Hardware and software designed together

We build cubeBox as a connected device experience spanning physical hardware, embedded software and a browser-based management application. Its expressive display and configurable behaviour make the relationship between device and software tangible.

Embedded engineering

The project uses ESP32 hardware and firmware to drive device behaviour and visual expressions. Development spans board-specific capabilities, configuration, communication and the practical constraints of running software on an embedded device. The green face shown here is original expression artwork used by the project.

The owner Garage

A React-based Garage gives owners a place to manage their device, settings, expressions and commands. MQTT connects the device and application. Telemetry and acknowledgements help distinguish a command being sent from a device reporting that it has applied a change.

Provisioning and firmware lifecycle

The project includes browser USB provisioning and signed over-the-air firmware updates. Revisioned settings and staged release workflows help coordinate device configuration and software delivery. Simulated previews are kept distinct from device-reported behaviour.

Automation and AI integration

The architecture allows optional automation and voice-provider integrations to connect with device capabilities. These depend on provider configuration and testing; they are not presented as an always-on autonomous AI feature. Our approach is to connect each integration to a defined action and provide feedback about what the device has actually done.

What the project demonstrates

cubeBox brings together hardware integration, firmware, IoT messaging, web interfaces and product operations. We can apply that experience to connected products where the challenge extends beyond a conventional website or mobile app.