Hardware Analysis

AI Story Companion Ecosystem — Full BOM, connector specification, thermal design, manufacturing considerations, and certification requirements for all five modular SKUs.

Exploded stack (bottom → top): Docking Station (30mm) · AI Audio Cube (200mm, battery + AI) · 1 Projector Module (100mm) · 4 Sides Module (100mm) · Dome Projector (50mm).
All units share a 200×200mm footprint and the magnetic pogo-pin connector interface.

1. System Overview — Modular Architecture

2. Module Connector Interface — Critical Specification

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.

2. AI Audio Cube — Physical Controls Design

The Cube has exactly 4 physical buttons, 1 mechanical privacy slide, and a USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 charging port. All controls are on the BACK face (parent-facing side). All other interactions are voice-controlled. This keeps the device clean and child-appropriate while giving parents easy access to all controls from behind.

3. Camera System — Full Specification

Total camera count across the full system: 7 cameras. All module cameras serve projection mapping exclusively — no streams stored, no cloud transmission. The Cube camera is activated only by the physical camera button press.

4. AI Audio Cube — Core Device

The Cube is 200×200×200mm — accommodating a large battery, high-quality speakers, camera, 4 physical buttons, privacy slide mechanism, and a robust connector area for stacking modules. Connector faces: top (module output) and bottom (dock input). All intelligence is here — compute, battery, audio, camera, connectivity.

4.1 Full Bill of Materials

4.2 Power States

5. Docking Station

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.

6. Dome Projector

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. Includes a downward-facing camera for autonomous ceiling projection mapping and obstacle detection. Passively cooled — silent at bedtime.

7. 1 Projector Module

200×100×100mm. Single forward-facing pico projector for one-wall projection. Includes a forward-facing camera with a dual role: wall geometry mapping + real-time person/eye safety detection (auto-dims projector within 200ms if a child walks in front).

8. 4 Sides Module

200×200×100mm. Four pico projectors facing N/S/E/W with 4 cameras (one per face) for per-face projection mapping and edge blending. Active cooling required for four simultaneous projectors.

9. Thermal Analysis

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.

10. Certifications & Compliance

All five SKUs require CE marking for EU market sale. EN 62471 photobiological safety is mandatory for all projection modules. Engage test labs early in Phase 3 to avoid Phase 4 schedule risk.

11. Education System — Hardware Implications

The v4 education system introduces three age-differentiated experience tiers, each placing distinct hardware demands on the Cube. All educational content is processed on-device — the NPU on the Compute SoM handles age-adaptive inference, while Adventure Course packs are stored in onboard flash. No additional hardware is required beyond the base Cube specification.

11.1 Education Hardware Requirements Summary