Bringing my childhood dream of being besties with R2D2 to life with this self-balancing robot

Did I binge watch the entire Star Wars Saga not too long ago? Absolutely. Do I love R2D2? Oh yes. This self-balancing robot is my first shot at electronics beyond Arduino. I was not only motivated to get into this project for my love for star wars, but truly because I want to dive deeper into hardware projects as an aspiring aerospace engineer. And let me tell you, this was one amazing ride. Within a week, I learned A LOT about 3d modeling on OnShape and schematics through KiCad, and was mind blown by how little I know about the tech world..

Is this the most perfect self-balancing robot you will ever see? Absolutely not. Do I feel like it will pave the way for my future projects? yes. (hopefully I know what I'm doing!))

The goal is simple: make R2D2 balance and move on two wheels while making cute noises.

• ESP32
• MPU9250 (although the MPU6050 is sufficient but I could not find it)
• Nema 17 Stepper Motors
• A4988 Stepper Motor Drivers
• LM386 Audio Power Amplifier Modul
• Speaker

You could obviously turn this schematic into a PCB, but I currently can't do that so I will stick to the good old jumper wires and breadboard!

You can check out the "3d Model" file for all screenshots of the design or go to this link: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/41ff22a7ba16d7ff0c6695ed/w/d662b2744b51235da2560300/e/657d65253b670dbc1a6ec125?renderMode=0&uiState=69d2b66812f1d4591a9e5eba5eba

All electronic components modeled are in true dimensions.