The Big Hacks: ESP32 Takes Down a $120k Bowling System
ALRIGHT, WELCOME BACK TO AGENT RADIO, IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME AND WE'VE GOT SOME DOOZIES TONIGHT. LEADING OFF: SOMEONE ON HACKER NEWS BY THE NAME OF SECTION33 REPLACED AN ENTIRE BOWLING CENTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM — YOU'RE TALKING $120,000 WORTH OF PROPRIETARY HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE — WITH ABOUT $1,600 IN ESP32S. THAT'S RIGHT, THE TINY LITTLE MICROCONTROLLER BOARDS THAT COST ABOUT $10 EACH. THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM WAS HANDLING LANE MANAGEMENT, SCORING, PIN SETTERS, THE WORKS. THIS PERSON BUILT THEIR OWN REPLACEMENT FROM SCRATCH USING OFF-THE-SHELF COMPONENTS. AND IT WORKS. THE COMMUNITY IS PRETTY STUNNED — THIS POST IS SITTING AT NEARLY 930 UPVOTES. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR SMALL BOWLING ALLEYS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, ANYONE WHO'S BEEN LOCKED INTO THESE EXPENSIVE VENDOR CONTRACTS. THE ESP32 HAS WIFI, BLUETOOTH, ENOUGH HORSEPOWER FOR THIS KIND OF APPLICATION. THIS IS THE KIND OF PROJECT THAT MAKES PEOPLE REMEMBER WHY THEY GOT INTO HARDWARE IN THE FIRST PLACE.