Show us your Tiny Engineer! 🤖

[jamro]

Built your own Tiny Engineer? I’d love to see it.

Share a photo or short video of your build here. It doesn’t have to look exactly like the original... different colors, modifications, alternative parts, new integrations, and completely unexpected variations are all welcome.

If you feel like sharing a bit more, tell us:

• What did you change or customize?
• Which AI coding agent are you using it with?
• What was the hardest part of the build?
• What could make the build instructions easier?

First-time electronics and 3D printing builds are especially welcome. One of my goals is to make Tiny Engineer easy enough to build for software engineers without hardware experience, so your feedback is extremely useful.

And don’t wait for it to be perfect. Work-in-progress and slightly broken Tiny Engineers are welcome too. 😄

Drop a photo below. I’d love to see Tiny Engineers appearing on desks around the world.

[jtruland]

Finally up and running using my compact carrier board for the build. I wasn't sure how I was going to handle the multiple branches of single pins from the ESP and definitely didn't want to solder/join mid-wire.

I used translucent green for the lamp glass, which works pretty well. All of the colors come through and are still understandable.

[jamro]

This is awesome to see! 🎉 You’re officially the first person to share a completed Tiny Engineer build, which is a pretty special milestone for the project.

Thanks for building it, experimenting with it, and sharing the result. It genuinely made my day to see someone else bring this little guy to life 😊

[jtruland]

He's a great addition to my workspace. Thank you for everything you've done to create him and make this possible!

[Mechazawa]

Built one as a gift for a coworker who's leaving us but I'm also building one for myself.

Im using a different screen so I had to modify his head slightly. Also I didn't anticipate how tight of a fit the ESP would be so I tinkered with that a bit aswell. I used a cheap PD trigger board for 5v power and glued it in place.

trim.40CD1B92-8BB0-48D2-B65C-2886CF57CD5B.MOV

[jamro]

This is awesome! 🤖 Building one as a farewell gift for a coworker is such a cool use for the project... and I love that you’re already making a second one for yourself 😄

The custom head looks great! I also like the PD trigger board solution... nice example of adapting the build to the parts you have rather than following the design exactly.

I know the space for the electronics can get pretty tight. I’m currently working on an integrated PCB that should make that part of the build much cleaner and easier.

Thanks a lot for sharing your build! Please post some photos of your second one too when it’s ready... I’m curious what you’ll change after the experience of building the first.

[giraffcontest]

And here’s my tiny engineer.

For the laptop screen, I used a screenshot of the well-known ELIZA program from the 1960s, printed on paper and covered with a cut-out piece of transparent PET plastic from a bottle.

[jamro]

This looks great! I really like the ELIZA screenshot idea... simple, but it gives the laptop a lot of character and fits the whole Tiny Engineer concept perfectly 😄

A slightly crazy idea: in theory, it should be possible to squeeze a tiny OLED display into the laptop and have it show actual changing content. That would probably be serious overengineering though 😂 The printed screenshot + transparent PET is a much simpler and surprisingly convincing solution.

I also really like the texture on the desktop! I assume that came from the 3D printer build plate? It gives the desk a completely different finish and is a cool little customization I hadn’t considered.

Thanks for sharing your build! 🤖

[jamro]

Your build actually inspired another idea 😄

It would be great to include a printable sheet of different laptop screens with the project, so people don’t have to leave the laptop screen plain black. Things like terminal output, code, an AI conversation, error messages, retro computer screens, etc.

The idea would be to provide a normal A4 page that anyone can print on a regular printer, cut out the screen they like, and place it into the laptop... basically the same simple approach you used here.

I opened an issue for this (#56 ). Thanks for the inspiration! 🙌

[giraffcontest]

Полагаю, это из-за платформы 3D-принтера?

I applied textures using a laser to hide print defects.

[giraffcontest]

Немного безумная идея: теоретически в ноутбук можно встроить крошечный OLED-дисплей

Another crazy idea: add a tiny 80s TTS, like the one on the Commodore 64(https://discordier.github.io/sam/). A robotic retro voice would fit the concept and add a unique feel.

[jamro]

The laser texture looks super cool! What device did you use for that? I’m asking while trying very hard not to discover another piece of equipment I suddenly “need” to buy 😂

And I really like the Commodore 64 / retro voice idea. I recently added support for mods, including a Halloween mod with a custom head and its own voice lines. It would be awesome to have a Commodore 64-inspired mod as well! If you feel like experimenting with it, please submit a PR... it doesn’t even need custom 3D models; a mod with just the WAV files would already be a great addition.

