Inspiration
We were inspired by how difficult it can be for beginners and students to get started with robotics. Writing Arduino code, wiring motors and sensors, and debugging circuits can take hours — often discouraging new makers. We wanted to create a tool that makes robotics accessible, fast, and interactive, letting users focus on creativity instead of setup.
What it does
Auto Hardware Lab turns a simple text description into a working robot simulation. Type a prompt like “line-following robot with LEDs and ultrasonic sensors”, and it instantly generates:
Arduino code
A parts list
A visual 2D robot simulation with motors, LEDs, and sensor feedback
Users can tweak components or code in real-time and see the robot respond immediately.
How we built it
We used:
Frontend: React with Canvas and simple 2D rendering for robot simulation
Backend: Node.js to call Gemini 3 API for text-to-code generation
AI: Gemini 3 interprets natural language prompts into Arduino code and component layouts
Components like motors, LEDs, and ultrasonic sensors were mapped to simple visual animations to simulate movement and sensor responses.
Challenges we ran into
Real-time updates: Ensuring that tweaking components dynamically updated code without lag was tricky.
Balancing simplicity and realism: We wanted the simulation to look convincing but remain lightweight and fast.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
A working AI-powered prototype that converts text prompts into code, parts lists, and a live simulation.
Real-time code updates when users interact with components.
A visually clear and interactive demo that judges and users can understand in seconds.
What we learned
How to integrate AI for hardware and code generation.
How to make simulations intuitive, even without physical hardware.
What's next for Nexus Hardware Lab
Add more robot types and IoT devices for experimentation.
Expand to 3D simulation for a more realistic visualization.
Enable exportable hardware plans and Arduino/Raspberry Pi-ready code.
Integrate AI suggestions for optimizing robot performance and safety.
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