G
Gaudi Labs
gaudi.ch · Personal blog · on HN since 2015
Gaudi Labs publishes open hardware projects such as OpenTheremin, OpenDrop, PocketPCR, and a DVD laser scanning microscope.
What HN saysHN commenters praise OpenTheremin and mention PocketPCR as a cheaper alternative to other thermocyclers. They also point to the DVD laser microscope project.
18HN people shared it
10linked it in comments
9stories submitted
819story points
3 months agolast shared
2015people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1DVD Laser Scanner Microscope5 people · 508 points · first shared 2021 · 40 comments on HN
- 2OpenDrop3 people · 96 points · first shared 2017 · 19 comments on HN
- 3OpenTheremin V43 people · 6 points · first shared 2024 · discussion on HN
- 4PocketPCR2 people · 124 points · first shared 2020 · 30 comments on HN
- 5LaserTweezer – Optical Trap1 people · 79 points · first shared 2025 · 5 comments on HN
- 6DIY Open Source Single Photon Generator and Detector1 people · 5 points · first shared 2025 · 2 comments on HN
- 7OpenDrop – Digital Microfludics Plattform1 people · 1 points · first shared 2015 · discussion on HN
- 8Opentheremin v31 people · first shared 2020
- 9Pits 1024x529.png1 people · first shared 2021
- 10LaserScanCD.png1 people · first shared 2021
- 11GaudiLabs1 people · first shared 2021
- 12Index1 people · first shared 2019
What HN people wrote when they linked it
Intermernet · 2025-05-06
OpenTheremin is great. I have a v3 (which I'm trying to port to TinyGo for fun) but v4 is apparently awesome.
https://www.gaudi.ch/OpenTheremin/
joshuamcginnis · 2020-08-03
There's also PocketPCR[0] and MiniPCR[1]. $499 for OpenPCR is still pricey imo when you can buy a proper programmable thermocycler with heated top for less than half on eBay, presuming it actually works.
I'm documenting my journey in self-learning genetic engineering[2][3] and in the market for PCR and electrophoresis setup, so I'd be happy to hear what folks recommend.
[0] https://www.minipcr.com/
[1] http://gaudi.ch/PocketPCR/
[2] https://everymanbio.com/
[3] https://www.instagram.com/everymanbio/
bobbiechen · 2026-08-19
Very impressed by the responsiveness of this. But I gotta say, it's much more fun to play a physical theremin, which has slightly different controls (two antennae, one controlling volume and the other pitch).
https://www.gaudi.ch/OpenTheremin/ will run with an Arduino and it's very satisfying to get better at controlling.
terramex · 2022-10-04
Here's another take at DVD laser scanning microscope from 2 years ago with open source Arduino code and PCB design: http://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/?page_id=652
ros86 · 2022-09-19
There are indeed a few practical applications. Next to Berkely lights, there is e.g. the LabChip from PerkinElmer that separates DNA and proteins. I had hoped that there would be many more examples by now. Most presentations that I see about microfluids still go in a lot of detail on how difficult it is to make. This hasn't really changed over the last decade, which signals to me we still need quite some innovation to make this mainstream.
If you want to play around with digital microfluids at home, check out the OpenDrop from gaudi.ch (http://www.gaudi.ch/OpenDrop/). I haven't played around with it yet, as I haven't found a practical use of this.
dbuder · 2021-11-26
fest · 2021-04-09
There's also this recent DIY project: laser confocal microscope which also seems to be a fun build: http://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/?page_id=652
Laser confocal microscope seems to be a little more relatable/less abstract (um vs nanometer scale).
ipsum2 · 2021-02-04
From the same website: http://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/?page_id=328
> To use a regular usb computer web-cam as a microscope, only a few modifications are needed. Basically flipping the lens upside down does the trick. No extra optics needed
martyvis · 2021-02-04
It seems almost meta that they have scanned the pips on a CD https://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/wp-content/uploads/LaserScanCD.png
veonik · 2021-02-03
The bumps are 740nm apart, but the laser is 1.1micrometer wide or 1100nm as shown in this diagram https://www.gaudi.ch/GaudiLabs/wp-content/uploads/Pits-1024x529.png