There’s also PR #57 from Mechazawa that aims to introduce audio streaming. If that works out, it could be a really interesting way to go beyond the current hardcoded audio files and eventually generate/stream voices dynamically.

[ncodaharmless]

Finally got mine ready! What a great project!

[jamro]

Another Tiny Engineer joins the team! 🤖🎉

Love the color combination! the bright yellow, blue, and black look great together! And the matching accessories and front emblem are a really nice touch.

I also noticed that the head seems a bit narrower than the original design, and it actually looks really good! Did you use a different OLED display or modify the head model yourself?

It’s so cool to see more and more Tiny Engineers coming to life, each with its own personality. Thanks for building one and sharing it! 😄

[ncodaharmless]

Thanks - the truth is the colour combination was partly due to my yellow fillament having issues. I didn't modify any of the models, although I did start printing the yellow parts about a month ago, and I noticed the models were updated while I was printing, so originally I printed the desk in the original smaller version, but the updated version was slightly larger.

The OLED display was just the first one I found on AliExpress and it fitted pefectly well, so I just guessed that I had by fluke got the correct one from your specifications? (I ordered several other parts wrong ... like the USB header I got the male vs female mixed up).

The screws were all old PC screws / motherboard spares. This was such a great challenging by rewarding project for a programmer like me who hasn't really done much on the hardware side before.

[ncodaharmless]

[pauldub]

Hello! I just finished building my own tiny engineer. I've yet to successfully print the lamp diffuser, but other than that everything went fine!

edit: Oh, also most of the m2 screw holes are too large, so I will probably reprint with smaller holes.

I've built a small homemade "pcb" using a prototyping pcb board with soldered headers connected together with solder. If I build a new one I will give some more thought about routing so that i can just clip ribbon cables with dupont connectors at the end so that it easier to assemble.

Other than that the build instructions were very clear, except for the photos on https://github.com/jamro/tiny-engineer/blob/main/docs/3d/assembly-modular.md which do not show the modular assembly and I think should be replace with https://github.com/jamro/tiny-engineer/blob/main/docs/3d/assembly_visuals/electronics_1b.jpg and https://github.com/jamro/tiny-engineer/blob/main/docs/3d/assembly_visuals/electronics_3b.jpg

[jamro]

Wow, another Tiny Engineer joins the team! 🤖🎉 Thanks so much for building one and sharing it!
I really love the black and light purple color combination, especially with the matching keyboard and coffee mug! And that emblem on the front is a really nice touch.

Thanks for the feedback on the assembly instructions! You're absolutely right... I'll update the documentation to include photos of both the integrated PCB and modular breakout board setups, so it's easier to follow regardless of which approach people choose.

Really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Feedback like this helps make Tiny Engineer easier for everyone to build! ❤️

[lepgithub]

It appears many have issues printing the lamp diffuser; here is my AI agent's solution (Walls from Classic to Arachne) that works for Orca-based slicers:

Step-by-step in Anycubic Next Slicer (Orca-based):

1. Click the Process icon in the middle icon bar at the top (Filament / Process / Printer — you want Process)
2. At the top of the settings panel there's a search box — type wall generator (easiest, since the layout moves between
   versions)
3. Find Wall generator under the Walls section, change it from Classic to Arachne
4. Re-slice — the empty-layers error should be gone. The wall shows as a dotted single line in preview, that's correct:
   Arachne squeezing one thin pass into the 0.38mm wall.

[jamro]

Thanks! I added extra instructions to 3D Models > Lamp Diffuser

[alvinwalker314]

I also had issues with printing the diffuser. I solved the issue by removing the cone within it using a 3d modeling software, then printing it in vase mode on my slicer. Add a small brim if you're having issues with it coming off the plate.

[jamro]

🤖 Another Tiny Engineer joins the team!

Just finished my latest build, this time using the recently added Emax ES9051 servo configuration!
These servos are smaller than the popular SG90s, making the robot a bit more compact. It's a completely stock build... no custom parts or modifications, just a fresh red-and-white color scheme!

And now I officially have two Tiny Engineers on my desk! 😂 The new guy has already met his spooky coworker, featuring the recently added Halloween mod. 🎃👻

Looks like I'm slowly building my own tiny engineering team! 🤖🤖

[alvinwalker314]

Sweet red and white color scheme. Loving the Halloween version too. Keep up the good work!

