Voice-Assisted Mini Companion Bot
Inspired by the Disney Research team's bipedal animatronic characters that interact with crowds in real-time. I wanted to create a similar but smaller, desktop friendly design but smaller design for my desktop. Open-source leg mechanism designs (Legolas and Tinker) make this project a good choice for a final project. Unlike existing options like EMO, which are expensive to import in India, this design is more affordable
Table of Conents
- The Idea
- References
1. The Idea
Brainstorming
Many ideas were discussed including a mini companion bot and a robotic humanoid chatbot among others (see more in Week 1), but ultimately I choose the All-Seeing Eye as my final project for the following reasons:
Sketching
Key Features
The Companion Bot has the following key features:
- An LCD display on the robot's front shows three expressions—happy, sad, and neutral—with accompanying sound effects from a speaker.
- The robot responds to voice commands for power control and can display time, weather, and temperature information, replacing its standard expressions.
- The robot features bird-like legs that fold when powered down to save space. When activated, the legs extend to full height, enhancing its interactive presence.
- Front-mounted sensors help the robot detect and avoid obstacles while preventing falls from the desktop.
CAD Design
This is model when rendered as a still image.
This is the model when rendered as a turntable.