RT Corporation is going to release two versions of the Stack-chan assembly kit at the end of July! Starting from today, we have begun accepting pre-orders on our web store. We also offer international shipping.
The options for the assembly kits include both the full kit containing the indispensable M5Stack for Stack-chan, and a version without the M5Stack.
Please choose either of the two types according to whether you already have an M5Stack or not. The stocked-up kit arrives complete with a servo and battery, so you can start assembling your Stack-chan from the day it arrives.
Corporate customers who wish to buy multiple items together, please contact us via the inquiry form.
RT Corporation has recently been in the news with 'Foodly', a humanoid collaborative robot for food factories, but in the past, it has created a mascot robot 'Neko Tenchō' capable of hugging humans, positioning itself as a company with communication robots as one of its identities.
We believe that selling Stack-chan from RT is very meaningful, as it aligns with RT's mission to "realize a lifestyle with robots". We hope that spreading Stack-chan will help to foster a culture of communication robot development in Japan and abroad.
Meanwhile, Stack-chan is characterized by its open community. We aim for a relationship where everyone is a user and can also become a developer, rather than specific individuals or companies developing robots alone. We always look forward to seeing the culture of 'individual developers making unique improvements to the hardware and selling them as kits'.
While I, the creator, am involved in the development of 'Stack-chan RT Ver.', it is not officially branded as such. We hope you will welcome it as one of the many Stack-chans. We're looking forward to seeing all of the 'best Stack-chan' creations you come up with and share.
Of course, 'Stack-chan RT Ver.' will continue to be enhanced in the future. Let's enjoy creating it together!
I'll be speaking at Moddable's online event on Friday, May 12th, at 8:00 PM PDT. I am developing Stack-chan's firmware using Moddable, a platform designed for embedded JavaScript.
I plan to discuss Stack-chan's firmware at this online event, which the Moddable development team hosts monthly. I'll be sharing my motivations for using Moddable, details about Stack-chan's firmware, and particularly the source code for the ChatGPT integration that I introduced in my previous post. If you're interested, please feel free to join us!
The number of Stack-chan users has been steadily increasing, thanks to the integration with ChatGPT. As it has become challenging to keep up with all the information solely on Twitter, we decided to create a dedicated server. It's already bustling with over 100 participants!
You can join using the URL below. Don't hesitate to participate!
One of my goals was to create a "robot that talks with people" through Stack-chan.
Stack-chan is already cute without doing anything, but I have been working on development with the dream of a future where Stack-chan can provide advice to users, give praise and encouragement, and engage in playful communication with other Stack-chans.
I had thought that it would take another 1-2 years to fully integrate dialogue management, but with the arrival of ChatGPT, I feel like the future has come in a giant leap!
So, to achieve a "robot that talks with people," I've implemented and tested the ChatGPT integration feature!
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When users talk to Stack-chan, Stack-chan responds with a cute voice.
When users ask Stack-chan to introduce itself, it replies, "I am a robot called Stack-chan." In other words, ChatGPT is acting as Stack-chan. As those who use the web version of ChatGPT may know, by starting the conversation with the setting "You are a super cute robot called Stack-chan," ChatGPT will generate responses adhering to this setting.
Demo Mechanism
The mechanism is as follows. Heavy processes such as speech recognition and synthesis are performed on an external PC.
The PC recognizes the user's voice (using the VOSK speech recognition library).
The PC sends the recognized text to Stack-chan.
Stack-chan sends the user's message to the ChatGPT API and receives a reply from the AI.
In addition to the authentication API key, the array chat messages is sent.
Chat messages have a role (role) and content (content). The role indicates user, AI, or system, and the content represents the actual message content.
Using system roles, you can provide ChatGPT with character settings and instructions for responses.
The AI's reply is converted to audio data (using the VOICEVOX speech synthesis engine).
The audio data is played back.
You can try this demo on the Moddable version of the firmware I'm developing. Since all the basic modules are implemented in JavaScript, it can be used by those unfamiliar with Arduino (C++) or web engineers.
