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A community giveaway program by The Embedded Rustacean × Seeed Studio to grow the embedded Rust ecosystem
I get that you're trying to grow the community, but it sucks that you have to refer two people. I don't know one person who is even remotely interested in embedded development, let alone embedded Rust, heck I don't even know anyone interestetd in development of any kind. Am I alone in this?
Thanks for the honest feedback Michael Risser . I totally hear you.
Here's the thinking behind it: this program is sponsored. The prizes are also funded by partners who believe in growing the embedded Rust community. Referrals are a mechanism to show that growth is happening. It's what keeps the program alive and the sponsors committed. There are many ways to refer others, and it doesn't necessarily have to be face-to-face or to individuals you know.
That said, there is also the Quarterly Build Challenge, which has no referral requirement. Build a project with any XIAO board and Rust, share it publicly, and you're entered for the even larger prize pack.
We'll certainly keep monitoring the feedback and making adjustments as the program evolves.
Michael Risser quick update: based on more feedback, we've simplified the monthly draw. Referrals are no longer required. Just stay subscribed and answer the discovery question to be eligible.
Introduction Another year comes to an end; as always, it is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the past year and look forward to the next. It's been over 3.5 years since I embarked on my embedded Rust journey, and it only gets more exci...
Introduction Another year comes to an end, as such, this is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of 2024 and look forward to 2025. It's been over 2.5 years since I embarked on my embedded Rust journey, and it remains as exciting as ever. If ...
Introduction 🚀 On Friday, May 17th, 2024, the release of Simplified Embedded Rust was announced marking a new kind of book in the embedded Rust learning space. I'm happy to say that this book, design
This post is the sixth of a multi-part series where I'm exploring the use of Bluetooth Low Energy along embedded Rust on the ESP32. Information in this post might rely on knowledge presented in past p
Embedded Rust is powerful, but getting started can be tough. Navigating the Rust language and embedded ecosystem can be challenging enough; add to that the traditional challenges of embedded development. Special tooling (cross-compiling, logging, debugging, etc.), overwhelming hardware choices, and limited learning resources compared to other embedded ecosystems. That's a barrier to adoption, and it's limiting Rust's potential in embedded.
We believe two things will drive embedded Rust forward:
Making it easier to start. More content, better tooling, and a consistent hardware reference that learners can rely on. No more guessing which board to buy, spending significant time wiring or setting up tools and projects.
Getting adopters to contribute back. Every driver written, every tutorial published, every tool built by the community compounds. Growth fuels more growth. What makes Rust unique among languages used in embedded systems is its passionate open-source community. The question should not only be whether one should learn embedded Rust, but also where or how they can contribute to improving it.
To tackle this, we're launching Oxidize XIAO. Oxidize XIAO is a community rewards program by The Embedded Rustacean (TER), Seeed Studio, & JetBrains.
The name says it all. We want to oxidize XIAO with Rust.
At the heart of Oxidize XIAO sit two platforms: µFerris, an open-source learning board designed specifically for embedded Rust education, and the Seeed Studio XIAO, a family of compact, powerful microcontroller modules. Together, they offer an affordable, well-documented foundation for learning and building.
Here's what the program offers:
Free hardware, tools, and books — given away every month to active community members
A quarterly build challenge — rewarding those who create and share real embedded Rust projects
A path to ecosystem integration — outstanding projects can be invited into the µFerris-rs GitHub organization
The goal is not just to give things away. We aim to create a cycle where learning leads to building, building leads to contribution, and contribution fuels more learning for everyone.
Oxidize XIAO runs on two tracks: a Monthly Subscriber Giveaway offering a prize valued at more than $350 and a Quarterly Build Challenge offering a prize valued at more than $450. Read on for more details about the tracks.
Every month, we will draw one TER newsletter subscriber to win an embedded Rust starter pack.
To enter, you need to:
Be an active subscriber to The Embedded Rustacean newsletter
Answer the monthly discovery question (included in each newsletter edition)
The prize pack (> $350 in value):
A µFerris Baseboard ($25 Value)
A Seeed Studio XIAO module (Up to $15 in Value)
A JetBrains All Products Pack 1-year License — includes CLion for embedded Rust development ($299 Value)
A Free eBook copy of Simplified Embedded Rust (edition of your choice) ($30 Value)
The first draw will be at the end of July 2026. Winners are announced in the newsletter and on social media channels.
Once per quarter, we run a build challenge. Create a project using any Seeed Studio XIAO board with Rust and share it publicly.
Any project using a XIAO board with Rust qualifies. You don't need to use a µFerris board to participate. All submissions that meet the eligibility criteria are entered into a random draw. We review submissions to ensure they meet a minimum quality bar — the project must be functional, use a XIAO board with Rust, and be publicly accessible. All qualifying entries have an equal chance of winning.
