the existing desktop app (local Whisper, summaries) just works
- Wrote the enclosure as one parametric script with automated interference checks on every build
- Iterated 15mm → 12.2mm → full aluminium shell (80x48x12.6mm); caught that the USB-C receptacle must sit within 0.4mm of the outer face, and added a translucent window for the antenna/LED through the metal lid
- Self-reviewed DFM and found real flaws: mics hanging 1mm below recess, unsupported button, countersinks breaking out
- Produced machining drawings with tolerances, STEP files, wiring diagram, and a sourced BOM via an MCP server (nexteverything.io) pulling live stock/prices from JLCPCB, Mouser, Digi-Key — and even placed a $65 test order for 2 units
- Scripted a Blender scene for renders
Limits: nothing built yet, firmware is a spec, and all product decisions (thickness, all-metal, colors) were human calls. Key takeaway: code-based CAD fits LLMs well since they can verify their own geometry; the weakest link is physical-world parts and ordering. Fully open source on GitHub.
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