In the future, I plan to improve the ease of getting started and usability, such as allowing users to write apps using a web browser without setting up an environment.
Impressions of Using ChatGPT
First and foremost, I was amazed by the naturalness of the responses! I truly felt like I was having a proper conversation with a robot for the first time.
The API is also easy to use and can be quickly integrated into various systems.
On the other hand, ChatGPT is ultimately an AI designed for "text-based chat," and there are challenges when integrating it fully into a communication robot for "voice-based conversation."
Response accuracy: Sometimes the given character setting is not effective, or the response may be stiff (AI's limitation showing?). The demo used the GPT-3.5 model, but the next-generation GPT-4 has already been released, and we can expect improved accuracy.
Response speed: There is a lag of a few seconds before a reply is given. It is necessary to devise ways to let users know that the robot is processing the request, such as changing Stack-chan's facial expression.
Dialogue management: Determining whether the robot should respond when the user pauses in their speech or whether they should listen more can lead to more natural conversations beyond the "one question, one answer" interactions common with smart speakers.
Application Ideas
Various modifications can be made from this configuration.
Have Stack-chan speak not only in response to user's speech but also based on specific times (e.g., "It's 12 o'clock. Let's take a lunch break!"), changes in sensor values (e.g., "CO2 levels are increasing, should we open a window?"), or triggers from other web APIs.
What would you do with Stack-chan?
Increase the number of Stack-chans. In addition to user and Stack-chan interactions, have conversations between Stack-chans.
Embed special commands in ChatGPT's responses to perform actions beyond speech. Connect with external APIs and have Stack-chan control devices like TVs or PCs.
We've got some exciting news for you! Check out the latest updates on Stack-chan, which include a ChatGPT collaboration, kit production progress, and various community contributions.
🤖 ChatGPT Collaboration: Thanks to a tweet by robo8080, Stack-chan is now gaining popularity through its collaboration with ChatGPT! Discover the tweet that sparked this partnership and explore some creative modifications of Stack-chan's character.
🔧 Kit Production: We are working diligently to turn Stack-chan into a kit, responding to the enthusiasm generated by the ChatGPT collaboration. Stay tuned for detailed schedules and updates.
🌟 Pull Requests & Development: The Stack-chan repository now has contributions from 10 people, and we welcome any contributions, no matter how small. Check out some of the latest developments, including configuration apps, tutorial videos, and more.
🚀 Miscellaneous: From Stack-chan-themed sweaters to drone integrations, the community is getting more creative with their projects!
Want to catch up on all the latest Stack-chan news? Read the full update in detail on GitHub discussion. If you have any Stack-chan information that you'd like to share, please post it in the thread!
Don't miss out on any future Stack-chan updates! We'll be posting monthly updates on GitHub Discussions, so be sure to star and watch the repository to stay in the loop. Happy building!
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combined Stack-chan, the lovable robot, with ChatGPT, the AI chatbot? Well, wonder no more, because that's exactly what robo8080 did, and the results are pretty impressive.
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In a series of videos posted on Twitter, robo8080 demonstrates the capabilities of this chatbot system, which uses an iPhone for voice recognition and the ChatGPT API for conversation management. The robot itself is the adorable Stack-chan, and voicetext is used for text-to-speech.
In one video, robo8080 asks the Stack-chan why the sky is blue, and the response is spot-on. In another video, the Stack-chan is asked about the mechanics of airplane flight, and it delivers a detailed and accurate explanation. But perhaps the most fun part of this system is that you can set up a conversation with Stack-chan themselves. With the "I am a cute robot named Stack-chan" setting enabled, you can chat with the lovable robot and get all kinds of amusing and informative responses. And if you really want to have some fun, you can even get two Stack-chans talking to each other! It's a pretty neat demo of the capabilities of the ChatGPT API and the potential of AI chatbots in general. Of course, as you may already know, ChatGPT can sometimes give nonsensical responses that don't match up with the facts, but in the context of a chatbot designed for casual conversation, that can be part of the fun.
