Mechanical Engineering
Tagline
Rule the Board
Year
2026
Sponsor
CNSI Innovation Grant

Knightly is a Cyberphysical Chessboard which is able to translate physical, vocal, or electronic gestures into the movement of real chess pieces. The design and integration of several mechatronic and electronic systems allows Knightly to bridge the gap between digital chess interfaces and the feeling of playing on a physical board. Beyond being a demonstration of engineering design, Knightly seeks to both make chess more accessible to those with physical disabilities and enhance the experience for competitive players. Knightly is able to move chess pieces using a CoreXY gantry, which is controlled by a GRBL CNC controller, which facilitates the use of voice commands and playing against the chessboard itself. In order to allow Knightly to play against a human player, a Raspberry Pi runs an open source chess engine called Stockfish to make its own moves.

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Students

Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering