Describe what you want to build. Plinth generates the parts list, wiring, schedule, firmware, and CAD drafts, with an AI assistant to help you reason through the next step.

Explore a sample plan →

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The gap

Every great build dies the same death: three weeks lost figuring out what to buy, how to wire it, and where to start.

Plinth closes that gap in one sitting.

How it works

Follow an idea into a project plan

01 · Describe

Start with a sentence.

Tell Plinth what you want to build and your constraints: budget, timeline, experience.

new project

What do you want to build?

A line-following robot for my mechatronics class, under $80

Budget $8012 weeksFirst PCB

Generate project

02 · Generate

Give your idea a first plan.

Draft subsystems, a parts list, and a schedule. Open additional design tools as your project takes shape; availability depends on your plan.

overview · line-following robot

$73.80

budget

12 wk

schedule

subsystems

Sensing

Drive

Control

Integrate

03 · Refine

Refine one decision at a time.

Compare parts, edit circuits, and ask the assistant to explain a choice. Review connected designs after a change; they do not all update automatically.

wiring · drag to edit

export png / svg

04 · CAD

Open your enclosure in real CAD.

Parametric starters for the enclosure and mounts, sized to your parts. Export STEP or STL and keep modeling in the tool you already use.

cad · enclosure starter

parameterswall2.0 mmpcb58 × 42standoffsM2 × 4export step / stl

05 · PCB

Start a circuit. Review it in KiCad.

Circuit tools help draft connections and run supported checks. Export a KiCad starter for layout, routing, and manufacturing review in your desktop tools.

SchematicERCFootprintsManufacturing

rule check 0 errors 2 warningsfab handoff →

06 · Protect

Patent prep, drafted from your build.

Explore prior art and prepare claims and specification drafts from your project. Use them to organize a conversation with a qualified patent professional.

patent prep · claims draft

claim 1 · independent

A line-following vehicle comprising: a reflectance sensor array; a controller configured to compute steering from…

prior art US 9,873,04168% US 10,224,91341% spec draft readyattorney intro →

07 · Ship

Bring your work to demo day.

Export supported files and publish a project page. Pair your generated plan with your own build photos, test results, and explanation.

billboard · demo day

senior design · 2026

Line-Following Robot

plinthdesign.org

publishedplinthdesign.org/p/4kf2… advisor view - no account needed

What you take away

A clearer path from idea to first build.

A plan you can question

Start with a parts list and schedule. Review the assumptions, compare alternatives, and decide what to build next.

Generated drafts need your review.

Parts with context

See supplier results alongside web sources, your own parts, and labeled estimates. Check price and availability before ordering.

A source link is a starting point, not a stock guarantee.

Work you can carry forward

Refine your design, export supported files, and share a project page that brings your plan and design artifacts together.

Your project stays private until you publish it.

The workspace

Keep the next step within reach.

Start with a plan, then open the design tools your project needs. Features vary by plan; the screens below are illustrative.

BOM

Sourced bill of materials

Supplier results from DigiKey and other distributors, web sources, and labeled estimates. Review each source and recheck availability before you buy.

Wiring

Circuit workspace

Explore and edit connections, run supported electrical checks, and export a diagram for your report.

PCB

KiCad starters

Take a circuit draft into KiCad, then complete layout, routing, and manufacturing checks before ordering boards.

Schedule

A week-by-week plan with milestones sized to your semester, not a generic template.

Firmware

Firmware and CAD starters

Generate firmware drafts and CAD starting points to refine and test with your own hardware and tools.

Assistant

AI assistant

Ask the AI assistant to explain a part, explore a tradeoff, or help revise your plan. You review the engineering decisions.

The road ahead

Where Plinth goes from here.

01 · NowLive
Building with early users
Plinth brings project planning, parts research, circuit tools, CAD starters, and learning resources into one workspace. Early feedback is shaping what comes next.
02 · PilotNext
A proposed capstone pilot
Put Plinth in front of real capstone teams, prove the model against the way engineers actually work, and let their feedback sharpen every part of the product.
03 · ExpandPlanned
The next five schools
Take what proves out at Mines to the next five programs, adapting to each one’s courses, constraints, and the projects their students care about.
04 · TeamPlanned
Build the team
Bring on Mines students who fill the gaps I lack in business and marketing, so Plinth can grow faster than one founder can push it alone.
05 · VisionThe bet
Close the hardware gap
Do for building physical things what AI did for shipping software - make it possible for anyone with an idea to build it, regardless of their network or budget.

Private beta

Request access to Plinth.

Leave your email to join the waitlist. Access requires an invitation; joining does not confirm when you will receive one.

plinth

Describe it. Plinth builds the plan.

Your engineering project, from rough idea to demo day.