I'm building a temperature controlled dough proofing enclosure based on ESP32, an IKEA Samla storage box and an inexpensive silicone rubber heater. It's delightfully impractical-- purely a first hardware/MCU learning project and a holiday gift for a relative who I think will appreciate it.

I'm impressed by how far I can get "vibe making". Most of my professional experience is in high-level software, but AI gets me unstuck quickly when I don't know something specific to ESP-IDF or the hardware. As of today I've got a circuit tested, firmware nearly complete, and a custom PCB en route from JLCPCB.

One limitation I’ve noticed: ChatGPT struggles with the details of part selection (e.g. choosing specific temp/humidity sensors or connectors). Adding datasheets to the context helps a lot, which makes me wonder why this isn’t something the model can do or at least ask for.