I’m on a similar page, using 3d printing and arduino/pi/motors for basic toy automation. My first project was not robotic, but an automated hydroponic system.

I’m on a similar page, using 3d printing and arduino/pi/motors for basic toy automation. My first project was not robotic, but an automated hydroponic system. The automation is dead simple but I’ve been really pleased with it. It’s one tent divided into a nutrient film technique section and a flood and drain section. Just timers, fans, and pumps, and a lot of 3d printed parts to pull it together. Now I’m really interested in automation of my nutrient reservoir. I suspect it’s a terrible idea, but I’m happy to learn from failures. The gist of it is a system that occasionally reads the total dissolved solids and pH of the reservoir, then automatically adds the correct amount of nutrient, pH balancing solution, and water to balance the system again. No where near as interesting or challenging as a robotic arm that moves chess pieces, but, baby steps!