desktop robot reachy mini by pollen robotics
Pollen Robotics introduces Reachy Mini, a programmable and animated desktop robot that can recognize faces, listen to voices, and talk to people. Designed to help users learn and explore robotics, coding, and AI, the device is compact enough to fit on a desk or small table, and it weighs 1.5 kilos, so users can also bring it anywhere, even in their travels. For programmers, the desktop robot Reachy Mini comes as a kit, meaning they can build the device themselves and install their own programs. It is also plug-and-play, so once it’s built, it’s ready to go and help.
In the open-source files, the robotics team gives the users around 15 behaviors so they can make the desktop robot Reachy Mini wave, turn its head, move its antennas, and even react to specific sounds. Because of its motorized head and body, it can move in different directions and ways, and the animated antennas also make the device more alive, as if it were a pet. The team believes that making the programmable desktop robot Reachy Mini animated helps it feel more alive and fun to interact with compared to just having an immobile smart device.
all images courtesy of Pollen Robotics
Animated Device that recognizes faces and answer questions
Pollen Robotics’ desktop robot Reachy Mini can see, hear, and talk to people because of its cameras, microphones, and speakers embedded into the device. The open-source files that the team, composed of Matthieu Lapeyre and Thomas Wolf, has uploaded can help developers of all levels program the device to their needs. With these tools, it can recognize faces, listen to voices, or answer questions, and even respond in a friendly way using AI models. At the time of publishing, the desktop robot Reachy Mini is programmable using Python, but the team says that in the future, it can also work with JavaScript and Scratch.
There’s a Reachy community where users can download code from others and share their own programs, too. So far there are two versions of the desktop robot Reachy Mini, with the ‘full’ version having its own computer, wireless connection, and battery, so it can run without needing to be plugged in all the time. The team adds that the device has a simulation too, so developers can test and run their programs on a virtual robot before they install them in the actual one. Pollen Robotics has made all the designs, codes, and tools open-source, so anyone can use, see, and improve them. At the moment, the lite and wireless versions of the device are available.
the device can move its head sideways
the animated device can also ‘hide’ as part of its set of behaviors
it is compact enough to fit on a desk or be carried anywhere
the device can see, hear, and talk to people because of the cameras, microphones, and speakers installed
at the moment, the device is programmable using Python
video documenting the uses of the smart device
project info:
name: Reachy Mini
team: Pollen Robotics | @pollenrobotics
files: here
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