epaper virtual pet HUGE update
ESP32 Virtual Pet
Overview
This is my ESP32-based virtual pet project that combines hardware tinkering with nostalgic digital pet gameplay. I created this project to explore e-paper display technology while building something fun and interactive.
The virtual pet lives on a 1.54" Waveshare e-paper display and features animations, score tracking, battery management, and time display. Your pet reacts to button presses and can be interacted with through a custom menu system.
Features ⚡ Smooth animations powered by an ESP32 microcontroller 🕒 Real-time clock synchronized via WiFi/NTP 🔋 Virtual battery simulation 📊 Score tracking system 📱 Interactive menu system 💤 Power-efficient e-paper display 🔄 Double-click to access menu 📈 Score increases when you interact with your pet Hardware Requirements To build your own, you'll need:
ESP32 development board Waveshare 1.54" e-Paper display module 2× Push buttons Jumper wires Micro USB cable 3D printed case (optional) Software Dependencies The project uses the following libraries:
Arduino core for ESP32 Waveshare e-Paper ESP32 driver library ESP32 WiFi libraries SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) How It Works I designed the program with several key components:
Animation System The pet has different animation states handled by a simple frame-based animation system. The main loop cycles through animation frames at a configurable rate (currently 200ms per frame). After completing several animation cycles, the pet "falls asleep" until you interact with it again.
Time Management The ESP32 connects to WiFi and synchronizes time with NTP servers. I added a custom 12-hour time format display since the Waveshare library only supports 24-hour format by default. The time is shown at the bottom of the screen and updates every second.
Button Interaction Two buttons control the interface:
The main button wakes up the pet, increases your score, and selects menu items A double-click on the main button opens the settings menu The scroll button navigates through menu options Menu System I implemented a simple menu system that lets you:
Reset your score Reset the battery level Exit the menu The menu is designed to be expandable for future features.
Battery Simulation A virtual battery indicator shows in the top status bar. The battery gradually depletes over time to simulate a real virtual pet. You can recharge it through the menu.
Installation Clone this repository or download the source code Install the required libraries through Arduino Library Manager Connect your ESP32 to the e-paper display according to the pin definitions Update the WiFi credentials in the code Compile and upload to your ESP32 Configuration Adjust these constants to customize behavior:
Usage Power on the device Wait for WiFi connection and time synchronization Press the main button to interact with your pet Double-click to enter the menu Use the scroll button to navigate menu options Press the main button to select a menu item Enjoy watching your virtual pet animate! Technical Notes The program uses the ESP32's SPI interface to communicate with the e-paper display. I implemented partial refresh mode to improve animation performance, though e-paper displays are still relatively slow compared to traditional LCDs.
The power consumption is very low due to the e-paper display's ability to maintain an image without power. This makes it perfect for battery-powered applications.
Future Improvements I'm planning to add:
More pet animations and interactions Mini-games to earn points Custom pet naming Battery-saving sleep mode Weather display integration License This project is open source and available under the MIT License.
Built with ❤️ by me