World's Smallest ESP32 V2
The second version of the world's smallest ESP32: 15 × 21 × 4 mm with sensors, an IMU and a 64 × 32 OLED screen.
About · datasheet LC-2026 · Faro, Portugal
I build things that blink, think and move.
Hardware & firmware engineer and maker. I design and build electronics, embedded firmware, 3D prints, computer vision and AR/VR systems — from 10 mm PCBs to life-size robots and holograms.
- 01Hardware
- 02Firmware
- 03Software
1General description
Hi! I'm Luís Carlos, an electrical engineer from the University of the Algarve with a master's in Electrical and Electronic Engineering — and this is my portfolio.
I like the whole stack: drawing the schematic, routing the board, writing the firmware that wakes it up and the software people end up touching. Electronics, embedded programming, 3D printing, computer vision, augmented & virtual reality and much more.
Some builds are tiny — like the world's smallest Arduino and ESP32 boards, stacks of PCBs only 10 mm wide. Others are big enough to shake hands with you: a life-size 3D-printed humanoid robot, life-size holograms you can talk to, and interactive installations for brands and festivals.
2Characteristics
| Parameter | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Location | LOC | Faro, Portugal |
| Disciplines | D | Hardware · Firmware · Software |
| Projects documented | N | 30 |
| Active since | t₀ | 2012 |
| Categories | CAT | Electronics · 3D Printing · Robotics · AR / VR · Interactive · Wearables · Brand Activation · Games · Personal |
| Status | EN | Open to collaborations, brand activations and hardware prototyping. |
3Typical applications
4Bill of materials
What goes into a build — the parts list behind every project on this site.
| Item | Designator | Qty | Value / description | Package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| // Hardware6 parts | ||||
| 01 | U1 | 1 | Schematic capture | HARDWARE |
| 02 | U2 | 1 | Multi-layer PCB design | HARDWARE |
| 03 | U3 | 1 | HDI / stacked boards | HARDWARE |
| 04 | U4 | 1 | Power & battery design | HARDWARE |
| 05 | U5 | 1 | LEDs & displays | HARDWARE |
| 06 | U6 | 1 | Sensors | HARDWARE |
| // Firmware6 parts | ||||
| 07 | FW1 | 1 | ESP32 / ESP-IDF | FIRMWARE |
| 08 | FW2 | 1 | Arduino / AVR | FIRMWARE |
| 09 | FW3 | 1 | STM32 | FIRMWARE |
| 10 | FW4 | 1 | USB devices | FIRMWARE |
| 11 | FW5 | 1 | Real-time LED rendering | FIRMWARE |
| 12 | FW6 | 1 | Wireless (Wi-Fi, BLE) | FIRMWARE |
| // Software6 parts | ||||
| 13 | SW1 | 1 | Unity 3D | SOFTWARE |
| 14 | SW2 | 1 | C# / C++ | SOFTWARE |
| 15 | SW3 | 1 | Computer vision | SOFTWARE |
| 16 | SW4 | 1 | AR / VR | SOFTWARE |
| 17 | SW5 | 1 | Web | SOFTWARE |
| 18 | SW6 | 1 | Python | SOFTWARE |
| // Fabrication5 parts | ||||
| 19 | M1 | 1 | 3D printing | FABRICATION |
| 20 | M2 | 1 | Animatronics | FABRICATION |
| 21 | M3 | 1 | Mechanical design | FABRICATION |
| 22 | M4 | 1 | Prototyping | FABRICATION |
| 23 | M5 | 1 | Installations | FABRICATION |
| 23 line itemsAll parts populated · RoHS-ish · hand-soldered | ||||
5Revision history
- REV A2012
EL Wire Suit
More than 20 metres of EL wire and a custom controller — one of the first wearable builds.
- REV B2013
Pool Live AR
Augmented-reality pool trainer born in the Computer Vision course of the MSc at the University of the Algarve — 20+ radio and TV interviews.
- REV C2015
Gyro Glove · PRHOLO
A sensor glove for sign-language translation, and life-size interactive holograms as a research fellow at UAlg, later productised at SPIC – Creative Solutions.
- REV D2016
Brand activations & full-scale prints
Interactive systems for RTP and EDP at the summer festivals, and the full-scale 3D print of The Chemical Brothers' “Wide Open” dancer with The Mill.
- REV E2018
Smart Cufflinks
Cufflinks with round OLED screens.
- REV F2019
LED CUBE
24,576 LEDs, batteries inside, real-time animations from Unity 3D.
- REV G2020
World's Smallest ESP32
Six stacked 4-layer PCBs in a 10 mm cube.
- REV H2021
World's Smallest ESP32 V2
Sensors, IMU and an OLED screen in 15 × 21 × 4 mm.
- REV INow
Hardware & firmware engineer
Designing hardware and firmware for security, IoT and smart-home products — and still building tiny boards and LED cubes at night.
06 — Contact
Pinout
Need a board designed, a firmware written or an installation built? Pick a pin.
STATUSOpen to collaborations, brand activations and hardware prototyping.