Developer Uses AI to Build Affordable Firmware for Rural Milking Equipment

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A Brazilian developer has spent the past few months using Google's Gemini AI to build custom firmware for the ESP32 microcontroller, aimed at replacing expensive PCBs in agricultural milking equipment. The project was inspired by a technician's complaint about the high cost of replacement boards for cleaning machinery on his father's farm. The developer began working through Gemini's web interface but switched to the terminal-based Gemini-cli tool for direct file system access, improving productivity by eliminating constant copy-pasting. After Google discontinued Gemini-cli, the developer migrated to Google Antigravity, a multi-agent orchestration platform, though it is currently being used in a simpler, sequential manner. The experience highlights both the practical benefits and learning curve of AI-assisted embedded firmware development for real-world agricultural applications.

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