This build delivers an expressive 3-DOF talking desktop companion running on a…
This build delivers an expressive 3-DOF talking desktop companion running on a Raspberry Pi 5 with hardware privacy controls, far-field audio, and physical servo limits. It trades off onboard local LLM speed by supporting lightweight quantized models (e.g. TinyLlama/Phi-2 via llama.cpp) or low-latency cloud fallback while ensuring zero local audio persistence.
AI render
BOM size
14
AliExpress live
$391
Robot type
home
Safety review
consumer prototype
Nomenclature (14)
Raspberry Pi 5 8GB RAM
compute · Primary onboard compute for STT, LLM inference, TTS, and servo orchestration
Rechercher sur Amazon×1
$88
Raspberry Pi Official Active Cooler
compute · Sustained CPU/GPU cooling under high continuous inference workloads
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$7
ReSpeaker USB 4-Mic Array v2.0
sensing · Far-field spatial voice capture, noise cancellation, and DoA estimation
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$59
Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 Wide with Mechanical Shutter Cover
sensing · Face tracking with a verifiable physical slide cover for visual privacy
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$35
KST DS113MG Digital Metal Gear Micro Servos
actuation · Precision, quiet 3-DOF head movement (yaw, pitch, roll)
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$72
PCA9685 16-Channel 12-bit I2C PWM Driver
actuation · Offloads jitter-free servo pulse generation from SBC
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$4
MAX98357A I2S Class D Mono Amplifier + 3W 4-Ohm Enclosed Speaker
misc · Clean, distinct vocal playback for Piper TTS
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$9
12V 5A 60W AC/DC Desktop Power Supply
power · Continuous wall power delivery for compute, servos, and sound
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$14
High-Efficiency Dual 5V 5A Buck Converter Module
power · Clean isolated 5.1V for Pi 5 and separate 5.0V for high-draw servos
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$11
UPS HAT for Raspberry Pi with 2x 18650 Cells
power · Brownout protection and graceful shutdown buffer
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$29
Physical DPST Latching Toggle Switch with LED Indicator
misc · Hardware microphone line cut and prominent physical mute light
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$9
Weighted Aluminum Desktop Stand Base with Anti-Vibration Feet
chassis · Provides ballast to prevent tip-over during rapid head gestures
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$22
PETG Filament 1kg & M3 Brass Heatset Insert Assortment
chassis · Rigid 3D printed skeleton, brackets, and silicone bump-stops
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$28
SanDisk Extreme 128GB A2 MicroSD Card
connectivity · Fast OS, fast swap, and storage for quantized speech models
Rechercher sur Amazon×1
$19.5
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