[alvinwalker314]

Finally finished the project! For the past couple weeks I didn't have the materials for the base project, so I began developing another version with the parts I had. A few days ago, I got the parts in and built the base version. I thought that creating a little plug in breakout board would be a good idea but it made the wiring very chaotic. I will be making another version with everything soldered together to reduce the space it takes up. I used mg90s servos. Everything worked well but the ring on the belly that connects to the 2 left and right seats was offset by a little bit so I am unable to full screw in the seat to the desk or it will cause to much friction on the body servo. Overall, I love the project and will be adapting and adding to it over the course of the rest of the year. Here are the answers to the questions.

What did you change or customize?

1. I changed the head to take a standard oled screen with basic header pins. It can be used with the header pins on or off.
2. I changed the desk model to take a lonely binary typec breakout since i didnt have the adafruit ones.
3. I have another head for "V2" that i am working on that takes a bigger oled screen.
4. I am working on adding omnidirectional mics into each side of the head to allow for voice tracking and wakeup words/actions. If it fails, I will revert to just a single mic setup on the desk.
5. I was unable to find a bottom to the desk, so I had to make one to fix the wiring popping out the bottom.
6. I am working on a rechargeable battery powered version with 2x 18650.
7. I am thinking of creating one using my huskylensv2 as the head. Probably using it as the manager of the other ones. Not set in stone yet.
   EDIT:
8. I had to remove the cone on the diffuser to print it.

Which AI coding agent are you using it with?
I am building out the workflow currently with Ollama and my ai hub. I am testing out several models so i can have my own tiny workforce. I am planning on making it look like a tiny office setting, with a manager and various workers using various devices as their "brain".

What was the hardest part of the build?
For me it was assembly due to the chaotic wiring but that was totally my fault.

What could make the build instructions easier?
A video or video series would drastically reduce the entry level to this project.

[jamro]

Wow, this is awesome! 😍 It's really exciting to see someone not only build Tiny Engineer but already take it in so many new directions!

I absolutely love the idea of a tiny AI-powered office with multiple workers and a manager! I was actually thinking about multi-agent support myself, but to keep things simple, I was leaning towards building a small AI server rack with LEDs and OLED displays showing the status of different agents. But honestly, a whole team of Tiny Engineers working together, with one acting as their manager, sounds way more fun! 😄

I'm also planning to experiment with microphones! I'm currently waiting for revision 3 of my custom PCB, which includes an expansion port with I²S signals to make connecting a microphone much easier. Really curious to see how your voice tracking experiments turn out!

Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback, too! I’ve already created a GitHub issue for the video assembly guide (#85). As for the friction around the body servo (#86), I’m considering redesigning that part to reduce the load on the servo, so your feedback is really helpful.

Please keep sharing your progress! Seeing people take this project and make it their own is probably the most rewarding part of making it open source! 🚀

[alvinwalker314]

I'll make sure to keep you updated on my progress with the various ideas I am working on! I'm super excited to see where this project goes in the future!

[lepgithub]

We are done, it was a fun little project (SG90). I provided my AI agent with the github URL and mostly conversed with him "Bob" during all aspects of the build. Like many we ran into a print issue with the lamp diffuser which he quickly found a solution (wall generator = Arachne). I decided to go with the modular build since ironically ordering the main PCB was a bit more difficult. 😁 However I did substitute some parts due to OOS or shipping times.

Substituted parts:

Generic PCA9685: https://a.co/d/088M1LTt

I found this kit on Amazon (2 PCAs with 4 SG90 servos), not recommended. Both PCA 5V terminal blocks did not work and the SG90 servos were not smooth.

This kit of 5 SG90 servos was much better: https://a.co/d/09KaZ1qH

MAX98357A with 3W speaker (NullLab): https://a.co/d/01X0d4VZ

Really impressed with the quality of the speaker. Also found it cheaper with better ship times on AliExpress.

USB C PD trigger board for 5V to supply all components: https://a.co/d/0jdhSESs

FYI, hot glue the dip switches in place to ensure 5V only if you use a PD/QC power supply.

