Xor
The Project
This project is a custom robot powered by an offline AI model running on a Raspberry Pi, complete with a moving eye mechanism, a CRT‑style display, and a text‑to‑speech system. I was inspired by the witty, sarcastic personality of GLaDOS from Portal 2, which I adapted into the robot’s character. The hardest parts were optimising AI settings for speed on limited hardware, building a natural‑sounding voice with Piper TTS, and making the robot feel “alive” by adding hesitations, randomness, and memory. Debugging issues—like Piper printing unwanted directory paths—also required creative problem‑solving. This AI project has been such a journey for me, and I've learned so much throughout the entire process. It taught me new coding skills, how to work with multiple Python libraries, and how to design an AI that feels present in the room rather than just a chatbot.
