I was taken with ClicBot when I first saw it at the Consumer Electronics Show. We are up to our ears in robot kits. The last few years have seen an explosion in these sorts of toys, and your mileage is going to vary based on the line.
What caught my attention was the robot's expression. Anki used animated characteristics to create a real-world robot. The company effectively used the extreme expressiveness of characters' eyes, sounds and movement with the help of a team of former Pixar and DreamWorks animators.
Keyi Tech is the image credit.
The people were quick to say that Cosmo was like WALL-E. Anki went under as a result of market forces. The company's legacy continues in a meaningful way through the cracks in the home robot market, most notably, Amazon's Astro.
I compared the two. The headline asked if ClicBot was a reincarnation of Anki's best-known product. I said it was mostly no but maybe a little yes. With KEYi Tech's new robot it's obvious. The company trades ClicBot's modular buildability for some truly impressive moves with Loona and I wanted to make sure I wasn't watching renders.
The little wheeled robot is very similar to Cozmo. It is one of the most fluid consumerrobots I have ever seen. The 'Bot is not cheap at $449. You will be able to get one for less than Anki's price. All of the usual risks are applied here.
Keyi Tech is the image credit.
A number of sensors on the robot's board allow it to interact with users. It has edge detection on board so it doesn't drive off the counter and plan for better navigation. The company hopes to have the first batches shipped to backers by the holiday season.
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