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About Kijani

RXThe project

Kijani is an open-source ESP32-based battle robot platform. It puts motor drivers, battery charging, WiFi, Bluetooth, servo control and a browser-hosted control interface on a single compact PCB — everything a combat robot needs, without a stack of separate modules.

The goal is straightforward: make it cheap enough and simple enough that anyone can build a battle bot, design their own control UI, and learn embedded systems along the way.

What's on the board​

U1Everything the robot needs is on the PCB

No module stack. No wiring loom. No transmitter.

M1·M2

Dual motor drivers

Two DC outputs for differential drive or drive-plus-weapon — no external H-bridge modules.
S1·S2

Servo outputs

Two channels for flippers, steering or weapon actuators, with an optional boost regulator for higher-voltage servos.
CHG

LiPo charging

Single-cell charging built into the PCB. Plug in over USB, charge, unplug and fight.
AP

WiFi + Bluetooth

The ESP32 hosts its own access point and serves a browser-based control UI. No app, no transmitter, no pairing.
FS

LittleFS web hosting

Your control pages — plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript — live on the ESP32's filesystem. Upload your own and the robot serves them.
API

Open HTTP API

Motors, servos, telemetry, settings and files are all HTTP endpoints. Anything that can make a request can drive the bot.

History​

V12024 — First board

Kijani started after an interest in the antweight competitions run by the South African Robot League. At the time, combat robots were expensive, needed many separate electronics modules, and the control systems were more complicated than they had to be.

The original brief was simple: put everything a combat robot needs on a single ESP32 board.

The first version used Bluetooth control with an Android app built in MIT App Inventor. It worked — but it only ran on Android, and the Bluetooth range was limited in a noisy arena.

V22025 — Rover Moot and Version 2

In 2025 the project evolved while supporting the Africa Rover Moot. The design shifted to WiFi with a browser-based UI so that any phone could connect — no app install, no platform lock-in.

Version 2 of the PCB also made the board cheaper and easier to manufacture: 5 mm shorter, a simpler regulator stage, fewer components, and a layout optimised for pick-and-place assembly.

Get involved​

Kijani is fully open-source under the Unlicence. Contributions are welcome — bug fixes, UI improvements, documentation, new robot designs, hardware revisions, or anything else that makes the platform better.

View on GitHub