About us
MakerBuddy makes a plug-in electronics kit and 32 free lessons for ages 10 and up. OR97 makes the kit in Lahore, Pakistan. Our founder is Muhammad Afzal, an educator and engineer.
MakerBuddy began in a classroom. Students wanted to build IoT projects, but wiring kept getting in the way.
IoT means the "Internet of Things": everyday devices that sense the world and connect over Wi-Fi.
2017
Muhammad Afzal taught software development, freelancing and IoT part-time, next to his technology job.
His university students studied software engineering, IT and computer science. They wanted to build IoT projects, but most had never wired a circuit.
Wires came loose. Parts got the wrong power. Sensors gave wrong numbers.
A small mistake could damage a part. When something failed, students could not tell if the problem was the code, the wiring or the power.
Every part gets its own labelled socket on one board. Here is what changed:
See it in a lesson today
The problem
Wires came loose.
What we changed
Each part plugs into its own labelled socket. No breadboard and no loose wires.
The problem
Parts got the wrong power.
What we changed
The board runs on 5 V USB power, and most plugs fit only one way round.
The problem
“Is it my code, my wiring or my power?”
What we changed
The dashboard shows each sensor’s live reading, so you can see a part work before you write any code.
A web dashboard shows each sensor’s live reading and switches parts on and off.
From the first version, the board could also run simple “if this, then that” rules. For example: if the room gets dark, switch on the light.
You build a rule from menus, with no code. The board then runs it by itself. A later version added the full Rule Engine, with four ways to repeat a rule.
See it in a lesson today
Try the rule idea yourself. No kit needed.
11 July 2025
MakerBuddy began as the education brand of OR97, based in Lahore, Pakistan.
OR97 makes the kits. The MakerBuddy team makes the lessons, the guides and the dashboard.
Today
There are 32 weekly lessons, free to read, for schools, teachers and parents. They run over four terms, 45–60 minutes each.
The board software (firmware) is on version 2.10, from 23 October 2026. The web dashboard is on version 3.6.
We make one kit and the free lessons that go with it. Together they teach electronics and IoT by building real things.
One board: the MakerBuddy IoT Kit V1.0. A small Wi-Fi computer (an ESP32) sits on it.
6 parts are built in: a blue light, a colour-changing light, a push button, a light sensor, a buzzer and a turning knob.
9 parts plug in: sensors for temperature and humidity, water temperature, distance, motion, smoke and gas, and soil moisture, plus a small servo motor, a relay switch and a 2-line text screen.
You control the board from a web dashboard, over your own Wi-Fi. Live readings update about every 2 seconds.
It opens in Safari on a Mac, iPhone or iPad. In Chrome, Edge or Firefox, you add the free MakerBuddy extension.
No accounts. Readings and commands stay on your network.
32 weekly lessons, free to read on this site, with or without a kit. Each one takes 45–60 minutes.
The lessons need no code. Learners use the dashboard and rules built from menus.
Coding is an optional extra after the lessons. The board's software is open, and it has a web API for programmers.
Ages 10 and up. Younger builders can join with an adult nearby.
Made for schools, after-school clubs and homes.
In class, one kit for every 2–3 students keeps everyone hands-on.
Founder of MakerBuddy · Educator and engineer
He works with electronics, IoT, embedded systems (small computers inside devices) and technical training.
He has made courses, tutorials and real projects for students and for working professionals.
He leads MakerBuddy today. He wants learning to be open, hands-on and done together.
How he thinks students learn best
His work you can check
We want every student to try technology with their own hands. We want them to build it and improve it, not only use it.
Real learning happens when students build something themselves. They learn to think step by step, solve problems and turn their ideas into small machines that work.
We explain hard topics in small steps, using things students see every day.
Students see a science or computer idea work in a real device, right in front of them.
Learners can start building electronics from age 10. Younger builders join with an adult nearby.
We aim for kits that are fairly priced and reliable, with free lessons and open files.
Anyone can see how the kit is made, and keep building after our lessons end.
Our board software, our web dashboard and the V1.0 board design are open. Anyone can see them, use them and change them, under the licences below. They are on GitHub, a website where people share code and design files.
| Part | Open licence |
|---|---|
| Board software (Arduino firmware) | GPL-3.0 |
| Web dashboard (web app) | GPL-3.0 |
| V1.0 board design (Fritzing file) | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Browser extensions and phone app | Not open source: their code is not public |
Why this matters:
In Pakistan you can order kits online. Anywhere else, ask us for a written quote. The lessons stay free either way.
Pakistan
PKR 40,000 per kit
Order on this site, then pay by bank transfer to the UBL account of OR97, the company that makes MakerBuddy. The form takes up to 200 kits.
Volume discounts
Outside Pakistan
USD 200 per kit
Tell us where the kits are going and how many you need.
We reply with a written quote that includes delivery to your address.
Delivery depends on your address, so every order starts with a quote.
Anywhere
The board design, the firmware and the web app are open source on GitHub.
You find the parts and build the board yourself. No ready-made Gerber files or parts list are published.
A new company should be easy to check. Here are the key facts about us. Each one has a link, so you can check it yourself.
Work with us
Read the free lessons first. In Pakistan, order online and pay by bank transfer. Anywhere else, ask us for a written quote.
Try a ready-made rule:
Your rule
Ifis%,then.
Drag the slider. It stands in for a real sensor reading.
What the board does
The rule is waiting. Blue light: Off.
The light level is 60%. That is not below 20%, so the rule does nothing yet.
This is a model of the idea. On the kit you build the same rule in the dashboard's Rule Engine. Lesson 26 builds rules like this.
Open each link, then mark the fact as checked. Your ticks stay in this browser only.
You have checked 0 of 10
Who owns MakerBuddy
MakerBuddy is the education brand of OR97. OR97 makes the kits.
Founded
11 July 2025, by Muhammad Afzal.
Office
102 Q Block, Johar Town, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
info@makerbuddy.cc
Phone
+92 332 3336797
Price and store listing
One kit costs PKR 40,000 in Pakistan. OR97’s own online store lists the kit too.
Open files
Board software and web dashboard under GPL-3.0. V1.0 board design under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Free lessons
All 32 lessons are free to read, with or without a kit.
Published builds
10 step-by-step MakerBuddy builds by our founder on Hackster.io.
Other users
Talk to other MakerBuddy users, and see our events.
