AI Story Companion Ecosystem — Full BOM, connector specification, thermal design, manufacturing considerations, and certification requirements for all five modular SKUs.
The magnetic pogo-pin connector is the most critical hardware design decision in the ecosystem. It must be robust to 1,000+ cycles, child-safe (no exposed pins, magnetic alignment), carry HDMI 2.0 bandwidth, and be manufacturable at low cost. Recommended: magnetic pogo-pin array with a mechanical locking ring.
| Signal | Spec | Bandwidth / Rating | Function | Pins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | DC 12V / 3A per module | 36W max per connector | Powers projection modules via Cube battery when docked | 2 + shield |
| Video | HDMI 2.0 (TMDS) | 18 Gbps · 4K@30fps | Sends rendered frames to each projector face | 19 (standard) |
| Control | I2C (400kHz) | Fast mode | Module enumeration, brightness control, on/off | 2 (SDA + SCL) |
| Frame Sync | GPIO pulse (3.3V) | <1ms cross-module | Synchronises frames across all active modules | 1 |
| ID / Detection | 1-Wire ID ROM | — | Module type identification at hot-plug | 1 |
| Ground | Common GND | — | Reference | 4 (distributed) |
The Cube is 200×200×200mm — the large form factor accommodates a larger battery, better speakers, and a robust connector area for stacking multiple modules. Connector faces: top (module output) and bottom (dock input). All intelligence is here — compute, battery, audio, camera, connectivity.
| Component | Selection | Spec | Cost (25K+ units) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compute SoM | Raspberry Pi CM5 / i.MX 8M Plus | Quad-core A55, 4GB RAM, NPU, GPU | €30–40 | NPU for local ML |
| Microphone Array | 4-mic MEMS (custom PCB) | Beamforming, 360°, 44.1kHz | €6–10 | Key for child voice capture |
| Speaker Amplifier | TPA3130 / MAX98357 | Class D, stereo 5W+5W | €2–3 | — |
| Camera | Sony IMX477 | 5MP, 1080p30, wide angle | €6–10 | Child detection, personalisation |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Qualcomm QCN9074 / onboard CM5 | Wi-Fi 6, BT 5.3 | €3–5 | Dual-band for stability |
| Battery | Li-Ion 20Wh (5,400mAh @ 3.7V) | UN38.3 certified, 4hr+ with Dome | €14–18 | Must ship as UN38.3 |
| PMIC + Charging IC | Texas Instruments BQ25895 | USB-C PD 3.0, 18W charge | €3–5 | — |
| IMU | ICM-42688-P | 6-axis, motion + sleep detection | €1.5–2 | — |
| LED Ring | 16× WS2812B (diffused) | RGB, story interaction feedback | €2–4 | — |
| Module Connector (top) | Magnetic pogo-pin array (custom) | HDMI + I2C + 12V + GPIO + ID | €4–7 | Critical custom part |
| Dock Connector (bottom) | Magnetic pogo-pin array (custom) | 12V power in + data | €3–5 | — |
| Main PCB (6-layer) | Custom, 4oz copper | HDMI routing, power planes | €10–15 | At 10K+ volume |
| Enclosure (ABS) | 200mm cube, rounded corners | IP54, child-safe, drop-rated | €16–22 | Tooling amortised |
| Assembly (CM labor) | Contract manufacturer | At 10K+ units | €12–15 | — |
| Packaging | Box + USB-C cable | — | €4–6 | — |
| Total BOM (25K+ units target) | €95–130 | |||
| State | Active Components | Power Draw | Battery Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Active + Dome module | CPU + Audio + Camera + Wi-Fi + Dome | ~12W | ~4 hours |
| Story Playback (audio only) | CPU + Audio + Wi-Fi | ~4W | ~5 hours |
| Sleep Companion | Audio (low) + IMU | ~1.2W | ~15 hours |
| Deep Sleep / Wake-word only | Porcupine wake-word engine | ~0.08W | ~7 days |
200×200×30mm flat base. Mains powered (100–240V AC). Provides 12V/3A to the Cube via the bottom connector. Side ports: USB-C (data), HDMI pass-through (for TV/monitor), power LED.
