[schemescape]

I’d say yes, but with more work, non-zero startup costs, and not easily scalable for a hobbyist. Interacting with the physical world is the whole point, but it means you can’t just copy/share/publish a digital file and solve the problem for someone else.

As an example (which it’s debatable if you’d consider it “useful”), I was able to build USB adapters for vintage game controllers. It was a fun project, and I used the results for a while.