---
growth: sprout
---
# Concepts — HHS Hackers

Hardware/software hacking collective. Chris + former students (Matt, Kyle).

## Active Projects

| Project | Status | Key Concepts |
|---------|--------|---------------|
| ComBadge | Research | ESP32-S3, wearable, voice AI, PicoClaw, Wi-Fi |
| Tricorder | Design | ESP32-S3, sensors, UniHiker, voice, PicoClaw |
| Pi-hole Router | Planning | DNS, firewall, router, CM4, VLAN, network config |
| AI Rig Upgrade | GPU Shopping | GPU Passthrough, Ollama, local AI inference |
| Android Head Unit | Planning | CAN bus, car telemetry, voice AI, head unit |
| AI Desktop Companion | Research | M5Stack, StackChan, voice robot |
| Brewery PID Replacement | Prototyping | ESP32-S3, ESPHome, Home Assistant, PID, PT100 |

## Core Skills

- **ESP32-S3** — embedded development, low-level hardware
- **Voice AI** — hotword detection, speech-to-text, local LLM
- **Home networking** — DNS, DHCP, firewall, VLAN, router config
- **Home Assistant** — home automation, dashboarding, integrations
- **Hawk** — multi-agent systems, exec management
- **Docker** — containerized services
- **CAD/3D printing** — case design

## Knowledge Dependencies (Skills needed for projects)

```
ESP32-S3 dev
├── C/Arduino SDK
├── esp-idf or Arduino framework
├── I2C/SPI protocols
├── Wi-Fi (station + AP modes)
└── BLE (optional)

Voice AI
├── Wake word / hotword detection
├── Speech-to-text (on-device or API)
├── Local LLM integration
└── Text-to-speech

Home Networking
├── DNS fundamentals ← Pi-hole requires this
├── DHCP fundamentals
├── Port forwarding / NAT
├── Firewall rules (iptables/nftables)
├── VLANs ← Natural next step after basic networking
└── VPN basics

Home Assistant
├── YAML configuration
├── ESPHome integration
├── Entities, automations
└── Dashboard (HA Lovelace)

ComBadge / Tricorder
├── ESP32-S3
├── Sensor selection / I2C
├── Battery management
├── Enclosure design
└── Voice AI pipeline

Pi-hole Router
├── DNS ← FOUNDATION (needed first!)
├── DHCP
├── Network routing
├── Firewall
├── VLANs ← after basic networking
└── VPN (optional, advanced)
```

## Gap Analysis for Chris

Chris is strong on: hardware, ESP32, soldering, circuit design
Chris is weak on: 
- **Networking fundamentals** — DNS, DHCP, VLANs, firewall rules. He keeps running into networking gaps when doing Pi-hole and router projects. This is the biggest gap.
- **3D CAD** — designing cases/enclosures. Has printer but not using it effectively for project enclosures.
- **Software architecture** — can build circuits but wiring multiple services together (Home Assistant, ESPHome, dashboards) takes too long.

## Gap Detection Map

When Chris works on:
- **Pi-hole** → He needs DNS fundamentals first, then DHCP, then firewall, then VLANs
- **ComBadge/Tricorder** → He knows ESP32 well, but voice AI pipeline is new. Needs hotword → STT → LLM → TTS understanding.
- **Brewery PID** → He's learning ESPHome + Home Assistant integration, which is mostly YAML config.

## Recurring Topics

1. **ESP32-S3** — appears in ComBadge, Tricorder, PID controller, AI Desktop Companion
2. **Voice AI** — ComBadge, Tricorder, Android Head Unit, AI Desktop Companion
3. **Home networking** — Pi-hole, VLANs, router replacement
4. **Local AI inference** — Ollama, GPU setup, ComBadge backend
5. **Home Assistant** — fermentation dashboard, PID controllers, automation