Kobe Kan (TM)
Introducing the Kobe Kan, a low-high-tech tribute to the legend himself. This isn't your average trash can – this is a slam dunk of engineering.
With a snap of your fingers, the lid opens. The mechanical design of the Kobe Kan incorporates a high-torque servo motor (eg MG966R) capable of handling the lid's weight.
After detecting motion of you sinking in that shot, the Kobe Kan will whisper, “For Kobe,” as it gracefully closes three seconds later.
Future iterations may or may not include: Coming you on command, singing, live-streaming best of Kobe’s shots.
RIP Legend.
Early drafts
Here's an MVP board with the servo moving.
For the main board, I'll need 1) stronger motor 2) an appropriate power source and 3) a microphone that actually works. Because as week 8 shows, the on-board tiny microphone does not work at all.
First Wokwi simulation:
Parts List
| Component | Specification | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Microcontroller | ESP32 (with onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) | 1 |
| Microphone Module | MEMS Microphone, e.g., INMP441 | 1 |
| Servo Motor | MG966R, 5V, 20-35kg torque | 1 |
| Battery Pack | 7.4V rechargeable with USB-C | 1 |
| Voltage Regulator | LM2596, 7V to 5V step-down | 1 |
| Capacitors | 10 to 100 µF | ? |
| Resistors | ~1000 Ohm | ? |
| Jumper Wires | 0.1” Header Pins | ? |
| Breadboard | For prototyping | 1 |
| LEDs | Standard 5mm LED | Multiple |
| Push Button | For manual override | 1 |
| System Box | 3D printed | 1 |
| Hinges | 3D printed | 2 |
System Diagram
+------------------+ +-------------------+ +------------------+
| Power Supply | -----> | Microcontroller | -----> | Servo Motor |
| (USB-C 5V) | | (ESP32) | | (MG966R) |
+------------------+ +-------------------+ +------------------+
| | |
| | |
v v v
+------------------+ +-------------------+ +------------------+
| Microphone Module| | LED Indicators | | Push Button |
| (INMP441) | | | | |
+------------------+ +-------------------+ +------------------+
Design Decisions
1. Battery Power vs. Wall Power
Battery would be fun because it'd be more flexible to potentially make it a self-driving can, move around, etc. But wall power is probably easiest, especially in a low-voltage 5V system running via the microcontroller's power. Wall power (USB-C).
2. >5V Servo vs. <5V Servo
High-voltage servos (>5V) provide greater torque and faster responses, ideal for quick lid movements, but need robust power regulation. Too complex for the first MVP. Low-voltage servos (<5V) would move more slowly, which is fine for beginning. Low voltage.
3. High Compute vs. Low Compute
To ESP or to Rasberry? I'll try my best to work with a simple fourier analysis to identify snaps. If that doesn't work, I'll upgrade to a Rasberry Pi and try to set up a small neural network trained on lots of snapping data. Low compute.
4. Bottom-button Microphone vs. Pin-On Microphone
The bottom-button microphone is impossible to sauter. Pins.