With all the buzz surrounding robo8080's demo, people are already asking where they can get their own Stack-chan. While there are plans to commercialize the robot, for now, it's still a work in progress. But keep an eye on the project page, as more updates are sure to come.
[This post was co-authored by meganetaaan and ChatGPT.]
(Poor machine translation warning! Stack-chan is misunderstood as "stack chain" 🙄)
The kit includes an assembled board, 3D printed case, and everything to make Stack-chan without special equipment like a 3D printer or a soldering iron.
I'm going to sell the kit first in Japan. I wonder how much demand there is for the kit abroad. Please let me know if you like to have it.
I'm so excited to tell you that Stack-chan got the 2nd place of HackadayPrize!!
Since I am not a native English speaker, I had prepared a script of greetings in case I needed to use it. But that is much longer than what I read out in the video. I'm posting it in its entirety as a memorial.
Thank you HackadayPrize for giving me the honorable 2nd place.
First of all, I would like to thank all members of the worldwide Stack-chan community. Without your passion and creativity, I wouldn't be standing here. Next, I'd like to thank Jimmy Lai and the M5Stack team. And thanks to Peter Hoddie and the ModdableSDK team. I couldn't have achieved the concept of a "cute robot that runs in JavaScript" without the help of their excellent devices and frameworks. Thank you SupplyFrame, Digikey and all HackadayPrize staffs for giving me the opportunity to share Stack-chan with the world. Finally, I would like to thank my wife and three children for their patience. I have dedicated almost all of my non-work time to Stack-chan. The kids have been Stack-chan's best playmates and also the most strict reviewers of new features. They can easily detect "childish tricks". They get bored so easily. I put a lot of effort into how to keep them happy.
I am very lucky. In fact, I only started developing robots last year. Let me tell you a little about my story.
I was doing research on human-robot interaction systems at university. However, for me, robots were something that I could buy and use, not something that I could build myself. Robot development and hardware hacking were things that I longed for, but also things that were far away.
After a few setbacks, I joined a systems vendor and run into web development, forgetting about robots for a while. No, actually, I had many opportunities to recall them: Jibo, Vector, Robi or the new AIBO, LOVOT. As I watched the rise and fall of household robots, they remained distant to me, despite my growing longing for them.
The trigger was the M5Stack. When I first got my hands on the M5Stack, I came up with the idea. "If I had a robot this size, it would be so cute!" The first thing I did was to write a library to display a simple face in M5Stack. Then the world changed. Makers from Japan and all over the world used the library to make various things. My maker spirit was sparked.
Things accelerated from there. I moved to a robotics venture company, learned circuit design, CAD and ROS, got a 3D printer in my house. When I found out about ModdableSDK, my soul trembled because I realized that I might be able to put my JavaScript skills and web background to use in robotics development. Then it didn't take long for me to come up with the idea of "an open robot that anyone (even a web engineer like me, for example) can easily assemble and program.
Looking back on my activities and its chain reaction, I am once again amazed at how simple the beginning was. I think I was "over-prepared" in the past when I gave up on robots. If I wanted to make a robot, the first thing I had to do was not to do research on robots at university. All I had to do was buy a motor and get it running.
So again thank you to everyone who helped me realize this and encouraged to continue making. And I hope that Stack-chan can be a first step for people like me who are interested in robot development and for those who have once given up on robots.
In recent years, robots have been playing an important role in many areas of society. An ever greater amount of money is being spent on robot development. I am afraid that this will lead to robot development being regarded as something privileged.
We all know, essentially, we do not need a license or permission to develop robots except high voltage ones. I hope that Stack-chan will encourage as many people as possible to become interested in robot development and start creating robots. This is my dream.
I will continue to develop Stack-chan so that it does not end up being a movement.
The experience of being able to magically create a robot with simple cardboard construction has the potential to lower the bar for robot development in one fell swoop, just as Google has done with Google Cardboard and AIY kits.
These examples blew my mind, as I had been struggling with "what shape to make the 3D printed parts". I personally learned a lot from them:
the 3D printer I use everyday is still not the norm for many developers.
It is the core of creativity to devise ways to make things out of common materials.
Shinya Ishikawa
