Show HN: I built a robot to win at Mario Party minigames
4 months ago
- #computer-vision
- #gaming
- #robotics
- Built an autonomous robot named Deep-Boo to play Mario Party minigames using computer vision and hardware actuation.
- Used solenoids and a spherical parallel manipulator (SPM) to control Joy-Con buttons and joystick movements.
- Developed a computer vision system with OpenCV for real-time game state detection and template matching.
- Implemented a calibration routine for stepper motors to ensure accurate Joy-Con joystick control.
- Designed a custom PCB for the project, integrating ESP32, TMC2209 stepper drivers, and TB6612FNG H-bridge drivers.
- Attended OpenSauce 2025, where the robot competed against attendees and Ludwig in button-mashing minigames.
- Created custom prizes like joystick fidget toys and 3D-printed Boo keychains for participants.
- Reflected on improvements, such as starting hardware testing earlier and expanding to more complex minigames.
- Open-sourced the project, making the source code and hardware design files available on GitHub.