Schematik: Cursor for Hardware Draws Anthropic Interest
Samuel Beek from Amsterdam faced a setback when a homemade electric door opener, designed with ChatGPT instructions, blew every fuse in his house. The AI failed to differentiate between wet and dry connections. This caused a power surge that damaged other appliances.
Beek lacks deep hardware experience. He wanted to create devices without risking explosions. "Your fuses blow out, or you have a solid product," Beek said. The incident taught him caution. It also pushed him to develop AI that truly grasps hardware details.
From Failure to Schematik
Beek turned to Anthropic's Claude for better guidance. He transformed those interactions into Schematik, his assistant for physical builds. He repeatedly labels it the "Cursor for Hardware."
Users describe their desired device. Schematik suggests all required components for real-world construction. Beek adds a shopping list feature soon for wires and parts. It also guides assembly. The tool works now for free. Beek seeks investors to monetize it. Lightspeed Venture Partners invested $4.6 million.
In February, Beek shared the concept on X. It gained quick attention. Tinkerers tested it. They described projects and built them.
Early Users and Builds
Marc Vermeeren, branding lead at N8N, a European AI firm, constructed multiple gadgets. These include an MP3 player and Clawy, a Tamagotchi-like bot for managing Claude coding. Others adapted Clawy, such as a version resembling Paulie Walnuts from The Sopranos.
Vermeeren used specific parts for his projects. "There's no blocker for your creativity anymore," he said. He builds constantly and now invests in Schematik.
Hardware creation stays exclusive. Few people tackle it. Tinkerers repurpose vapes into synthesizers or resist ICE efforts. Major players enter too. OpenAI builds large projects. Chipmakers contribute. Niche wearables emerge.
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"The big problem in hardware is that it's very gatekept," Beek said. He aims to open it up. Users can build with Schematik or learn through it.
Anthropic Steps In
On Thursday, Anthropic engineer Felix Rieseberg posted on X. He revealed a Bluetooth API for makers and developers. It lets hardware interact with Claude. He shared a photo and GitHub link for a device resembling Vermeeren's Clawy. Anthropic and Rieseberg did not respond to requests for comment on any inspiration from Beek or Vermeeren.
"If I inspired someone with it, I'm proud," Vermeeren said. "If Anthropic built an official feature because of it, I'm even prouder."
Software vibe coding risks vulnerabilities. Hardware versions might produce poor designs or endless junk. Yet electronics follow physics. Large language models handle languages or images subjectively. Circuits allow verification.
Schematik sticks to low-voltage setups, three or five volts maximum. This suits IoT devices and music players. Beek eyes humanoids eventually. He ensures no explosive risks.
Expert Views and Hardware Lag
Kyle Wiens, iFixit CEO, sees promise. iFixit analyzes device repairability through teardowns. Wiens has not tried Schematik. Still, he values it for tackling complex electronics design. This involves SKUs and part compatibility. "That is just a super hard problem," Wiens said. AI excels at such scale.
Software advanced rapidly over five years. Tasks became simple and quick. Hardware changed little in 10 or 20 years. AI brought few updates until now.
Schematik bridges that gap. Beek's tool, born from personal mishap, sparks wider interest. Anthropic's move signals growing focus on AI-driven hardware.