A fan-favorite alien from Andy Weir’s sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary has come to life as a working robot, thanks to a dedicated builder. Recently shown off by Leviathan Engineering, the project brings Rocky—the smart, spider-like alien from the book—to life with moving limbs, speech recognition, and gestures that look just like the character fans remember.

The builder spent months designing and putting together the tabletop robot, turning a favorite character into an interactive machine using modern AI tools and custom engineering. The project began with digital models bought from 3D Totems, a creator known for accurate printable character designs.

The engineer used Fusion 360 and Tinkercad to adjust the files, making the parts strong enough for real movement and frequent use. After months of printing and testing, the parts came together as a small four-legged robot with moving arms and expressive body movements. The design closely resembles Rocky from the novel, including the alien’s distinctive posture and lively gestures.

Ten metal-geared servos control the robot’s movements. Extra servos in the shoulders let the arms swing widely, while the leg joints allow crouching and shifting positions.

The robot can perform actions from the book, such as offering a fist bump and making dramatic hand gestures during conversations. The finished robot is about the size of a small tabletop display, but its movements make it feel surprisingly lifelike.

Raspberry Pi powers the robotic alien

A Raspberry Pi 5 sits at the heart of the robot, connected to a PCA9685 HAT that controls the servo motors and movement. The motors use an external power supply since they need a lot of power to run.

The software gives Rocky its personality. Speech recognition runs locally with Vosk, so the robot can understand voice commands without needing the internet. For spoken replies, the builder used Piper, which creates the sharp, rhythmic voice style Rocky has in the novel.

Conversations are generated using Google’s Gemini AI model. The system creates both the dialogue and the matching gestures for each response. Rather than using preset animations, the robot reacts in real time based on what’s happening.

If you ask for a fist bump, Rocky reaches out its arm and says things like “fist bump yes much happy.”

AI-assisted coding shaped the project

The engineer wrote the software with help from Claude, using a command-line interface. The language model helped create and organize the code for movement, speech, and interaction.

One key feature is that there are no fixed animation scripts. Instead of playing preset moves, the robot chooses gestures in real time based on context and special tools. This makes its movements feel more natural and less repetitive when it talks.

The project brings together several modern technologies into a single homemade robot. Open-source voice recognition, AI-generated dialogue, motion control, and 3D-printed parts all work together to make a machine that acts more like a character than a typical hobby robot.

Learning through trial and error

Building the robot took a lot of trial and error. Early versions used pulleys and linear actuators, but these were replaced with servos for better precision and easier control.

Durability was a big challenge. The printed joints often broke under stress, so the builder kept redesigning and strengthening weak spots through lots of testing.

Assembling the robot required careful wiring and hands-on adjustments. Extension cables kept the wires tidy inside the body, and hot glue and super glue held delicate parts in place during the final build.

The end result is a small but expressive robot version of Rocky that captures much of the personality fans loved in Project Hail Mary. For readers of the novel, this project is a rare chance to see the alien character move, talk, and interact in real life.