Best 20 XIAO Projects in 2025: Community Highlights, Applications, and Top Contributors
2025 was a defining year for the Seeed Studio XIAO ecosystem. New boards, add-ons, and software support expanded what makers could build, while the global community pushed XIAO far beyond its “tiny dev board” reputation. From AI-powered wearables and FPV drones to Matter-ready smart home sensors, XIAO projects in 2025 were more creative, practical, and ambitious than ever.
This post brings together the 20 best XIAO projects of 2025, highlights the top application trends, and recognizes the top XIAO contributors who helped shape the ecosystem. It also links to our official livestream, XIAO 2025 in Review & First XIAO of 2026: ESP32‑C5, where these projects and contributors were celebrated live.
Watch the livestream: XIAO 2025 in Review & Top 20 Projects + First XIAO of 2026 (ESP32‑C5)
Top Applications of XIAO in 2025
Based on community projects, tutorials, and real-world deployments, Seeed Studio XIAO was most commonly used in the following application areas in 2025. These categories reflect how developers moved from experiments toward practical, product-like builds.
1. Smart Home (Home Assistant / ESPHome)
Localized, producible sensors, relays, and gateways designed to work without cloud dependency. Many projects emphasized reliability, privacy, and easy integration into existing smart home setups.
In 2025, developers commonly used XIAO ESP32-C6 for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter-enabled devices, while XIAO ESP32-C3 remained a popular choice for simple Wi-Fi sensors and ESPHome nodes. Typical examples include temperature and humidity sensors, motion detectors, custom relays, and locally controlled Home Assistant devices.
2. Low-Power Information Screens
Always-on dashboards and displays for families, offices, and makerspaces. These projects focused on ultra-low power consumption and long refresh intervals.
Projects in this category often relied on XIAO ESP32-C3 for its power efficiency, while XIAO ESP32-S3 was used when more memory or display complexity was required. Common builds included ePaper dashboards, electronic shelf labels, calendars, and status displays.
3. Creative Electronics
Expressive projects that blend electronics with design, lighting, and interaction. These builds often became desk gadgets, art installations, or practical everyday tools.
Makers frequently chose XIAO ESP32-C3 for connected lighting and WLED-based projects, while XIAO RP2040 was favored for deterministic control and USB-based gadgets. Examples ranged from smart LED light bars and animated OLED displays to interactive toys and custom controllers.
4. Off-Grid Communication
Ultra-compact outdoor nodes built for remote locations, solar power, and long-range communication where traditional infrastructure is unavailable.
For off-grid use, developers paired XIAO nRF52840 with SX1262 LoRa modules to build Meshtastic relays, outdoor sensor nodes, and portable communication devices designed for low power and long-range operation.
5. Edge AI & Vision
Product-like AI projects that run locally on-device, including cameras, voice assistants, and smart wearables.
Nearly all projects in this category were built on XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense, taking advantage of its camera support, microphone, PSRAM, and compatibility with TinyML workflows. Use cases covered computer vision, sound detection, gesture recognition, and assistive technologies.
6. Input Devices
Custom wireless input hardware designed for productivity, accessibility, and ergonomics.
Builders typically used XIAO nRF52840 for BLE-based keyboards and ZMK firmware support, while XIAO RP2040 appeared in USB and hybrid input devices. Popular projects included split keyboards, macro pads, dongle screens, and gesture-based controllers.
Top 20 XIAO Projects of 2025
The following projects were selected from YouTube, GitHub, Instructables, and Hackster based on popularity, originality, and technical depth.
1. ESP-FLY by Max Imagination
A pocket-sized quadcopter built with XIAO ESP32-S3 and a custom PCB. Controlled over phone Wi-Fi, with a 3D/PVC frame, this low-cost DIY micro drone showcases how far compact hardware can go in FPV and robotics.Spoiler, this tiny drone will be launched on Seeed webstore soon via our Co-Create program. Stay tuned.
2. Cyberpunk Pocket Watch by abe’s project
A cyberpunk-style pocket watch powered by XIAO RP2040 and the 1.27’’ Round Display for XIAO. It shows time, weekdays, moon phases, battery life, and even a hidden triangle meter inspired by 1980s aesthetics.
3. Smart Home Assistant Sensor by FEATURE
A beginner-friendly tutorial using ESPHome and XIAO ESP32-C6 to build a custom smart home sensor with no coding required, designed for seamless Home Assistant integration.
4. Dasai Mochi by upir
A digital pocket-pet animation running on an SSD1306 OLED, powered by XIAO ESP32-S3, with expressive Rive-based graphics that turn a tiny display into a playful companion.
5. Wi-Fi HaLow Cam by Data Slayer
A tiny FPV camera based on XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense, paired with Wi-Fi HaLow Transceiver for XIAO to stream live video far beyond standard router range, enabling off-grid, carrier-free connectivity.
6. Make Your Own Zigbee Devices by TechTeamGB
A step-by-step video walkthrough showing how to build Zigbee-enabled smart sensors and devices using XIAO ESP32-C6, ideal for Home Assistant users.
