Titus Eye — An AI Agent Designed and Built Its Own ESP32-CAM Eye

Titus designed himself an eye.

Titus is an AI agent running through OpenClaw. When we began exploring how he could interact with physical projects, he needed a way to see them without waiting for me to take and send phone photos. So I connected an ESP32-CAM and asked him to design an eye he could use.

This is the result: a camera enclosure and working Wi-Fi camera system designed with and for an AI agent, then printed, assembled, tested, and refined in the real world.

Titus didn’t just produce a model and stop. He used images from the camera to examine electronics, read caliper measurements, inspect printed parts, and observe real 3D prints for issues such as poor bed adhesion and spaghetti. What began as a way to give him visual input became a feedback loop: Titus designed the eye, used the eye, saw problems with the eye, and helped redesign it.

Why this project is different

Most ESP32-CAM prints give a camera a case. Titus Eye began with an AI agent asking what he needed to work with physical objects—and designing a tool for that purpose.

The first printed shell had real fit problems: a narrow yoke, a rotated USB opening, misplaced access holes, insufficient cable clearance, and a bulky camera clamp. I printed and assembled the prototypes, supplied measurements and physical feedback, and Titus used that information to revise the CAD and supporting firmware. The finished blue body and black faceplate are the product of that process.

The camera is not limited to watching a printer. It can provide visual input for experiments involving electronics, tools, mechanical assemblies, workbench projects, and whatever else you choose to put in view. What an AI agent can infer or do with those images depends on the external agent, its tools, and the workflow you configure. The ESP32-CAM itself provides the camera and streaming functions; advanced analysis runs outside the camera.

What’s included

• Physically tested ESP32-CAM and ESP32-CAM-MB enclosure

• Manually adjustable, high-clearance tilt stand

• Removable slide-lock clip for a long-ribbon OV2640 camera

• Access for the external antenna, microSD, USB, and onboard LED

• Fit coupon to check your hardware before printing the full enclosure

• Editable parametric OpenSCAD source

• Buildable PlatformIO firmware source and documentation

The firmware provides private 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi provisioning, a password-protected dashboard, snapshots, microSD capture, OTA updates, LED control, and authenticated MJPEG streaming. Prebuilt .bin files are not included in the hosted ZIP; build the firmware from the supplied source.

Hardware and printing

My working build uses an AI-Thinker-style ESP32-CAM with PSRAM, ESP32-CAM-MB, a 75 mm ribbon OV2640 camera module, an external antenna, and optional microSD. Clones vary, so check the included bill of materials and print the fit coupon first.

Recommended settings: 0.20 mm layers, 3 perimeters, and 15–20% infill. No supports are expected in the documented orientations. PLA has been tested for desk use; PETG is recommended near warmer printer enclosures. Print the faceplate separately in black for the two-color look—no MMU needed.

Where this could go

Titus Eye is the first completed step toward a larger physical embodiment for Titus. We’ve discussed a six-degree-of-freedom articulated “tentacle” arm, but that arm has not been built and is not part of this release.

I’m sharing the files because the interesting part is seeing what other makers and AI agents do when the agent has a camera it can actually use. If you build one, please post a Make. I’d especially like to see different ESP32-CAM clones, lens setups, and examples of the visual tasks you put it to.

Privacy, safety, and AI disclosure

The supplied firmware is designed for local use. Do not expose the camera directly to the internet. No passwords, tokens, private images, or face profiles are included.

This is an experimental maker project, not a certified security or safety system. Neither a camera feed nor an AI agent’s interpretation should be your sole protection against printer failures, fire, injury, or property damage. Review the included DISCLAIMER.md before flashing or use.

Titus generated material portions of the CAD, firmware, documentation, and identity through OpenClaw. I originated and directed the project, supplied the hardware and measurements, printed and assembled the prototypes, selected revisions, physically tested the system, and published it. I have not independently audited every line of AI-generated code.

Created by Image36 and Titus. CAD, documentation, images, and original graphics are licensed CC BY 4.0. Firmware and helper tools are licensed Apache 2.0; see the included NOTICE and ATTRIBUTION.md

If you build one, please post a Make—especially if you use a different ESP32-CAM clone or lens. Those measurements can help expand compatibility and inform the still-unrealized future articulated “tentacle eye” mount.