Your Office Needs a Desk Robot
StackChan is a $65 open source desk robot built with M5Stack hardware that features voice control, a camera, and servos for movement.
Why so serious? It’s okay to have fun sometimes, even while you’re at your desk at work. But not too much fun — if you kick back and stream movies on Netflix all day you’ll never get anything done. A little desk toy, on the other hand, is a great way to have some fun, relieve stress, and avoid burnout. If you happen to be in search of a gadget like this, a little open source AI desktop robot named StackChan is worth a look.
Developed around the M5Stack CoreS3 IoT development kit, StackChan is a compact, expressive desktop robot designed to function as an AI voice assistant, smart home controller, and playful companion. Despite its small size — just 70 x 62 x 54 mm — the robot packs an impressive amount of hardware aimed at interaction and experimentation.
At the core is an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with dual Xtensa LX7 cores running at up to 240 MHz, supported by 512 KB of SRAM, 8 MB of PSRAM, and 16 MB of flash storage. Wireless connectivity is handled via Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE, while expansion options include a microSD card slot and three Grove connectors for GPIO, UART, and I2C projects.
As a desk toy, StackChan is all about interaction. A 2-inch IPS touchscreen with capacitive multi-touch handles expressions and input, while a camera enables basic visual awareness. Audio is covered by a dual-microphone array paired with a 1 W speaker, allowing for voice commands, responses, and simple conversations. Two servos provide horizontal and vertical movement, giving StackChan its signature head turns and nods that make it feel more alive than a typical smart speaker.
StackChan can also serve as a pan-and-tilt indoor security camera, a smart-home controller, or the brain for small robotics projects thanks to LEGO-compatible mounting holes. Built-in sensors include proximity, motion, and magnetic sensing, along with NFC support, opening the door to creative applications well beyond the suggested use cases.
Hardware design files, firmware, AI models, and companion apps are all publicly available. While the default firmware is written in JavaScript and TypeScript, developers can also use Arduino or MicroPython, making the platform accessible to both beginners and experienced makers. A companion mobile app for Android and iOS allows remote control, customization, and even interaction with other StackChan units.
StackChan is currently available on Kickstarter, with rewards starting at about $65. Go take a look and see if this little robot may be right for you.
R&D, creativity, and building the next big thing you never knew you wanted are my specialties.