Using just a few recycled objects and his knack for programming, a man living in Port-au-Prince, Haiti made a robot that can have conversations with people. When making the robot, he had one little person in mind: his three-year-old son, who has had trouble learning language. The proud father says the robot is already improving his son’s communication skills.

Jean-Max Dumont, age 32, made a robot out of practically nothing: salvaged pieces from old electronics, PVC and a bluetooth speaker. He then used paper mâché to make a face for it.

He programmed the robot to respond to questions using the Google Now personal assistant’s sound database. Dumont estimates that it cost him about $52, equivalent to about 45 euros.