| Component | Spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| AC-DC Power Supply | 100–240V in → 12V/3A out, CE certified | €6–10 |
| Top Connector (to Cube) | Magnetic pogo-pin, standard interface | €3–5 |
| USB-C Port + Controller | USB 3.0, data only | €2–4 |
| HDMI Pass-Through | HDMI 2.0, from Cube output | €1–2 |
| PCB (2-layer) | Simple, low-cost | €3–5 |
| Enclosure (ABS) | 200×200×30mm, non-slip base | €5–8 |
| Assembly | Simple BOM | €4–6 |
| Total BOM | €24–40 | |
200×200×50mm. Houses a single pico projector pointing upward through a fisheye lens (≥160° FOV) that covers the full ceiling at 2.5m height. Fisheye distortion correction is applied entirely in the Cube's projection compositor. Passively cooled — silent at bedtime.
| Component | Option | Spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pico Projector Module | DLP LightCrafter or equiv. | 720p, 200 lumens, compact DLP | €25–38 |
| Fisheye Lens (M12 mount, upward) | Custom M12 mount | ≥160° FOV, equidistant projection | €10–18 |
| Lens Mount + Alignment Bracket | Precision-moulded | Factory-aligned, no user adjustment | €4–6 |
| Passive Heatsink | Aluminium | Sufficient for 200-lumen DLP | €2–4 |
| Bottom Connector (magnetic pogo) | Standard interface | Receives power + HDMI + I2C | €3–5 |
| PCB (simple driver board) | HDMI input → projector interface | — | €4–6 |
| Enclosure (ABS) | Low-profile, ceiling-oriented aperture | 200×200×50mm | €6–10 |
| Assembly | — | — | €5–8 |
| Total BOM | €59–95 | ||
200×100×100mm. Single forward-facing pico projector for one-wall directional projection. The entry-level projection option. Keystone correction applied in the Cube's compositor automatically.
| Component | Spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Pico Projector Module | DLP, 720p, 150 lumens, compact | €22–32 |
| Wide-Angle Lens | ~80° FOV, rectilinear | €5–8 |
| Bottom Connector (magnetic pogo) | Standard interface | €3–5 |
| Passive Heatsink | — | €1–3 |
| Enclosure | Single aperture front face | €5–8 |
| PCB + Assembly | — | €6–10 |
| Total BOM | €42–66 | |
200×200×100mm. Four pico projectors facing N/S/E/W — all driven simultaneously by the Cube compositor with per-face keystone and edge-blending correction. Frame sync GPIO ensures <1ms offset across all four faces. Active cooling required for four simultaneous projectors.
| Component | Spec | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 4× Pico Projector Modules | DLP, 720p, 150 lumens each | €80–120 (4×) |
| 4× Wide-Angle Lenses | ~80° FOV, rectilinear | €16–24 (4×) |
| HDMI Distribution IC | 4-channel HDMI splitter/router | €6–10 |
| Active Cooling (40mm fan) | Required for 4× simultaneous projectors | €4–7 |
| Bottom Connector (magnetic pogo) | Standard interface | €3–5 |
| Enclosure (ABS) | 4 aperture faces, ventilation slots | €10–15 |
| PCB (6-layer, complex routing) | Power + HDMI distribution | €14–20 |
| Total BOM | €133–201 | |
Total power draw at full stack (Cube + Dome + 4 Sides): ~36W system load. Each module has its own thermal path to ambient — the stack connector does not transfer heat between modules.
| Configuration | Total Power | Thermal Risk | Cooling Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cube only | ~4W | None | Passive (Cube) |
| Cube + Dock | ~4W | None | Passive |
| Cube + Dome | ~12W | Low | Passive (both) |
| Cube + 1-Proj | ~10W | Low | Passive (both) |
| Cube + 4-Sides | ~28W | Medium | Active fan (4-Sides) |
| Cube + Dome + 4-Sides (Full Universe) | ~36W | Medium | Active fan (4-Sides) + passive (Dome) |
All five SKUs require CE marking for EU market sale. Note: each module may need separate CE/FCC testing. Engage test labs early in Phase 3 to avoid Phase 4 schedule risk.
| Certification | Applies To | Est. Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| CE Mark (EU) | All 5 SKUs | €5–15K/SKU | 3–6 months each |
| EN 71 Toy Safety | Cube + Dock | €3–8K | 2–3 months |
| RoHS / REACH | All 5 SKUs | €1–3K total | 2 months |
| UN 38.3 (Battery) | AI Audio Cube | €2–4K | 6 weeks |
| FCC Part 15 (USA) | All 5 SKUs | €5–10K/SKU | 3–4 months |
| COPPA / GDPR (Software) | Platform | €8–20K (legal) | 2–3 months |