When designing a purpose-driven robot, engineers usually reach for brand-new components and clean designs. But for Sorush Moradisani, creativity took a different route—he crafted Esghati, a quirky little robot assembled purely from discarded electronics.
At its core, Esghati is a masterclass in upcycling. Its frame is fashioned from a stripped-down old Wi-Fi router, antennas still intact for that retro-robot aesthetic. The wheels? Ingeniously repurposed diffusers cut from discarded LED lamps, though admittedly, they don’t offer much grip.
Driving this creation are two servos, providing basic tank-like steering by independently powering each wheel. For juice, a pair of 18650 lithium-ion batteries keep things moving.
The real brains behind Esghati is an ESP32-CAM board. Not only does it run the show, but it also streams live video via its onboard camera and Wi-Fi capability. The robot self-hosts a web interface where users can remotely control it while getting a clear view of its surroundings. The camera is mounted on the “head” to capture a wide field of vision.
Complementing the ESP32 is an Arduino Nano, tasked with generating the necessary signals to control the servos. For enthusiasts interested in tinkering, Moradisani has made the code freely available on GitHub.
While simple in its current form, Esghati demonstrates how easily discarded parts can be given new life. It’s functional, fun, and has a charming Wall-E vibe to boot!
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