“I wanted to show my students that cool stuff is created by passion and things can be done without spending money on fancy robotic parts. Also, I wanted an equal competition platform for all of them, no matter their family wealth. So all the body parts are straight from garbage,” states Sorush Moradisani, a creator of Esghati, a robot nicely constructed out of scrap component pieces. This is his motto that rings loud and clear of the motto of his firm a DIY, eco friendly, robotics motto which challenges students and hobby robotics engineers to make technology mundane.
Esghati is, in fact, a bot it’s a proof of concept of the kind of creativity that can be seen in out of the box thinking and repurposing. The chassis, repurposed router box Wi-Fi routers even to give it the retro futuristic aesthetic. The wheels? Hacked-out repurposed diffuser of an LED desk lamp that runs on two servos with sloppy tank style steering. Even the power brick, green two repurposed 18650 lithium ion cells. ESP32-CAM is built in within the brain of the robot, microcontroller transformed into Wi-Fi camera, robot brain. It has a web server, and its users can connect it online with the help of any browser-supported device in such a manner that they are able to remotely control the robot and view live from robot cam.
“You don’t need a controller for this robot, just your phone or laptop or anything with web browser on it. You connect to the Esghati’s wifi with any device and you can see through its camera and control it with a browser. it also has face recognition features,” Moradisani says. That renders Esghati an easy to use do it yourself robot, and it might render kids everywhere capable of building their own robot as they learn basic computer programming and electronics.
Learning through building a robot. The engineers build the power bank from scratch, use the ESP32 CAM for camera functionality, add chassis and mobility to finish the robot. The materials are cheap and easy to handle, an Arduino Nano to provide pulses to power the servos. Moradisani’s material of choice recycled and reused is one where they all, despite having little means, can afford. “I wanted an equal competition platform for all of them no matter their family wealth. So all the body parts are straight from garbage,” he maintains.
Esghati as an open platform allows it to learn even further. That the code has been hosted on GitHub provides an opportunity for the user to re-code the robot to enable it to be used for other purposes using the computational capabilities of the ESP32 CAM. Facial recognition has also been made possible, but the open platform provides them with unlimited means of innovation.
The wonder of the robot is not in its function but even in its feel. It is a light bulb shaped body to make it look space age and eyes, and ripped sheet metal to hold the whole thing together with tapes. What it does provide is a novel, if utilitarian, piece of art that one is attracted to and stimulates the imagination. Less conspicuous LED diffuser wheels in inclement weather also show how whimsical the robot is as a demonstration of how ordinary things would be remanufactured to be functional technology.
Moradisani’s vision extends beyond the classroom. By demonstrating how e-waste can be repurposed into something both educational and fun, he highlights the importance of sustainability in technology. This approach resonates with parents, educators, and hobbyists who seek to instill environmental awareness in children while fostering their interest in STEM fields.
Esghati leaves a lasting impression. It is unconventional in its approach to robotics because it shows how innovation never hinges on costly components or costly laboratories. Rather, it depends on passion, determination, and on dedication to making the technology not too costly for anyone. As Moradisani herself so eloquently explains, “I wanted to show my students that cool stuff is created by passion and things can be done without spending money on fancy robotic parts.”
Project success makes DIY robotics a learning device and a green device. To generate rate of downcycling e-waste into learning system, neither Esghati puts lighter load on nature nor norally nor puts on future inventors and engineers. Wall-E-lookalike affordable, the result is a test for what doing with upcycling does to robots. For the end user who wishes to cut to the chase and hunt down this project, code and instructions readily available on the Internet. For an instructor who desires a nice exercise to distribute in class, for a parent who’d like to tech-starve your teenager, or for a hacker dedicated to green engineering, Esghati provides a fine and challenging experience.
Moradisani’s creation reminds us that innovation is often born from simplicity. With Esghati, he has crafted more than just a robot; he has built a bridge to a future where technology and sustainability go hand in hand. Explore how e-waste becomes a teaching tool, learn the step-by-step assembly process, and discover the creative possibilities of upcycled robotics.
