Desk Companion
A small interactive desk robot with animated eyes and touch interaction. It changes its expression when touched and was designed and built as a rapid prototype.
Watch it working
Overview
A desk robot with personality. It turns its head, shows expressions on a screen, plays short phrases, and blushes when you touch it.
I gave myself under two weeks to build something that reacted to people. The deadline shaped every decision, which is exactly why the AI Companion exists.
- Two SG90 servos, stacked, for pan and tilt
- Animated expressions on a 2.8 inch TFT
- Reacts to sound through a microphone
- Blushes when the touch sensor is pressed
- Pre-recorded phrases through a speaker
- 3D printed head and base
How it works
An ESP32 moves the head with two SG90 servos stacked on top of each other, one below for pan and one above for tilt, so the head can be animated rather than just pointed.
Sounds play in sync with the screen. A tap on the touch sensor produces a blush and a matching sound together.
Challenges
The build was unplanned. I decided to make something, gave myself less than two weeks, and most of what went wrong came from the deadline rather than the design.
I wanted it to hold a conversation, but there was no time, so the voice became a set of pre-recorded phrases. That gap is why the AI Companion exists.
The other problem was the servos. SG90s have plastic gears and could barely carry the head, so the movement came out rough. Choosing servos for the actual load was the first thing I changed on the next build.
What I would do next
It became the AI Companion, the same idea rebuilt without a deadline.
Gallery
Build Details
| Controller | ESP32 |
|---|---|
| Display | 2.8 inch TFT |
| Servos | 2 × SG90, plastic gear, stacked |
| Audio | Speaker, pre-recorded phrases |
| Inputs | Microphone, touch sensor |
| Build time | Under 2 weeks |