Marelleo - Open-source ESP32 story box for kids
Show HN: Marelleo, an open-source story box I built for my kids using ESP32
Marelleo is a DIY, open-source story box built with an ESP32 that plays audio stories when you place an NFC-tagged figurine on top. Created by a parent frustrated with closed ecosystems like Toniebox and Lunii, it offers a screen-free, subscription-free alternative. The project documents the journey from breadboard to custom PCB and 3D-printed enclosure, emphasizing safety and durability for children. It's a hands-on guide for anyone wanting to learn electronics while making something magical for kids.
You're not buying a player, you're buying a subscription dressed up as a wooden toy. And that genuinely annoys me.
- loloquwowndueo
It’s odd because the first part sounds like it was written or at least copy-edited by a human who started getting tired and gave up, and as it goes on it sounds more and more sloppish. Nice project though.
- sandreas
Nice work. Although I'd probably had used one of the newer esp32 from seeed Studio with integrated battery pads (unfortunately the BatteryPal from PNLabs is still in the making). A DFPlayer Mini might also habe saved some time...
There also is a german project called Tonuino, which is quite similar and has lots of examples and documentation - they even designed a custom PCB which unfortunately is no longer available:
https://github.com/tonuino/TonUINO-TNG
Another rasperry focussed project that has a web interface is Phoniebox:
https://phoniebox.de/index-en.html
There also is a toniebox hack, which lets you setup a self-hosted content server:
- corroclaro
I agree with the commenters who were jarred by the heavy use of LLMisms -- the writing was genuinely painful to read. What a really fun project though!
Props for seeing it through a debugging phase, it can really be worrying when you get your boards and they just don't work.
- ofrzeta
Toniebox has a handful of patents on parts of the functionality. Not that it matters here, just a heads-up in case anyone thinks of productizing something like it :)
Things like detecting a figurine placed on top of the box with RFID/magnet and then doing something.
- wrxd
Nice project but the writing smells so much of LLM that I didn't manage to finish the article