PrintPath — Real-time trajectory optimization for DIY robotics

Turn $5 sensors into sub-50ms trajectory brains for your 3D-printed rockets and drones

PrintPath gives DIY robotics makers the same real-time trajectory optimization that SpaceX uses, but running on ESP32 chips and $5 IMUs instead of $10K flight computers. Deploy pre-trained LSTM models via TensorFlow Lite that recalculate flight paths mid-air with Kalman filtering, validated by the viral $96 rocket project that hit HackerNews. No PhD required—just plug in your cheap sensors, calibrate in 60 seconds, and get sub-50ms control loops through our WebSocket telemetry dashboard.

Key Benefits:

- Pre-trained ONNX models optimized for ESP32/Jetson Nano that eliminate weeks of ML training—just flash and fly with 5 supported DIY sensors (MPU6050, BNO055, etc.)

- Real-time trajectory recalculation with sub-50ms latency using edge inference, so your $96 rocket can dodge obstacles like a $100K drone

- Cloud-optional architecture with local-first control loops—your device stays autonomous even offline, with optional telemetry streaming to React dashboard for post-flight analysis

MVP Scope: MVP includes plug-and-play sensor abstraction for 5 common DIY sensors, pre-trained LSTM trajectory prediction model optimized for ESP32, basic trajectory optimization for quadcopter/rocket paths, real-time control loop with sub-50ms latency, and web dashboard for telemetry visualization and model retraining.

Tech Stack: TensorFlow Lite, ONNX Runtime, Kalman Filter, ESP32/Jetson Nano, Python/C++, WebSocket, React

Components:

- Sensor Integration Layer

- Edge ML Inference Engine

- Trajectory Optimization Engine

- Real-time Control Loop

- Web Dashboard & Telemetry

Quality assessment: Strong DIY robotics positioning with concrete tech stack (TensorFlow Lite + Kalman filtering on ESP32) and validated market traction (HackerNews rocket project), but pitch is incomplete/truncated and lacks depth on the actual optimization algorithm novelty beyond standard LSTM+Kalman approaches.