YouTuber builds talking robot head that answers like Aristotle

Polish YouTuber and maker Nikodem Bartnik has developed a talking robot head that answers questions in the style of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. The robot features a metal mask with 3D-printed, motorized eyes that naturally track the user, and an LED-lit mouth that glows in sync with its speech. The system operates independently on Bartnik’s own hardware, avoiding reliance on cloud services. Audio input is captured by a microphone connected to a Raspberry Pi, converted to text, and processed on Bartnik’s computer using open-source software and the Google ‘Gemman 3’ model to generate philosophically themed responses. The voice is synthesized via ElevenLabs, creating a lifelike conversational experience. Bartnik’s design emphasizes customization and accessibility. The robot’s personality can be switched on demand through a simple web interface, allowing it to shift from a calm philosophical lecturer to a more humorous or grumpy character without changing the hardware. Despite its polished interaction, the build retains a DIY aesthetic