When it comes to voice assistant devices, the Amazon Echo, boasting the ever-ready Alexa, has won the hearts of millions worldwide with its impressive functionalities. However, let’s be honest, while these devices score high on practicality, they lack the flair and personality that would truly bring them to life.
Well, there’s some good news for those who long to see their Alexa with a dash of character and physical animation – Workshop Nation has just made that dream a reality by transforming the Amazon Echo into an engaging animatronic robot.
Amazon Echo transformation
With the intrinsic functionality of Amazon Echo still very much intact, the genius behind Workshop Nation decided to take it a notch higher, crafting a body for the Alexa brain that wouldn’t be out of place in a vintage sci-fi movie. Made with a potpourri of both old and new parts, this invention offers a unique twist to the standard Alexa voice assistant device.
But, how exactly was this feat achieved? Here’s a simplified explanation:
- An antique CRT TV was brought back to life, serving as an integral part of the robot.
- The robot was adorned with 3D-printed animatronic eyes, ingeniously crafted from a design by Will Cogley. These eyes, driven by servo motors, breathe life into the Alexa persona.
- The CRT display springs to life whenever Alexa speaks, with a voice waveform driven by the signal voltage onto one of the electron beam coils.
Utilizing Alexa
Underneath this robotic wizardry lies an Arduino Mega 2560 board. This board controls the animatronics while also keeping an eye on the Useful Sensors Person Sensor. This handy sensor ensures the animatronic eyes track any human presence in the area, making the robotic Alexa more interactive and engaging.
But that’s not all. Thanks to the Arduino board, you can now circumvent the standard “Alexa” wake word. Want to personalize your robot? Go ahead. Call it anything you fancy and it will still respond to your queries. All of these intricacies are housed within a frame made from laser-cut clear acrylic and threaded rods, providing both stability and a distinctive aesthetic appeal.
- New Amazon Echo Link streams audio to your stereo
- Raspberry Pi smart speaker hat lets you change its name
Animatronic robot
If you’re thrilled by the possibility of bringing your voice assistant to life and you’re thinking, “How do I start?” rest assured it’s not as complicated as you might think. The technologies and components involved are widely available. You can learn more about Arduino boards from their official website, delve into the realm of animatronics with Will Cogley’s designs, and gather more about different sensors from Useful Sensors.
Ultimately, this innovative adaptation of the Amazon Echo is not just about the gadget’s transformation, but the transformation of our relationship with technology. It’s a leap towards making our interaction with artificial intelligence more lifelike and engaging. For anyone keen to push the boundaries of AI possibilities, the animatronic Amazon Echo serves as an exciting and inspirational launch pad.
Source: Amazon Echo transformed into animatronic robot
