GoKawiilFather-son duo build handheld game console inside Altoids tin using salvaged robot parts
A father and his 12-year-old son spent roughly two months converting a free robot kit, picked up at MIT Swapfest, into a miniature handheld gaming device housed in an Altoids tin. The project evolved through several versions, moving from a repurposed display and Arduino to a smaller Arduino Nano with LiPo battery power, as they worked to fit all components inside the tin while running simple games.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project illustrates how hobbyist electronics, open community knowledge (like forum-posted schematics), and iterative hardware design can turn discarded or free components into a working custom device. It also highlights a current limitation of AI tools, which the builders say produced an inaccurate pinout, underscoring that community-sourced technical documentation can still outperform AI assistance for niche hardware problems.
- A free robot kit from a swap meet became the basis for a DIY handheld gaming device.
- The project went through multiple design iterations (v1-v3) to fit components into an Altoids tin.
- AI assistance failed to correctly identify a display's pinout, while a human-posted forum schematic succeeded.
Arduino Uno R3 Starter Kit — If you loved this father-son Altoids tin computer build, an Arduino starter kit is the perfect next step for more hands-on electronics projects. It includes the microcontroller plus breadboards, jumper wires, and sensors to experiment with displays and games just like the Space Trash project. A great way to keep the curiosity and tinkering going with your kids.
See Arduino Uno R3 Starter Kit on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: uvdn7.github.io — Lu'S Blog, 2026-10-31
Published there as: “Altoids Project”
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