Project Overview
I'm building an autonomous chess board that physically moves pieces to play against a human opponent. No screens, no manual input, just a traditional chess experience but playing against a computer. This ongoing project combines computer vision, robotics control, embedded systems, and mechanical design into one integrated system.
The board uses a Raspberry Pi for processing, an overhead camera for board state detection, a Python chess engine for move calculation, and a custom CoreXY gantry system with a servo-actuated magnet to physically move pieces from beneath the board. A traditional chess clock provides timing and serves as the trigger mechanism for the computer to take its turn.
Project Status: Currently in active development (2 semesters in progress). Hardware assembly is largely complete, with motors operational. Software integration and computer vision pipeline are the next major milestones.
Current hardware assembly with camera video demonstration