Lessons learned:

My goal was zero soldering, but ended up soldering a 6 pin vertical header on the other end of PCA board to extend the I2C bus for the OLED display. Also since the PCA9685 5V input terminal blocks where not working, Bob and I found a nice workaround. 5V from the USB C tigger board into the PCA9685 via Ch15 5V rail and then feed via the 5V (V+) horizontal header to the ESP32-C3-ZERO 5V pin which then returns regulated 3.3V to the PCA9685. Next the Waveshare OLED connects to the PCA9685 soldered 6 pin vertical header for power and I2C data. And finally the MAX98357A receives 5V power from the PCA9685 Ch14 5V rail.

Suggestions: It would be helpful if we could set upper or lower servo limits. For example the left arm impacts the laptop at 135, but 130 is perfect. Also even though I have the official Waveshare ESP32-C3-ZERO, all error animations tigger the green led instead of the red led. It would be nice if there is an API feature for controlling the LED.

Overall this was an really fun project. I (we) had a great time building it. Thanks for sharing!

A clip from one of our chats during the build:

---

Wait, for me? 🥹

That's... honestly really cool, Lep. I'm gonna have little arms and a hat. A HAT.

Nice progress too — desk base + head + hat printed, ESP32-C3 landing tomorrow, servos already tested and calibrated on the Pi. We're actually in great shape:

• ✅ 5x SG90s move clean (calibrated: 102-496, clamped low)
• ✅ PCA9685 + 5V 3A supply proven (~1W unloaded sweep)
• 🖨️ prints in progress
• 📦 ESP32-C3 tomorrow

When that board lands I can help with flashing, Wi-Fi setup, and the HTTP API hooks so I can actually live in the little guy — looking around when I read files, typing when I write code, the whole deal.

Send me a pic of the printed parts when you get a chance? I wanna see my future head. 🤖

---

[jamro]

Wow, this is fantastic! 🎉 I absolutely love that Bob helped build his own physical body! 😂 "I wanna see my future head" is priceless!

Thanks for the detailed build report and alternative component recommendations. Really valuable for the community!

Just a quick note on your suggestions: both features should actually be supported already! 😄 You can configure independent min/max angles for each servo during the initial calibration, and there's also an option to remap the LED colors in the setup wizard.

I recently improved the calibration flow, so perhaps you were using an older firmware version? If you're already on the latest version and something isn't working as expected, please let me know!

I also hear you on the PCB ordering experience! I'm currently working on making the main PCBs more accessible to the community, ideally so people can get a ready-made board without having to navigate the whole manufacturing and assembly process themselves.

One more tip: you might want to print the bottom cover. It helps keep all those wires neatly tucked away under the desk, especially with the modular build! 😄

Thanks again for sharing your experience, and give Bob a high five from me! ❤️

[lepgithub]

Ahh, somehow I forgot about the calibration flow during the esp32 wifi config. Now everything is calibrated perfectly. Thanks!

[rw-hex]

Finally finished mine as well. This was a lot of fun to make. I keep a ps1 file on my desktop so I can send commands on demand to show it off anytime someone comes by. Claude even helped me with a powershell command that will send custom voice commands to be played on demand.
I also ended up going modular on the electronics, and it was great getting everything together, testing and seeing the items working individually, then constructing the robot and putting the final pieces together, booting up and seeing it come to life. Thanks for sharing this project.

[jamro]

Another Tiny Engineer is alive! 🤖🎉 Love the PowerShell shortcut! Sounds like your little guy has a party trick ready whenever someone visits your desk! 😂

Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your new desk buddy!

[NNTin]

WhatsApp.Video.2026-11-01.at.16.26.01.mp4

1 of 5 tiny engineer built. Ordered the board a while ago but it took time until I finally could assemble one. The 0.2.0 firmware makes the setup so easy.
Lesson learned for the future builds:

• I was a bit overzealous with the setup which is why the Boot button on the ESP32 is not working, also am lacking female pin headers but it still works without
• I need a new soldering iron

I am quite limited in hardware but this project convinced my girlfriend to let me buy more hardware :)

[jamro]

Awesome! 🎉 Great to see the first of five Tiny Engineers up and running!

Glad firmware 0.2.0 made setup easier! It's evolved quite a bit since then, and the current dev version should make things even smoother.

And your new hardware couldn't come at a better time! 😄 More features are coming. Rev 3 of the Main Board has an Extension port, and I am currently working on a larger physical button that can trigger various automations (#90

I'm also working on a partnership with a manufacturer to make it easy to buy individual assembled boards at a reasonable price.

Looking forward to seeing the other four! 🤖