Morning Briefing
Robot
"I wanted to wake up in a room that feels like it’s thinking for me. This project wasn't just about moving blinds; it was about synchronizing hardware and generative AI to turn a simple clap into a fully orchestrated executive briefing."
01. Embedded Systems
XIAO ESP32-C3 (RISC-V architecture) chosen for its tiny footprint and native Wi-Fi.
ULN2003 driver boards translating MCU signals into motion for 28BYJ-48 stepper motors.
A legacy "Clapper" sound-switch used as the primary power-toggle for a tactile, "Iron Man-style" engagement.
02. IoT Integration
ESP32-C3 executes HTTP GET requests to an IFTTT Webhook upon power-up.
Utilized Pushcut to bypass iOS security constraints, allowing cloud signals to trigger local iPhone code execution.
Built a custom iOS Shortcut that a weather and news prompt to Gemini's API and returns just the text so it can then be sent to ElevelLabs API to convert it into a high-fidelity AI voice MP3 that can play as I am waking up.
// Debugging & Problem Solving
Hardware: Solved logic-level discrepancies (3.3V vs 5V) and phase-sequencing issues that were stalling the stepper motors.
Software: Overcame Apple’s "walled garden" security by using middleware to allow for a completely hands-free AI interaction triggered by the physical world.
