Clotty: open-source period tracker runs on RP2040, keeps data local
Clotty is a privacy-focused, open-hardware menstrual cycle tracker built around an RP2040 that stores data locally and can run DOOM.
Summary
Hardware designer [kati] has created Clotty, a palm-sized menstrual cycle tracker built on open hardware with an RP2040 microcontroller, color LCD, and touch sensors integrated into a uterus-shaped PCB. The device deliberately avoids cloud connectivity, keeping all tracking data local as a counter to commercial period apps that harvest and sell user data. The project is in early development with working hardware and core software in place; source files and an RP2040-DOOM fork are available on GitHub.
Hardware and privacy design
- RP2040 microcontroller as the core processing unit
- Color LCD display for user interface
- Touchpad sensors integrated into "ovary" positions on the PCB
- Uterus-shaped PCB form factor with palm-sized dimensions
- No network connectivity — all data remains on-device by design
- RP2040-DOOM fork available, confirming the platform's general-purpose capability
- Project repository active on GitHub with ongoing feature development
Why it matters
Clotty addresses growing concern over reproductive health data privacy following regulatory changes in several regions, demonstrating how open hardware can serve sensitive personal tracking needs without surveillance capitalism infrastructure. The project's explicit anti-cloud stance may influence similar privacy-first health device designs.
Original reference: hackaday.com →