Final Project · The Birth of Robots

An exploration of robotic reproduction inspired by biological processes

Project Evolution

Initially, I planned to modify sphere robots like this one and create multiple instances, where each robot could act as an agent. My goal was to test multi-agent systems using XIAO ESP32 S3 boards in a water environment, creating beautiful water traces and ripples as the robots interacted.

Initial inspiration: sphere robot design that could move on water surfaces

However, as I researched further, I gradually discovered many similar projects exploring multi-agent robotics in aquatic environments. This made me question my choice and reconsider my direction. I found myself returning to my previous idea—one that might seem unrealistic or perhaps not immediately practical, but I believe it's unique and personally meaningful to me.

Therefore, I changed my plan to focus on tiny robots that can demonstrate birth and death processes. Ideally, these robots could still create movement on the water surface, but that's no longer the primary objective. The birth process itself has become the most important element. The following sections document my relevant tests and explorations in this new direction.

The birth of Robots

This is a pure art project so far, so don't ask me any practical use right now. I DUNNO! I try to think about the lives of robots by learning about the natural birth process.

Physical Game of Life setup showing water interaction
The idea is to design a parent robot with a baby robot inside its body. Under certain conditions, the baby robot will come out of the parent robot and 'grow up' on its own (learn to navigate and get the full speed after being familiar with the environment). The original setup is sad for the parent robot, as you can see, it will die after giving birth.
Physical Game of Life showing object interaction
Latest version where the parent robot stays alive after giving birth.
Reference image
But the latest version is that the parent robot is still alive after giving birth to the robot. It can vibrate (with a tiny vibration motor) and some TBD action. I've been thinking for a long time to figure out the ways of opening, but those opening mechanisms are all too complicated. Recently, I was inspired by the animal giving birth process. The opening can be soft (made by elastic silicon, maybe), and the only thing is to push the baby robot and make it go through the soft gap.

Design proposal

Design proposal double ball concept
This is the rough size of the double ball concept, but later I will 3d print them with TPU (transparent and soft)
Rough inside model
I am not worried about the inside — there are a lot of off‑the‑shelf products. Here is the rough model.

Component Preparation

Gathering and testing the components needed for the robot birth mechanism.

Components prepared for the robot birth mechanism
xiao esp32 s3 with camera, motor driver, two motors, several LED with resisors, vibration motor with driver, two batteries (for baby and parent)

System Design

General design diagram
General overview of the whole design, showing the parent robot structure and the birth mechanism components
Inner Sphere PCB
Custom PCB design for the inner sphere control system
PCB Schematic
This PCB will connect to motor driver, battery, two DC motors, one vibration motor (will add a button later)
Tiny Sphere Robot
Toy tiny sphere robot purchased online for reference and testing

Linear Actuator Testing

Testing a linear actuator (also known as a push-pull solenoid or linear servo motor) to push the baby ball out of the parent robot. This mechanism will be the key component for simulating the birth process, providing the controlled force needed to eject the baby robot through the soft opening.

Testing the linear actuator to determine the appropriate force and timing for pushing the baby robot out of the parent sphere

XIAO ESP32 S3 AI Agent

The XIAO ESP32 S3 Sense serves as the brain of the robot, featuring dual-core 240MHz Xtensa LX7 processor with 8MB PSRAM and 8MB Flash memory. This compact development board integrates WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, enabling wireless control and communication between parent and baby robots.

Key features for this project include:

  • AI Capabilities: The ESP32 S3 supports TinyML and edge AI applications, allowing on-board processing of sensor data and decision-making without constant cloud connectivity
  • Camera Support: Built-in OV2640 camera interface for visual feedback and potential computer vision applications
  • Low Power Modes: Multiple power-saving modes essential for battery-operated robots, with deep sleep current as low as 14μA
  • Rich I/O: 11 digital I/O, 9 analog inputs, I2C, SPI, and UART interfaces for connecting motors, sensors, and other peripherals
  • Compact Size: 21×17.8mm thumb-size form factor perfect for fitting inside the small sphere robot

The board will run custom firmware to control the DC motors for movement, manage the vibration motor for interaction feedback, and handle the birth sequence through the linear actuator control. Future iterations will incorporate the AI agent functionality to enable autonomous behavior and multi-robot interaction protocols.

XIAO ESP32 S3 AI Configuration
XIAO ESP32 S3 Sense board configuration and AI agent architecture for autonomous robot control