7. DIY Mini FPV Tank by The Wrench
A smartphone-controlled mini FPV tank with a 3D-printed chassis, combining real-time video streaming and robotics using XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense based control.
8. OpenAI Glasses for Navigation by AI-FanGe
A smart navigation and assistance system for the visually impaired, based on XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense, featuring tactile path guidance, crossing assistance, object recognition, and real-time voice interaction.
9. Flock You by colonelpanichacks
Firmware for XIAO ESP32-S3 that detects nearby surveillance cameras via Wi-Fi and BLE scanning, providing real-time alerts.
10. AntiHunter Perimeter Defense System by lukeswitz
An open-source mesh-based perimeter defense system using XIAO ESP32-S3, featuring Wi-Fi/BLE scanning, GPS support, anomaly detection, and intrusion alerts.
11. ESPHome ePaper Dashboard by r-morato
A low-power Home Assistant dashboard displayed on a XIAO 7.5’’ ePaper panel, showing weather, temperatures, service status, and system metrics.
12. ZMK Dongle Screen YADS by janpfischer
A wireless keyboard dongle display add-on built with XIAO nRF52840 and ZMK firmware, showing layer, mode, WPM, and battery status on a small screen.
13. Seeed Home Assistant Discovery by Mengdu Li
A lightweight solution that simplifies connecting any of the XIAO ESP32 and XIAO nRF52840 devices to Home Assistant using just a few lines of code in Arduino IDE or PlatformIO
14. LumiTrap Solar UV Bug Trap by Gokul
A 3D-printed, solar-powered UV insect trap powered by XIAO SAMD21 designed for eco-friendly pest control, low-energy design attracts and captures bugs autonomously.
15. Spine-like Robot Arm by Markus Opitz
3D-printed spine-inspired segments, servo-driven joints, Arduino control, modular gripper; showcases flexible articulation and biomimetic mechanical design using XIAO nRF52840 Sense.
16. Gus 2.0 by Arpan Mondal
A desktop robot powered by XIAO ESP32-C3, with rear-mounted sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, and air quality—expressing room comfort through emotions. If it looks gloomy, it’s time to check the data.
17. BYTE 90 by Alex Vong
A retro-inspired, interactive designer toy built with XIAO ESP32-S3, blending collectible design with hackable electronics. Spoiler, this gadget will be launched on Seeed webstore soon via our Co-Create program. Stay tuned.
18. ESP-DIVE by Max Imagination
A DIY submarine you can build to explore the underwater world in first-person view using the XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense. Watch live video through its front-facing bubble cam, adjust buoyancy to dive or surface like a real sub, and steer it effortlessly from your phone.
19. Hybrid Clock by shiura
A wall-mounted clock featuring a colorful 3D-printed dial, with synchronized analog and digital displays driven by a single motor and XIAO ESP32-C6, and time automatically updated via WiFi.
20. Prototype Modular Smart Glasses by Paul Stefaan Mooij
A DIY, open-tech platform that transforms regular glasses into customizable smart eyewear with sensors and connectivity (powered by XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense and Grove – OLED Display 1.12” V2) — designed for easy feature expansion and ultra-low cost, making advanced tech accessible to everyone.
Top 10 XIAO Contributors in 2025
Last but definitely not least. Seeed Studio XIAO’s growth in 2025 was powered by its community, and we couldn’t do it without the support of the community and contributors. Among all the contributors, here are the 10 contributors who stood out for their impact across forums, documentation, and education. We’d love to take the opportunity of this post to express our massive THANK YOU to these top 10 contributors and also the whole community who led us all along the way
Contributors and moderators who help other developers on our forum, Discord, and other platforms:
- PJ_Glasso
- CgwaltneyGreensprings
- Toastee0 Adrian Neill
- msfujino
Contributors who helped make XIAO a more developer-friendly platform:
- Rei Vilo – proposed new XIAO products on the XIAO open roadmap and helped test new boards
- Gokul – created XIAO Fritzing parts and CAD 3D models on GrabCAD and Flux AI
- Pete Johanson (ZMK) – helped enable Zephyr support for several XIAO boards
- Rodrigo Sim (Racism) – brought Apache NuttX RTOS support to 6 XIAO boards
Education and research contribution:
- Professor Marcelo – Co-developed the XIAOML Kit and authored hands-on lab sessions in Professor VJ’s collaborative book Machine Learning Systems, Harvard
Community outreach and workshops:
- Hendra – Carried out SenseCraft AI + XIAO workshops in Indonesia and helped other rangers enter the XIAO ecosystem
THANK YOU!
XIAO 2025 in Review: Watch the Livestream
All of these projects, contributors, and application trends were featured in our official livestream, where you can explore more details and bits
Conclusion
The best XIAO projects of 2025 show what’s possible when compact hardware meets an active, creative community. Whether it’s AI at the edge, smart homes, robotics, or playful desk gadgets, XIAO continues to prove that small boards can power big ideas.
As we move into 2026, we’re excited to see what the next wave of projects will bring.
End Note
Hey community, we’re curating a monthly newsletter centering around the beloved Seeed Studio XIAO. If you want to stay up-to-date with:
🤖️ Cool Projects from the Community to get inspiration and tutorials
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