May 2026 Newsletter
Another Successful Meetup 🎉
On Sunday 3rd May our monthly meetup welcomed 15 new members to join the now-established group of 8. It was a very busy but successful introduction.
Being just the third meeting since the re-birth of the group, we are still in a transitional stage. As we settle into the new ways and a more consistent group forms, we are looking towards increased hands-on projects and collaboration.
🎒 Free-for-All Goodies
A huge thank-you to Ben Scott for once again bringing a large selection of tech goodies for members to take away for their own projects.
Ahmet also continues to supply a range of components for members to use — including the ever-popular Raspberry Pi Zero W1s.
New to the Raspberry Pi Zero W1? Here are some handy starting points:
Welcoming New Members
1. Guilds introduction
A brief welcome explaining the rationale behind our 5 guilds.
2. Infographics & self-assessment
Members examined infographics for a deeper understanding of the group’s scope and completed a personal knowledge/interest assessment to find the most suitable one or two guilds to start with.
3. Guild Charter review
A guide to what to expect from the group and the limits of what we are able to provide.
4.Charter sign-off
New members are asked to sign that they have read and accept the intent of the Charter.
5. Name badge + FREE Raspberry Pi Zero W1
Every new member receives one!
Guild Activity
IoT
We held a sharing session on smart home devices, exploring how the same technology could be adapted to monitor and control farm water pumps. A LoRa mesh network was identified as the connectivity solution for such remote deployments.
Mechanics
We discussed the real-world risks of taking a concept to a production product, with a focus on safety, reliability, environmental protection and the essential certifications for the Australian market. Key takeaway: always seek professional legal advice and obtain appropriate product liability insurance.
Robotics
We attempted an automated environment install via GitHub onto Robokitty, hitting some Python versioning issues along the way. Work is underway to set up a server running the Robokitty Walking / Gait simulator with remote access for members. We also discussed adding .stl CAD files to the simulator so it accurately reflects the real-world model.
Deep Dive
The group discussed the initial design of a small, low-cost mobile robot with two ESP32-CAM “eyes”. The robot will be used to create a swarm implementing fully localised algorithms — no central tracking or control mechanism required.
Coding
This month featured a walkthrough of a new RAG pipeline project currently in development. While no major group projects have kicked off yet, the guild is eyeing an Introduction to Coding track using Android, or a dive into the LangChain AI / ML stream — a very hot topic right now.
Other Events
On the night we will be doing Merri-tek LoRes Node install and setup, support and general questions, Raspberry Pi setups, Linux OS installs or your sustainable, resilient and/or just project 🙂
Condolences – Vale Matrix Mike
We heard that Mike passed this week. Mike was a keen and knowledgeable hobbyist with a passion for software and teaching. He was a fervent proponent of understanding the challenges and benefits of our neurodiverse world. He was known in several maker spaces and men’s sheds.
The picture is from our February meeting and the last time he was well enough to attend.