How to enter:
Build a project or create content using any Seeed Studio XIAO and Rust
Publish your project/content on the XIAO Project Hub
Share it on social media (LinkedIn, BlueSky, or Twitter) tag @theembeddedrustacean, @seeedstudio, and use #OxidizeXIAO
Submit your entry via the TER submission form
The Prize Pack (> $450 in value):
µFerris Full Kit (Baseboard + Power Extension Board) ($40 in Value)
A Seeed Studio XIAO module (Up to $15 in Value)
The Embedded Rustacean Branded T-Shirt + Sticker Pack ($40 Value)
A JetBrains All Products Pack 1-year License — includes CLion for embedded Rust development ($299 Value)
Free ebook copy of both editions of Simplified Embedded Rust ($60 Value)
The first challenge cycle will be for Q3 2026. Winners are announced in the newsletter and on social media.
Recognition: Outstanding projects may be invited to join the µFerris-rs GitHub organization, becoming part of the official ecosystem.
Not sure what to build? Here are some ideas to get you started
xiao-generate CLI — A project generator for XIAO boards mimicking esp-generate. Pick your board and project configurations to get a ready-to-build project.Extend the µFerris BSP — Help maintain and expand uferris-bsp to support all XIAO variants.
Add Sense support — Integrate the XIAO Sense modules (camera, microphone, IMUs, etc.) into the BSP or as a standalone BSP crate.
Write HAL drivers — Port XIAO peripheral drivers that don't yet exist or are unmaintained in the Rust ecosystem.
Blog series — Write tutorials that experiment with and highlight community crates using XIAO and/or µFerris as the reference platform.
Video walkthroughs — Record and publish guided builds or exercise walkthroughs.
Interactive tutorials — Create step-by-step embedded Rust learning content with µFerris.
Wireless sensor node — Combine a wireless XIAO (ESP32-C3/S3) with sensors to build an environmental monitoring device that pushes data over WiFi or BLE.
Security monitor — Expand the alarm clock project from Simplified Embedded Rust into a wireless security monitoring device.
Wireless data logger — Pair a XIAO Sense with a wireless XIAO to build a portable logging device.
Low-power applications — Explore sleep modes, power gating, and battery-powered operation on XIAO.
Edge AI — Deploy TinyML models leveraging XIAO sensors.
These are starting points. We want to see what you come up with.
You must be an active subscriber to The Embedded Rustacean newsletter at the time of the draw. If you unsubscribe before the draw, your entry is void.
One entry per person per month. Duplicate or fake entries are disqualified.
Open worldwide. Shipping to your country must be feasible — if it isn't, we'll work with you on an alternative.
Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash or substituted.
Winners are announced in the newsletter and contacted via their subscriber email.
You must respond within 7 days of the winner announcement to claim your prize, or a new winner will be drawn.
The discovery question must be answered in the same edition(s) as the draw.
Previous monthly winners can enter again after a 3-month cooldown.
The project must be original work created by you.
The project must be publicly accessible and submitted on the XIAO Project Hub. Projects must also be shared on social media, tagging The Embedded Rustacean, SeeedStudio, and #OxidizeXIAO.
The project must use a Seeed Studio XIAO board and Rust.
µFerris is recommended but not required.
Submissions must be posted before the quarterly deadline announced in the newsletter.
Submissions must meet a minimum quality bar: the project must be functional, documented, and demonstrate genuine effort.
All qualifying submissions are entered into a random draw. The winner is selected randomly — not ranked or scored.
Submissions that are trivially low effort, non-functional, or do not use a XIAO board with Rust will not qualify for the draw.
Previous quarterly winners can enter again in future quarters (no cooldown).
By entering, you agree that your name may be announced publicly as a winner through TER channels (newsletter, social media, blog).
Your email is used only for newsletter delivery, prize fulfillment, and winner contact. We never sell or share subscriber data with third parties.
Q: Do I need to buy anything to enter? No. Subscribe for free, and you're eligible for the monthly draw.
Q: Can I enter both the monthly draw and the quarterly challenge? Yes! They're separate programs. You can win both.
Q: I don't have a XIAO board. Can I still do the quarterly challenge? You need a XIAO board for the challenge. But if you win the monthly draw first, you'll have one!
Q: Do I need a µFerris board? Not for the quarterly challenge — any XIAO + Rust project qualifies. µFerris is the recommended platform, but it's not a requirement.
Q: What XIAO boards are eligible? Any board from the Seeed Studio XIAO family — ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, nRF52840, RP2040, SAMD21, and any future releases.
Q: How are monthly winners chosen? Random draw from all eligible entries that month. We use AI for the draw process.
Q: I'm outside the US/EU — can I still win? Yes, the program is global. If shipping to your location isn't possible, we'll arrange an alternative.
Q: Can my project be added to the µFerris-rs organization? Outstanding projects may be invited to join the µFerris-rs GitHub organization. This is a recognition — not a requirement to participate.
Proudly sponsored by The Embedded Rustacean, Seeed Studio, and JetBrains.
Join the community. Build something. Win something.
Subscribe to The Embedded Rustacean, and you're in.
Questions? hi@theembeddedrustacean.com