Wyldcard is a physical trading card made with an e-ink display. The maker designed custom electronics, wrote Rust drivers, and used AI (Stable Diffusion) to generate card art. The current cost is $20 per card, aiming for $10 at scale.
A starter prompt for Claude Code, what you'll need, and how to reach them.
You are an expert full-stack developer, proficient in hardware design, embedded Rust, and React Native. Your task is to outline the core technical components and a phased build plan for a 'smart' e-ink trading card, similar to Wyldcard, but focusing on a simpler, modular approach for a solo operator. Phase 1: Minimum Viable Hardware (1-2 weeks) Design a simple PCB layout for an off-the-shelf 2.9-inch e-ink display (e.g., Waveshare 2.9inch e-Paper Module) and an ESP32-C3 microcontroller. The PCB should include minimal components for power (USB-C charging, small LiPo battery), the e-ink display connector, and a single button. The goal is to get a basic circuit that can power the display and receive simple commands via Bluetooth LE. Phase 2: Embedded Firmware (1-2 weeks) Write embedded Rust firmware for the ESP32-C3. The firmware should initialize the e-ink display, handle low-power states, and implement a basic Bluetooth LE GATT server to receive image data (e.g., a bitmap) and display it. The single button should cycle through a few pre-loaded test images or trigger a display refresh. Phase 3: Companion App & Image Generation (1-2 weeks) Develop a basic React Native (Expo) mobile app that connects to the card via Bluetooth LE. The app should allow a user to select an image (either uploaded by the user or generated via a simple text prompt using a client-side AI image library like Stable Diffusion on-device or a cloud API). The app should then convert this image to a monochrome bitmap compatible with the e-ink display and send it over Bluetooth LE to the card. Include basic state management for connection status and image transfer. Phase 4: Enclosure & Refinement (1-2 weeks) Design a simple 3D-printable enclosure for the PCB and display. Focus on ease of printing and assembly. Refine the Rust firmware for better battery life and error handling. Improve the mobile app's UI/UX. Your output should be a detailed, step-by-step technical plan for each phase, including recommended libraries, tools, and specific API interactions. Assume a focus on readily available developer boards and components to minimize custom manufacturing until proof-of-concept. Prioritize functional proof over aesthetics in the initial phases.
I made a thing! In 2014, I was holding a stack of iPhones and thought to myself: "Hey, if I had each phone display a playing card, I could click a button and they'd shuffle themselves" I pared that idea all the way down to this: trading cards made of e-ink displays. Right now, each card costs me about $20 each, but with only a bit more scale, I think I can get that down to $10. In doing this project, I learned how to design electronics and circuit boards. I learned Rust and wrote my first driver, I upped my CAD skills, 3D printed, and did my first resin casting. I generated the images on the cards using stable-diffusion. HN always seems to appreciate new uses for e-ink. Thought I'd share :)
Reply in the HN thread (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39371714) and email the address listed in jonahss's Hacker News profile.
“I'm deeply impressed by Wyldcard and your journey in hardware. As a solo operator also exploring unique hardware/software integrations, I've built a simplified prototype leveraging off-the-shelf components and AI image generation. I'd love to share my learnings and perhaps explore collaborative opportunities or ways to bring similar novel experiences to market.”
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