STANFORD
We fund projects and help Stanford students build real things. Like a Renaissance workshop, but with 3D printers.
BEGIN YOUR JOURNEYHelping students build real things
We give Stanford students money, space, and support to work on engineering projects. No experience required—just bring an idea or join an existing project.
We have projects for all skill levels. Whether you've never touched a soldering iron or you've been tinkering since middle school, there's something for you. Learning by doing is the whole point.
Most projects are collaborative—like the workshops of old, we believe the best inventions come from working together.
What we care about
We care more about what you learn than what you ship. Failed projects are fine—that's how you figure things out. Document what you tried and what you learned.
Most projects are group efforts. You'll work with other students, share what you're building, and help each other out. It's more fun that way.
We have beginner, intermediate, and advanced projects. Start wherever makes sense for you. People who've done it before help people who haven't.
What people are building right now
Build a 8x8x8 LED cube that responds to music and displays 3D animations. Good intro to soldering, microcontrollers, and basic code.
Design and build your own keyboard from scratch—PCB, case, firmware. You pick the layout, switches, and features.
Build a low-power display that shows your calendar, weather, and tasks. Runs for months on a single charge.
Build a small robot that can navigate campus and deliver snacks. Computer vision, path planning, and real-world robotics.
Build a voice assistant that runs entirely on local hardware—no cloud. Privacy-first, customizable, and actually useful.
Design and build a custom racing drone from scratch. Then learn to fly it without crashing (much).
Building a low-cost, reliable ventilator for resource-limited hospitals. Medical device design with real-world impact.
Building EEG-based input devices for accessibility and gaming. Neuroscience meets hardware meets machine learning.
Designing a satellite small enough to fit in your hand. Goal: actually launch it.
From apprentice to master
Learn basic CAD, simple electronics, and how to use the shop tools. Low-pressure projects where you can mess up and learn.
More complex projects with multiple systems working together. You'll start making real design decisions.
Open-ended problems where you figure out the approach. Often involves multiple engineering disciplines.
No experience required. If you want to build something, we want to help you do it.